PokerStars is rolling out a new client update this week, which comes with changes to lobby filtering, new chat emoticons and various other small fixes and improvements.
The update is already live on PokerStars.EE, PokerStars.ES and PokerStars.EU. For dot.COM, the Mac client is expected to roll out today, and the Windows client by tomorrow. Other regional sites (France, Italy and Belgium) should get the upgrade by the end of the week.
The most notable change is lobby filtering, which has now been moved above the table list. For cash games, the toggle to enable the new table grouping feature is now permanently featured alongside the filters. For tournaments, the text search filter has been moved to the main lobby window.
Updates have also come to the tables. The chat box now supports chat emoticons which replace text smileys like :) and :o with their picture equivalents. Emoticons are already ubiquitous in messenger programs and internet forums, and many poker clients, including iPoker, PartyPoker and the soon-to-be-resurrected Full Tilt already have such a feature. Along with thirty generic faces to choose from, there are also three “secret” pictures: A shark replaces (^^^), donkey is &-B, and fish replaces the typo-prone <'))><.
Other changes in this update include more legible fonts with small tables, more customization in the Mac client and a filter for GBP currency. PokerStars also unveiled a new work-in-progress four-color deck, which is expected to have a trial-run on PokerStars Test client later this month with a full release scheduled for September.
