- Due to “an issue that did not arise during testing,” the system has been disabled.
- The buy-in obligations system will track a player’s stacks across tables and force a player to return with the same stack size that they previously left with, even if joining a new table.
- Most players support the implementation of the system, which will be a first in online poker.
The planned rollout of PokerStars’ “Buy-In Obligations” system which seeks to curb ratholing was cut short Monday due to technical problems.
The system was rolled out on $1/$2 full ring tables across PokerStars.com, .ee, .dk, .be, and .eu sites on Monday. A rollout across all games and stakes, including Zoom, was to occur in the next two weeks absent any issues.
However, “an issue that did not arise during testing,” caused PokerStars to disable the system, according to a post on the 2+2 forums by Nick Williamson, PokerStars Ring Game Manager.
No further details have been provided yet as to the specifics of the problem or when they hope to have it resolved.
The new system will track a player’s stacks across tables and, once a certain threshold is met, force a player to return with the same stack size that they previously left with, even if joining a new table. The system tracks stack sizes across all stakes with the same stack depth.
The goal of the new system is to curb ratholing, the act of leaving one table then returning to a similar table with less chips.
The system was first announced almost a year ago, but repeated delays have pushed back its implementation.
Most players support the implementation of the system, which will be a first in online poker. More delays will certainly frustrate those anticipating the change in game conditions.
