Third Party Tools and Services Policy

An Overview

As online poker has grown in popularity, people have developed tools and web-based services to help them play better online. We think it is okay for players to use some of these tools and services. However, we think that some go beyond what we consider acceptable as an aid to playing online.

There are many things that a player can do to improve their chances in a poker game. For instance, they can play a lot and gain experience, or they can read a book about poker. Both of these techniques are clearly appropriate. At the other end of the spectrum, they can use a tool that informs them exactly what action to take in real-time. This is clearly cheating.

The policy we have developed over the years follows thorough discussions internally and with poker experts, including our team of professionals. It is designed to be an appropriate compromise between allowing the use of tools and services that might enhance the playing and learning experience for the user, while prohibiting tools and services that give the user an unfair advantage.

Our policy groups tools and services into three categories:

• Those we permit at all times
• Those we prohibit at all times
• Those we permit, but prohibit while our software is open

We have no affiliation with any of the developers of these tools. In fact, we have seen instances where some of these tools are using techniques that interact with our software that causes the PokerStars software to crash or function incorrectly. It is the player’s responsibility to ensure the tools are compliant with our rules. We hold absolutely no liability from losses due to these tools breaking the functionality of the PokerStars software. We do not endorse the use of any additional support tools used in conjunction with our software.

If there is a tool that you wish to use and are unsure whether the functionality of the tool is compliant with our policies, please contact us through our support channels (with X as the subject line), and we will be able to determine whether it is permitted. [ or "If you have a query regarding a specific tool, please visit our Help Center to find out ways to contact us."]

Permitted Tools and Services

The following are generally acceptable:

1. Tools and services that simply report basic game state information, such as pot odds or absolute hand strength.
2. Reference material that is static and basic in nature, such as simple table-based starting hand charts advising on what hands to play or not in unopened pots.
3. Tools or services that monitor and display numerical-based statistics in-game, but make use of only information that you have accumulated through your own play. Furthermore, there are qualitative limitations on any statistics displayed in-game, such as not being able to be split based on card values. There are also feature limitations of tools and services displaying statistics in-game, such as not being able to automatically change displayed statistics based on game state or opponent tendencies.
4. Macros and Hotkey programs for gameplay efficiency that do not reduce the requirement of a player having to make a decision. The player must decide what action to take and the exact relative size of any bet or raise, with the macro or hotkey merely executing this decision. For example, a hotkey that bets half the pot is permitted. A hotkey that bets a randomised amount between half and three quarters of the pot is prohibited.

Further detail regarding features that are permitted and prohibited can be found in more depth in our Reference Guide.

If you have a query regarding a specific tool, please visit our Help Center to find out ways to contact us.

Tools and Services Prohibited at All Times

The following are prohibited at all times:

• Any tool or service that plays without human intervention (a ‘bot’) or reduces the requirement of a human to make decisions. A human must decide what action to take and the exact relative size of any bet or raise. For example, ‘auto-folders’ and tools that randomise the size of bets are prohibited.
• Any tool or service that offers real-time advice on what action to take through reading of the current game state (a ‘bot’).
• Any tool or service that delays a player’s decision by either a specific or randomised amount of time.
• Any tool or service that shares hole card data with other players or services. ‡
• The practice of datamining hands or private results (observing games without playing in order to build up a database of hand histories for future reference); the use of hands or private results acquired through datamining; the mass sharing of hands, private results or playing statistics for the purpose of analysis of opponents.
• Any tool or service that is targeted towards the manipulation of opponents in games in which you are unable to choose a specific table to play on, such as Spin & Go’s.
• Any tool or service for table selection efficiency that filters or sorts available tournaments, or automates/semi-automates the process of joining available tournaments, based on opponent gameplay statistics or notes.
• Any tool or service for ring game selection efficiency.
• The use of AI models/tools to develop any type of software/tools that are against our rules.

The use of any tool or service that scrapes data from the PokerStars tables that could be used to input into an advanced poker calculator or website or database (whether local, on a cloud or hosted externally).‡ Hosting live streams on Twitch and other similar services is not considered as sharing hole card data.

Further detail regarding features that are permitted and prohibited can be found in more depth in our Reference Guide.

If you have a query regarding a specific tool, please visit our Help Center to find out ways to contact us.

Permitted Tools and Services that are Prohibited While Our Software is Running

There are some tools and services which have legitimate uses for analysing your game but are not appropriate for use during play. As such, their use when any of our clients, apps or software are open is prohibited. We determine that it’s irrelevant whether these tools are used when you have no tables open, or you are calculating or referencing material before or after a decision. An advantage is gained by using these tools even if it does not directly relate to the decision you are currently facing on the tables. This rule applies whether one or more devices are being used.

Typically, these fall under the following categories:

• Reference material that provides advice that goes beyond a basic level, such as a large collection of tables offering recommendations beyond whether to play certain hands or not in unopened pots.
• Tools or services designed specifically to ease referral to reference material.
• Tools or services that compute advanced equity calculations, such as GTO strategies, range vs range simulators (node locking), ICM or Nash Equilibrium-based programs.
• The use of any AI models to get advice on what action to take on a table.

Any Game Theory Optimal (GTO) solution available from any source, whether a website, subscription service, server, database, etc. We are aware that some poker tools and calculators restrict their functionality if they detect our software running. This is to prevent their users being barred from play on our site. Although we appreciate the efforts of the developers of these tools to remain compliant with our rules, we do not continuously monitor each release of each tool to ensure that no changes have been made. For this reason, we will monitor and review the accounts and play of anyone determined to be using these tools. We may ask you to close these tools if you wish to play on our software.

Further detail regarding features that are permitted and prohibited can be found in more depth in our Reference Guide.

If you have a query regarding a specific tool, please visit our Help Center to find out ways to contact us.

Our Detection Measures

To enforce our policy, we primarily:

1. Look to see if any prohibited tools or services are running on a player's computer.
2. Analyse playing and behavioural tendencies indicative of players using prohibited tools or services.
3. We may also use third parties to assist in the detection of violations of our rules. This is done in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
4. We may also use models, software and tools to identify cheating. Any algorithmic identification of cheating will be reviewed by one of our agents before action is taken on the account.

We may, at our discretion, prevent our client program from running on your device, or require players to upgrade the client application.

The Consequences of Using and Developing Prohibited Tools and Services

While we reserve the right to withhold funds of somebody running a prohibited tool or service, we are not going to do this lightly. Our goal is to educate players who are found to be using prohibited software that is publicly available for download.

However, we will likely deny services and/or withhold funds if a player:

• is using particularly malicious tools and services (such as ‘bots’);
• shows a pattern of using prohibited tools and services after being warned;
• attempts to bypass our detection measures;
• is found to be privately developing or using privately developed software that violates our policies.

Updates and Changes to our Third Party Tool Policy

As stated, our policy has developed over time. Occasional updates are required to adapt to changing sentiments of our player base and experts, as well as the changing features of the tools and services that are available. We assume no responsibility to notify players of changes to this policy. Players should regularly check this page for changes.