Poker Rooms Ready for iPhone Generation

Following the early March launch of Switch Poker, the first real money poker site designed exclusively for iPads and iPhones, more people than ever are wondering just how ready the online poker industry is for the mobile revolution in gaming technology. Switch Poker currently only offers six-player no limit hold ‘em, but it is only a matter of time before they and other services offer the full gambit of mobile poker action from satellite tournaments to high stakes heads up matches. Major online poker rooms like

PokerStars, Full Tilt and Absolute Poker are clearly hesitant to jump on board with the change. However, countless app developers and other entrepreneurs are already opening the floodgates for mobile poker players regardless of whether the big poker sites are ready for them or not.

Full Tilt Poker:

Hello,

Thank you for contacting Full Tilt Poker Support.

Unfortunately Full Tilt Poker is not designed for any mobile platforms at the moment, and the executable and program files should not run in this particular operating system as even though a Mobile device may run a slightly different version of OSX, it may be enough to cause substantial problems.

While we can’t say for certain at this point if the client will or will not work on a Mobile device, I suggest against playing Full Tilt Poker on any unconventional device such as this for real money. The processing power of these devices is typically under specifications, and their wireless capabilities are significantly weaker in signal strength than industry standard wifi devices (802.11b, g, and n) found in laptops and desktops.

We are sorry we haven’t been able to provide you with a “Pocket Full Tilt Poker” version of the software at this time.

Best of luck on the tables, and if there’s anything else we can help you with, please feel free to ask. We’re always here to help.

Regards,

James
Technical Representative
Full Tilt Poker Support

The Major Poker Rooms: Use Your iPhone at Your Own Risk

If you contact PokerStars, Full Tilt and Absolute Poker about how they are handling how this shift in how their players want to be able to play, you’ll get varying explanations that basically add up to “Um…We’ll get back to you on that.” PokerStars recognizes that devices like the iPhone and iPad could possibly be used to play cash games of poker but goes out of their to state that they are not equipped to handle the connectivity and security concerns that are associated with mobile gaming. Full Tilt claims that they cannot really say whether or not such devices may or may not be used to play poker in their rooms but cautions players against attempting to do so. To their credit, Full Tilt does apologize for not having any “Pocket Full Tilt Poker,” but it’s not entirely clear whether they were just being sarcastic. Absolute Poker writes back saying no hablas anglais and asks what an eye phone is for.

PokerStars -

Thank you for contacting PokerStars.

Although we are aware of an increasing demand for a mobile device version of our software, unfortunately it is not compatible with any mobile technology currently available. The security and connectivity required for our real money games are not possible with the operating systems used to run such devices.

It is theoretically possible to play using a device like the Apple iPad, as it has applications which can connect to your home computer via wireless internet, permitting remote control of the programs running on the home computer. However, we do not recommend such play due to the security and connectivity issues involved, and we cannot provide support for such play. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

We may have support for these devices available in the future, if their security and connectivity can be improved.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions.

Regards,

Klemen
PokerStars Support Team

If PokerStars and Full Tilt Don’t Do It, Someone Else Will

It is easy to get a sense of deja vu by watching the major rooms like PokerStars and Full Tilt drag their feet on developing mobile platforms for cash games on mobile devices. When online poker and online casinos first started to catch on with public ten years ago, the major names in brick and mortar had an opportunity to use their brand name recognition to dominate the world of online gambling. Instead, they elected to completely stay out of the business and concentrate on the old way of doing business, even when the Texas hold’em boom should have served as their canary in the coal mine. Today, it is tough to imagine how PokerStars and Full Tilt could be in a better position to make the changes necessary to control the market in mobile poker. Instead, it currently appears that they are leaving the market open to developers like those at Switch Poker who know how to take advantage of a chance of a lifetime when they see it.

Dear Valued Player,

Thank you for contacting us.

We just want to let you know that we currently do not have an application for mobile devices, this includes Iphones and Ipads.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further concerns.

Best regards,

Fred Customer Support
absolutepoker

Of the rooms that we contacted during this study, these are the only one’s to reply at all. PKR, given their reputation for advanced technology was contacted, however at the time of the writing of this article they haven’t answered.