NEW SOFTWARE UPGRADE COMING AT POKERSTARS

A flurry of posts by industry observers, players and some insiders on major online poker message boards like PocketFives and 2+2 suggests that a fresh software upgrade is imminent at the giant online poker website, PokerStars.com, with some interesting innovations.

The introduction of synchronised breaks appears to be creating the biggest (positive) stir in the communities and could be launched as soon as this week. This enforced break concept is already in place at rival online poker provider Full Tilt Poker.com, where it has apparently been well received. There is speculation that the PokerStars synchronised breaks will take place at 55 minutes past every hour. In the case of rebuy tournaments, if a tournament is a rebuy tournament, there will be an extra short break at the end of the rebuy period to allow for add-ons to be made.

It is likely that initially only a handful of tournaments will feature the breaks, which will be clearly marked.

It is understood that Mixed Hold’em/Omaha, a game that is part of the PokerStars 2009 World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) schedule starting soon is also available on the giant site's cash game scene.

Further software tweaks may include improvements to registration information and the extension of the private game privilege to lower stakes players.

Beta-testing is apparently also imminent on a new multi-currency facility that will include Euros.

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