Poker room software is the eyes, ears, and hands of an online poker player. It is imperative that poker rooms offer software that is somewhat pleasing to the eye, easy to use, flexible, and responsive. Both PokerStars and FullTilt get a passing grade in this category.

FullTilt recently invested in a significant upgrade to their software. Upon logging into the FullTilt Poker room, the offered poker games are divided into logical categories. The new standard lobby view is far easier on the eyes than was the classic view. In the standard view, games are divided into three categories, Ring Game, Sit and Go, and Tournament – with subdivisions carved out for variation of poker game a player is after. The sort function is easy to use, as it allows players to filter tables based on desired table stakes. Once a player has found his game, it is as simple as clicking the table and you are ready to play.

The tables at Full Tilt are responsive, as well as decorative. Players may customize the view of the tables, as well as the background. The option is even available to shut down the avatars or leave them up for plain view. Most innovative in nature is the bet slider at FullTilt Poker. Players are able to select what the slider for bets represents. In classic mode, the slider will represent half the pot, while Linear Mode uses one-half the player’s stack size as the mid-point. The exponential mode allows the slider to represent a larger number as the slider moves. Tables may be cascaded or tiled, allowing for easy adjustment for few or many poker tables being played simultaneously.

When logging into PokerStars, the player sees the more traditional tabbed menu in the lobby. It is here that players may select their type of game. Once a tab has been selected, players may further focus in on their game of choice. PokerStars has done little to beef up the presentation of their tables, though the tables are most responsive and all the pertinent data is displayed in an easy to see manner. Players may upload an image of their choosing. Players may additionally choose to block or view images representing each player.

The PokerStars software allows for four-color decks. Additionally, players may adjust their tables, better fitting the screen when multi-tabling. Furthermore, players may choose from a variety of table and lobby themes via the View menu of the PokerStars Lobby Toolbar. However, in fairness, the changing of views is merely nothing more than an adjustment in color.

While PokerStars software surely gets the job done, FullTilt has the slight edge in software features. While PokerStars remains strong with the basics, FullTilt has begun rolling out features that are appealing and useful to the online poker player. FullTilt allows for more looks of their lobby and table, which suits players of all preferences. FullTilt’s upgraded software places them a step ahead of the competition.