PokerStars testing random ring game seating in Spain

Online poker star PokerStars is testing new random seating software on its ring games to curb bumhunting by sharp players.

On Wednesday, PokerStars’ blog announced the introduction of Seat Me, which will automatically assign players a seat at a random table after they’ve selected game and stake options. The new software will make its debut on Spanish site PokerStars.es, after which Stars will review the results and consider rolling out the change in other markets.

Stars says Seat Me will make its ring game seating process “smoother, quicker and fairer” by mimicking “the live poker experience of random table and seat selection.” Stars believes Seat Me could represent “a major milestone” in ensuring that its ring games are “being played on an even footing.”

Seat Me eliminates players’ ability to pick and choose their seat and table choices, prevents the use of seating scripts and introduces “potential time penalties to reduce game disruption” by players who constantly switch tables, steal blinds or refuse to take on certain players.