Once Upon a Theme… PokerStars updating table framework after review

July 23, 2024

News

by PokerStars Staff

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3 Minute Read

A long time ago, in a design studio far away, the first PokerStars table themes were created. 

A lot has changed in the 23 years since that initial design debuted, though the core components remain the same. New felts, chip stacks, card styles, buttons, avatars, animations, throwables, prestige, and more have been added to the original framework to create some of the most distinctive and beloved table themes in online poker. 

We’re proud of all the themes we’ve released (we still miss the beautiful table theme for PokerStars Power Up) – and we continue to work hard to produce some of the best designs out there (hello Mystery Bounty!) 

But for all the love that has gone into our table themes and graphics, they aren’t perfect.

IMPROVING YOUR EXPERIENCE

Some newer players find the themes confusing, features difficult to find, and the action hard to follow in quick-paced online play. For some more experienced players, the animations can be a distraction, and the client feels resource-heavy when multi-tabling. 

As with anything that’s been built and iterated on over multiple decades, the framework for our table also has its oddities and frustrations that can force compromise on our design & graphics teams’ vision for the table. With that in mind, we have undertaken a review of our table framework and have started to make significant updates.

PokerStars original table theme

Our Tech, Graphics and Design teams have been looking at how table themes are rendered, and the assets needed to create our online poker experience. We’ve worked with players through our Communities Team, Player Surveys and via Social Media channels to determine what is most important for each group of players and test out some initial design ideas. 

Ambassadors, Team Pros and a few high-volume players have been asked for their thoughts on some of the changes we are making and have leveraged their communities to give us valuable feedback. All of this has been combined to produce a plan for updates to the backend table framework and the frontend themes, some of which are starting to roll out now.

What does this mean for you, our players?

For more experienced players it should mean better performance and improved stability. 

The new framework we are moving towards will significantly reduce the resources that are needed to render tables – in some cases reducing asset loads by more than 70%. Fewer assets and a more consistent framework also mean better testing coverage which should reduce defects and improve overall table stability.

For newer players we are implementing a series of changes to pods, buttons, and stacks, that should make it easier to follow the action and develop online poker skills. More advanced features will become easier to access and understand while the new framework also allows us to create great animations (and Throwables!) more readily for exciting gameplay experiences.

We’re not there yet…

The new framework and updated designs are still being implemented build by build and there will be missteps along the way. Not everyone will be happy with all the changes, and some degree of customisation will be lost, but we believe that each new build will bring improvements in our gameplay experience and table performance that most players will benefit from and that, in the end, all the changes together will make for a better experience for all.

As ever, we want your open, honest, and constructive feedback on all the changes we’re making so please get involved via Discord, social media, the Communities Team or our regular surveys and help build the future of PokerStars Poker.