On Friday, PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker room, announced that its Mac-compatible software was fully functional and available for download. Previously, the software had been in beta testing mode and contained third-party applications. The software was launched just in time for the 2008 World Championship of Online Poker, which began this afternoon and runs for the next two weeks, culminating in a $5,200 buy-in, $10 million guaranteed Main Event.
PokerStars’ army of poker pros remarked on the significance of the fully-downloadable version of the online poker room’s software for Mac poker fans worldwide. Joe Hachem, who won the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2005, gave his insight:
This is a great addition for both PokerStars and the poker playing audience. This will allow Mac users to experience the world’s largest online poker site without third-party applications. I know a lot of the actors and musicians I coach via PokerStars will appreciate its release – the creative community uses Macs before any other computer.
Macs are staples of many graphic design firms, print publications, and other “creative” companies, as Hachem described. Macbooks have exploded in popularity and now have unparalleled access to PokerStars. Fresh off a trip to the Asia Pacific Poker Tour event in Macau, Bertrand “ElKy” Grospellier commented,
PokerStars understands what gamers want. Although PCs are still the top gaming platform, the number of online games for Mac has been growing by leaps and bounds. The community started asking for an acceptable online poker version for Mac, and PokerStars stepped up to deliver it. They didn’t rush into a launch, but developed the best software for the platform, in line with Mac user feedback and advice, to ensure users have a positive experience.
Grospellier won the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure earlier this year.
The release of the new software was contingent upon developers creating software that is compatible with the Mac OS X 10.4.10 and later operating systems. The new software allows Mac players to have access to all of the features that users playing on Dells, Gateways, and other Windows machines do. PokerStars is one of two major online poker rooms to offer a fully-downloadable version of its software for Mac players; the other is Full Tilt Poker. PokerStars claims to have 15 million members worldwide.
In addition, several online poker sites offer web-based clients for Mac poker players to be able to take advantage of. They include PokerRoom and other sites on the OnGame Network, which unlike Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars, do not accept U.S. players. Mac players can take a spin on Party Poker’s Anywhere Beta as well as play on a flash-based web interface on Paradise Poker. Absolute Poker and Sun Poker also offer web-based versions of their software. Several online poker rooms, including Bodog and Ultimate Bet, do not yet offer a way for Mac players to compete directly.
Day 1 of the 2008 WCOOP on PokerStars kicked off this afternoon with a $215 buy-in No Limit Hold’em six-max tournament. There were a grand total of 7,217 entrants, making it one of the largest WCOOP tournaments ever. The top 1,080 players will finish in the money and the champion will pocket $212,179.81. There were about 600 players who busted out during the first level of the tournament.