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My Experience with PokerStars

(Fabian Garcia 12/11)

I use PokerStars from time to time for entertainment.I enjoy playing poker, so it is cool to use this application. A common feature for poker gaming sites is to be recognizable , so that it is easy to use. I believe PokerStars does this better than a lot of other different interfaces which it competes with.

In Poker sites it is common to represent the game by using a virtual table and representing the players using hole cards being displayed on the seats.The above picture shows the gaming interface for PokerStars. I believe it is learnable and easy to recognize. This interface demonstrates an application of “Recognition rather than recall”. Most of the options to manipulate the interface are readily available , and easy to recognize. When using a Poker gaming interface my main (goals) for the interaction would be.

(Goals & Interaction)

• That the interface is easy to recognize and use intuitively so it does not interfere with my game
• Somewhat good looking since I will be looking at it for hours on end
• I am provided information about the game consistently and accurately

(Narative)

I opened PokerStars , and logged in. The first thing I am greeted by is about 30/40 different table games to join. I am looking for the microstakes(low roller) and am kind of lost in the sauce, with all the different tables and options available to me (Picture 1A.). I filter the table options for micro stakes to find the tables I am looking for. I believe the myriad of options hinders my ability to get where I am going, and there could be a more organized way of doing things.The things that help me accomplish my goals are being prepared to use the interface, and knowing which filter I am looking for. Which is not very learnable at first.Once I am in the game , this kind of flips back. I really enjoy using the PokerStars interface for actually playing (1B), but not their match finding interface.

(1A)

(Narative Con’t) The game interface itself is very sleek and learnable. It has a vibrant button for the actions. When I need to Call , Fold ,or Raise everything is clearly marked and visible. It makes my goal of focusing on the game easier.

(1B)

(Expected Outcome)

Seamless gaming experience, the interface should not frustrate me.

(Strengths)

• Easy to understand and use (game interface)
• Shows individual player accounts
• Recognized and known (most popular, largest user base)

(Weakness)

• The design is starting to look dated, when compared to some competition
• Does not display current hand made, which is a common feature among competitors.
• Finding a game menu is very intimidating , too many options at once (match-making interface)

Competition photo for reference