Poker has always been a solitary pursuit. But that’s about to change.
This Thursday we’re inviting you to try out something new on the PokerStars Twitch Channel.
It’s an innovative Twitch poker experience that puts you in a seat against the pros.
You and everyone else tuning in on Twitch that is.
Take on players in a live game
Chat Plays Poker puts you and fellow Twitch viewers into a live poker game, with the option to choose how to play hands, helped by Team Pro Jason Somerville
It’s called Chat Plays Poker, and it’s hosted by the gang at Run It Up.
It puts you in a live poker game, all while watching on Twitch. You, and the Twitch audience, get to play hands and then vote on how those hands should be played.
Check, bet or fold? It’s all up to you.
It’s free to take part and open to everyone, whether you’re new to poker or play regularly.
All you need is a Twitch account (accessed from a non-mobile platform) and an opinion.
It doesn’t even have to be a good opinion.
You vote in the chat for how to act. Seconds later the action plays out right in front of you.
Here’s how it works
Chat Plays Poker is perfect for anyone who has watched poker from home and wondered what it would be like to take a seat.
And then wondered if they could do better.
Scratch that. Who know they could have done better.
It starts this Thursday at 8pm BST on the PokerStars Twitch Channel.
What you find when you get there is a four-handed cash table, with a seat open for you and everyone else from the Twitch community tuning in.
That means real chips, real cards, and real opponents.
Outplay Moneymaker, Stapleton and Jesse Fullen
Opposite you, seated at a live poker table, will be some familiar faces.
Team Pro Chris Moneymaker will be there, as will EPT Live’s Joe Stapleton, and Jesse Fullen from the Run It Up Crew.
The three of them will be up against you and the entire Twitch community.
Which might make you wonder how that will work exactly?
Good question. There are a few instructions for first time viewers.
This is where Jason Somerville comes in
A look at how the game players. Twitch viewers can vote for the action they think best. Your live opponents sit and wait.
Team Pro Jason Somerville will be commentating on the action and acting as your liaison between the Twitch world and the table in front of you.
First the technical bit.
If you’re a first time viewer, you’ll need to click “Vote on the Action” in the top left of the screen. Then “Enable” in the window that pops up.
Each time the table action reaches you, the viewer, options will appear at the bottom of the screen. Click on them to vote for what to take.
And if all else fails, type “help” in the chat and we’ll get you set up. Although that doesn’t apply if you can’t decide whether to call or fold.
You get to choose the action
Team Pro Jason Somerville will be on hand to commentate and to help the Twitch audience with their decisions
Jason will lead you (and the Twitch audience) through each step of the game, providing advice along the way and laying out the choices of how to play.
It’s then down to you to make that choice.
It all happens fast, so it won’t slow the game. And the stakes are simple. It’s a 1/1 cash game and you have 100 big blinds to play with.
A first for poker
If you’d like to be part of this small piece of poker history, tune into the PokerStars Twitch Channel at 8pm BST this Thursday.
After a brief introduction from Jason play will get underway, so don’t be late. You won’t want to miss any of the action early on.
The game should last about two hours.
Don’t miss out: 8pm BST this Thursday
It should be fun, and fascinating way to introduce what could become the biggest leap forward in the game’s technology since some bright spark invented a camera small enough to see hole cards.
And that changed the game forever.
And you can be a part of it.
And remember… you don’t need any poker experience to play, just Twitch account. Curiosity is enough. Come along, log in, and see what happens next.