The online poker provider PokerStars starts testing webcam tables at online home games in a beta version. These tables allow participants to see all the other players via webcam and to chat with them.

A feature like webcam tables is by no means new, 888poker had already tested such tables over 10 years ago. At that time, the experiment failed because the players largely rejected them. However, the webcam tables at 888 were open to all players at that time, while PokerStars limits the offer to homegame tables.

The home games on Stars take place in closed clubs where most players know each other anyway. In the last year and a half, most people have gained a more natural relationship with webcams thanks to home office and online meetings, so it may well be that PokerStars’ experiment could work out.

For now, the webcam tables are only available through the web client, but they are expected to be offered for both desktop and mobile app early next year, Poker Industry PRO reports.

Online home games on the rise

With the advent of the pandemic, online poker experienced an unexpected boom in 2020 and the virtual tables at Stars, GG, 888 and Co. were well-filled this year as well. The most popular feature are the virtual home games where you can play in a closed club with your friends.

Many app-based platforms, such as Pokio, gained in popularity. These allow legalised real-money play in self-created clubs to which you can invite your friends. Practically all the big poker sites have significantly improved their club and homegame offerings in the last two years in order to attract players to their virtual tables during the pandemic.

PokerStars has offered a club system and virtual home games for many years. There you can play cash games as well as create private tournaments. These clubs are used both in private rounds and by streamers, for example, in viewer games. In recent years, 888, partypoker and also smaller providers such as Unibet have followed suit with a similar offer. At Unibet, tournaments in the homegame area have even been free of charge since last year.

It seems likely that PokerStars’ webcam tables will be available to all players within the first weeks of next year. It remains to be seen whether the offer will be better received than the camera tables of 888 at the time, but at the moment it seems likely that these tables will find favour among some players.