How does PT4 retrieve the current table info from PS?

Questions and discussion about PokerTracker 4 for Windows

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How does PT4 retrieve the current table info from PS?

Postby Shaddi » Sat Jan 07, 2017 12:47 pm

Hi,

I'm trying to build my own additional software to go with PT4 at the moment.

I assume PT4 reads the dealer Chat in order to be able to show the HUD for the right players. But how does it read that chat?

I tried getting the Window Handles. But the pokerstars software (for example) doesn't seem to use standard text fields for the text box (the PokerstarsChatClass Window).

I guess I could screen capture but that would provoke problems when Windows are overlapping.

So how is this solved in PT4 for the case of pokerstars? I ask because it's the most important site.

I already got this for some other sites (for example the BWin software writes it's dealer chat into the chatbox window title).

I'm using C# since it's the easiest to work with other Windows applications.
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Re: How does PT4 retrieve the current table info from PS?

Postby Flag_Hippo » Sat Jan 07, 2017 4:53 pm

PokerTracker 4 detects the title of the table window, which it matches with the information in the poker site hand history file, and it does not read from dealer chat at all.
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Re: How does PT4 retrieve the current table info from PS?

Postby Shaddi » Sun Jan 08, 2017 8:01 am

Pokerstars saves the hand history only after the hand.

So this doesn't explain how the HUD get's there for every hand. In Zoom for example the table changes every round - so you can't just retrieve player names from the last hand in the hand history files.

I'm missing something here?
Shaddi
 
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Re: How does PT4 retrieve the current table info from PS?

Postby Flag_Hippo » Sun Jan 08, 2017 10:47 am

The HUD can only update after the hand is over so normally that would mean there would be no HUD displayed until after the first hand at a table is played however PokerStars has a unique policy of allowing tracking software to import 30 observed hands per session to aid with table selection which PokerTracker 4 complies with. This is done via the PokerTracker 4 "Memory Grabber" which is a special feature that integrates with the PokerStars application to grab hands that reside in memory. It pulls in a select number of prior hands from the PokerStars client memory so that the PokerTracker 4 HUD can populate with results to aid with table selection before joining a table. For Zoom tables as far as I am aware PokerStars provides a separate player positioning file to allow the PokerTracker 4 HUD to determine what players are seated at the start of each new hand.
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Re: How does PT4 retrieve the current table info from PS?

Postby Shaddi » Thu Jan 19, 2017 9:03 am

Thanks a lot for that answer.

I tried to ask Pokerstars some questions but they either don't seem to be able to put my requests through to someone with the knowledge or they just don't want to answer.

So this file you are talking about for Zoom tables, where is this saved? I found the pokerstars.log files but as far as I can tell they only provide my own username and so far anonymous seats otherwise.

Also I tried to lock pokerstars down on a clear answer if they provide an actual API for communication with tracking software but didn't get an answer.

How does that "Memory Grabber" work? Did you make a deal with Pokerstars to provide some kind of communication accessability or did you craft the software to grab it completely yourself? It seems unlikely because I don't think Pokerstars would allow people to read their ram since there would be so much information in it. I thought they at least encrypt that!

Anyway I'm still on the hunt for a way to grab current hand information since it's impossible to make a working tool for myself if I don't even know who is where at the table.
Thanks a lot
Lukas
Shaddi
 
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Re: How does PT4 retrieve the current table info from PS?

Postby Flag_Hippo » Thu Jan 19, 2017 7:21 pm

I don't know the specifics of the Zoom file or the memory grabber but the grabber won't allow users to import more than 30 observed hands per session since we abide by PokerStars terms and conditions and other than that the only way I can suggest to you to get current hand information is to be seated at a table playing a hand. Most sites ban datamining outright, including PokerStars, so that's not something we can assist you with.
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Re: How does PT4 retrieve the current table info from PS?

Postby Shaddi » Fri Jan 20, 2017 1:06 am

I think you got me wrong here. I'm not trying to build a datamining application. I know they ban for it and I love my Stars Account :D

For now I would be content with knowing the Players names at Zoom tables I sit on / their position. Of course there are other interesting informations to get like Stack etc.

I just thought it would be nice but anyway, thank you for your help :)
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