Versus HEM's Table Scanner?

[LowWater]

Describe the advantages of TableScan Turbo over Hold'em Manager's Table Scanner. If memory serves, they should be similarly priced when TableScan comes off beta.

[Zandry]

I talk to people almost every day who had purchased HM's scanner before they found mine, who have switched to TableScan and plan to buy it when I release it. I myself have pretty limited experience using HM's scanner but I will try to summarize what they have told me:

- Scanning speed: TableScan is around 2x faster or more for client side scanning

- Speed of opening/joining tables is also much faster on TableScan

- TableScan has way more options and features. Some examples are the "my open tables" scan filter, the "search for player" feature, the ability to select and join multiple tables at once, the "active table automation" feature, the fish definitions, the custom table list columns, etc. Any window you choose to compare, such as scoring, filters, or color profiles, you will find that TableScan has more options and features and is more advanced. TableScan is also much more customizable, just from the perspective of customizing the GUI the way you like it

- Usability, user-friendliness, and attention to detail: I think a majority of people using TableScan have used HM, but those that haven't I think would be surprised if they tried it to find that things they take for granted in TableScan are not available in HM, like open/joining a table during a scan, or the lists being sorted during a scan, or the lists being immediately updated when you add a buddy/change a setting, just to name a few.

HM does have server side scanning, which I have not implemented yet, but the data on their server is on a 2-4 minute delay, which really lessens it's benefit. Imagine finding a big fish at a table with 5/6 players, rushing to join the table only to find that it is actually now full with 3 people on the waitlist.

What it really comes down to, is if a big fish has just joined a table, TableScan Turbo users will be the first to see the table, and the first to join the table, hands down. Which I think is a pretty huge advantage But of course, you'll have to make the final decision for yourself

And yes, TableScan Turbo will of course be priced competitively with HM's scanner.

[LowWater]

Zandry,

Thanks for taking the time to respond. Three questions:

Regarding the fish definitions, does TST come with a default configuration "out of the box"? If so, can it be customized? Can I configure and save multiple definitions?

[Zandry]

Yes it does come with default fish definitions, they are completely customizable, at Configure > Fish Definitions. You can configure and save definitions for up to 5 fish right now, I am adding more as well, you can also customize everything in the software for each game type, i.e Full Ring, 6max, Heads Up

You can also create custom columns in the tables list,to count the # of players that meet any conditions you want. This is in Configure > Advanced Settings > Define > Add Definition

[LowWater]

Zandry,

Hold'em Manager has just redefined its Table Scanner App as Insta-Scan. As you likely know, this upgrade gives the customer much faster, server-side scanning. Of course, it comes at a price adjustment which is a bit confusing. As I understand it, it is $64.99 for Table Scanner plus an additional $9.99 per month for the Insta-Scan upgrade service.

I wonder if you would be so kind as to repeat your answer to my original question back on February 26. Now that Hold'em Manager's Table Scanner has this server-side Insta-Scan module, how does it differ from TableScan Turbo?

What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of TableScan Turbo? I see that v0.47 Beta is currently available. How soon do you anticipate charging for your product and, if you know, what do you anticipate that charge to be?

Again, thank you for your time.

[fifilein]

Originally Posted by LowWater

What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of TableScan Turbo? I see that v0.47 Beta is currently available. How soon do you anticipate charging for your product and, if you know, what do you anticipate that charge to be?

i found HEM table scan just horrible slow, and the layout and user interface is like hell on earth. completely messy, not clean and no good overviews.

find table scan turbo way more intuitive and easier to handle, and its faster. tough it still has improvement potential, but thats ok.

[Zandry]

I don't really think much has changed since I wrote the previous post, they changed the name of their server side scanning to instascan and started charging for it. I did try their app for the first time in many months last week and I have to say I was surprised at how unfinished it still is, but yeah you gotta try em both out for yourself and decide, I don't know what you want me to say

Server side scanning means that there are a bunch of computers running a lot of virtual machines which are all running client scanning on a site and updating a central server with the data. So the point is the scan loads faster but there is an inherent delay. For example I was looking at HM's website ~2 weeks ago and I saw a graph where they said it takes their client side scanner 145 seconds to scan ~164 tables of .25/.50 6max on pokerstars. So that means if they have one virtual machine dedicated to just scanning .25/.50 6max on pokerstars, then the tables are only being updated on their server every 145 seconds, which is about what I have observed and others have told me about their server side scanning, that it's on a delay of 2-3 minutes.

I will be adding server side scanning to TableScan Turbo after release, with a similar pricing structure. The software side of it has been ready for a while but I have to invest a lot more money in hardware to scan the sites, my goal is to have the delays consistently under 1 minute - meaning I have to set up multiple virtual machines just to scan one stake/table type, for example 2 virtual machines dedicated to scanning .25/.50 6max. I do have the advantage that scanning 164 tables on pokerstars takes my app around ~70-80 seconds, so if I only set up the same # of virtual machines as them, my server side would have 1/2 their delay, but I think I will probably also end up having more virtual machines scanning so I can hit my goal of a 30-60 second or less delay.

Anyways, as I said before, the big advantage that TableScan Turbo users have, besides the fact that it has way more features and more options for literally every single feature, is this: If a big fish just sat down, and you hit scan on every table selection tool available today at the same time, you will see the fish in TableScan Turbo first, and TableScan Turbo will get you to their table first, that's just a fact which you can easily verify for yourself. Even the buddy list type programs will not alert you to your buddies sitting down as fast as you would see them with TST on autoscan

I could say a lot more obviously but the point is you should try them all out and see which you prefer. I am gonna start charging in a few weeks at most and I am planning to charge $79 for the full version, $49 for the low stakes version up to .25/.50 NL or .50/1 FL, or $19 for a microstakes version up to .05/.10NL or .10/.25 FL