Poker Software Updates
At UltimateBet, we constantly update our software to ensure that our players get the best experience possible when they play poker online with us. Our software updates may include gameplay changes, such as adding a category of poker tournaments or interface changes that improve the player experience. They can also include security updates that better ensure your safety online or improvements to your connection to the UltimateBet servers. This page tracks the changes that have been made to our software and how it affects you.
Release Date: April 26th, 2010
Synchronized Breaks
Synchronized breaks will now occur even if the tournament is in late registration, provided the other three rules have been met.
New hand history numbers
Players will now notice a new hand numbering system. All hand numbers will now begin with the prefix C, starting at C10000.
Our new numbering system will not affect hand histories played before this date. Players can still access prior hand histories through the game client or by contacting customer support. This will start showing on May 3rd.
Notification of seating limit policy
Players will no longer be able to wait at more than one Heads Up table per stakes simultaneously. Once you have an opponent at your table, you may sit and wait for another opponent at another table of the same stakes.
Sit in/Sit out logic fixes
Players who sit out while playing in an MTT and are moved to another table will no longer be set to active. Instead, the player will continue to sit out until choosing to sit back in.
Advanced Cash Re-buy
Players can now buy-in for double the standard maximum amount after losing two buy-ins at a table in a single session. An Advanced Re-buy Option will appear in the buy-in window when bringing funds to the table, if this feature is available. This option is only enabled at select tables.
Default Buy-in / Auto Top Off
Players can now set their buy-in preferences so that they won’t have to select a buy-in amount when first sitting down at a table. Buy-in preferences depend on the table’s big blind. Players will also be able to set their re-buy preferences to make sure they never miss a hand.
The new Auto Top Off feature will perform a re-buy any time a player’s stack falls below a predetermined amount.
TBJ Surrender
Players will no longer be allowed to surrender after splitting cards. This was allowed before and has been fixed as per black Jack rules.
Tournament Dollar Exchange
Hand for Hand Logic will now only occur in two instances. The first instance is on the bubble during tournament play. Players will play hand for hand during the bubble. The bubble is when the tournament is about to start paying players. The next hand for hand instance will be when determining the Final Table. Example: Tournament pays the top 50 players and is a 9 seated tournament. The first hand for hand will occur when there are 51 players. The next time hand for hand takes place is when there are 10 players left.
Table Skins/Resize Cascade
Tired of the same old table while playing on a Mac? Now you can change your table skin, felt color, and resize tables for a friendlier look. These are features that we've always offered in our cardroom, but they are new to our Instant Play and Mac versions. We'll be rolling out additional features to bring our Mac software completely in line with our PC version.
Tournament Dollar Exchange
Players can now trade their Tournament Dollars for US Dollars by paying a 3% fee. This option is available by selecting “Convert T$” from the “My Account” menu bar in the game client and will be displayed in the Cashier under Account Info / Account Transfer/ T$ Conversion.
Raise Logic Change
Our raise button is now labeled "raise to". Players can now raise to a desired amount without having to add their initial bet, which is already on the table. Raising is as easy as entering the amount you wish to raise to and clicking the "raise to" button. This is in line with industry standards.
Synchronized Breaks
The majority of our Multi-Table Tournaments will now break at the 55th minute of every hour. This will allow players who play in Multi-Table Tournaments to take a break without worrying about missing hands. Please visit our Synchronized Breaks page for more information.
Non-Depositing Players Earn UltimatePoints
Players who have yet to make a deposit can now earn UltimatePoints. If you've earned cash through promotions or freerolls, you will now accumulate UltimatePoints when playing in our real money games.
RAI$E Changes
Players will now earn up to 31% on their cash with RAI$E, our industry leading rewards program. Thanks to changes made to our loyalty program, you will now be rewarded UltimatePoints based on your level of activity on the site, which will be fairer to our players.
UB MAC
UB-Mac is ripe for the picking. Download the new Mac version of our UB software to play all the ring games we offer in our PC version, as well as single and multi-table Hold'em tournaments and single player blackjack, directly on your Mac.
UB Instant Play
With the new java version of UltimateBet you can experience your favorite UB games from any browser or operating system. UB Instant Play lets you play without downloading, which is perfect for people who enjoy playing remotely or from someone else's computer.
Play Next STEP
Our new "Play Next Step" window makes it easy for STEP tournament winners to play in the next STEP without missing a beat. If you win a STEP tournament, a pop up window will display all the upcoming STEP tournament options. Playing in the next STEP is as easy as clicking on the available tournament of your choice.
SnG Lobby Organization
Browsing our lobby is better than ever. It's easier to find what you're looking for with better organization, enhanced tournament sorting and smoother operation.
Flash Installer
You can expect to be in the loop thanks to our new flash installer. When downloading our poker client, you'll be able to see our upcoming promos, events, and info about our latest software updates.
Waiting List Improvements
If you join a waiting list, you'll no longer have to select a seat when one becomes available. An open seat will automatically be reserved for you and a buy-in window will appear when it becomes available. You'll then be able to decide how much cash you wish to bring to the table, or you can cancel the buy-in and the seat will become available to other players.
SecureID Pin
In order to enhance your security, we have now added a section to the games cashier where you can set-up a SecureID Pin. All you need to do is head to Account Info, click on Update Profile and select SecureID Pin on the top right area.
1 Click Reload
Seated at a great table but suddenly out of chips? Never miss a flop again with UltimateBets new 1-Click Reload feature
Phil and Annie skins
Players can now select Classic View and then choose from a wide variety of table skins, including two that feature Phil and Annie.
Release Date: July 21, 2009
Client Account Transfers
Players can now take advantage of added account security by controlling who can send them a transfer. It's now easy to enable and disable all transfers or specify authorized senders by visiting the Account Info section in the Cashier.
Username In Client
Everyone can now find their username prominently displayed in the upper part of the lobby window, as well as in ring game table windows. In addition, we will also display the player's RAI$E status level for quick reference.
To avoid confusion, we've also eliminated all references to player "nicknames". Effective immediately, we'll be using the term "username" exclusively.
Phil and Annie skins
Players can now select Classic View and then choose from a wide variety of table skins, including two that feature Phil and Annie.
Bad Beat Jackpot Communication
Everyone wants to know when the Bad Beat Jackpot gets hit. Our new BBJP communication features better graphics and information, including the stakes of the table where the pot was hit. Winners will also receive an instant mailer with details about their win.
Re-buy from Table
We've added a new feature to our re-buy tourneys that lets players re-buy any time their balance falls below the required amount (usually 1,500 chips). Players will no longer have to search for the re-buy feature through the menu, since it will be accessible directly from the table at all re-buy tourneys.
30-Minute Re-buys
Now you can really pick up the pace with our new Turbo and Ultra Turbo re-buy tournaments. These tournaments allow you to re-buy within the first 30 minutes, which is equivalent to 6 blind escalations on turbo tournaments and 15 blind escalations on ultra turbo tournaments.
Late Registration Changes
We've improved our late registration tournaments. You'll still have a chance to register after the tournament starts, but late registration will no longer end when the first player is eliminated from the tournament. You'll also notice enhanced logic that improves player movement and seating to better integrate late registered players into the game.
Waiting List Additions
Our waiting lists are better than ever. You'll now have more options at your disposal whenever you join a waiting list. In addition to specifying the desired stakes and number of players at a table, you can now choose from table type, heads up, 4-max, 6-max, turbo/ultra turbo, jackpot, and standard games.
Prize Pool Display
We have expanded the prize pool display in the lobby. You can now see more places within the lobby. Up to the top 12 places will be displayed (if 12 places are paid) and you will have the option within the prize pool display to click on a link to view the complete prize pool.
User Note Display on Rollover
Improve your game by keeping tabs on the competition. You can create notes about your opponents by right clicking on a player's avatar and selecting the "Note" option. A pop-up window will appear and you can enter notes about that specific player. The letter "N" will appear beside the player's name to indicate that there is a saved note. When scrolling your mouse over the "N" letter, any saved notes will be displayed in the form of a tool tip.
Site Maintenance
In an effort to enhance your playing experience, UltimateBet is undergoing scheduled maintenance between 12:30am and 3pm ET on Thursday, May 28th, 2009. Here's a look at what's impacted:
- All scheduled tournaments beginning at 11pm ET on May 27th have been cancelled through 3pm ET on May 28th
- Sit 'n Go tournaments will reopen after 3pm ET.
- Ring Games closed at 2:55am ET and will reopen after 3pm ET.
The cardroom will reopen after 3pm ET. Thank you for your patience.
- Make it to the final table of one of our Multi-table Tournaments and you'll get a sneak peek at our new Final Table view. We're not going to give away the new Final Table design anywhere else so you need to play to see what's behind the curtain. Good luck at the tables.
- If you experience any technical difficulties and need to restart your computer or accidently close the main client, all tournaments you were playing in will pop back up the moment you log back into the poker client. This will help you get back to your tournament faster and reduce the time away so you don't miss any hands unnecessarily.
- Log on and discover the newest addition to our epic game roster. At our Ante Games every player at the table will be required to post an ante along with the two players that have to post the blinds. Watch the pot grow pre-flop and enjoy even more action.
Tournament Lobby Countdown Time - When a tournament is below 10 minutes the time in the lobby now performs the countdown in real time.
SNG Display - There is now a seamless transition when a player is switching between the Tournament and SNG tabs in the lobby.
Tournament Lists Not Remembered - If a player turns off Show Reg/Coming tournaments, it will stay off even when leaving and returning to the tournament tab.
Minor software enhancements to improve overall game performance.
Our new "WSOP®/Aruba" tab in the Scheduled Tournaments listings makes it easier for you to win your way into those events.
As well, you can now find UB pros easier than ever! When one of our online pros are seated at a table, their name and the table are highlighted.
Some minor updates to make things run smoother and enhance your overall game experience. A small update for Vista users was also included.
Software update for Vista users.
A small update in the Table Options menu checking "Popup Table On Turn" as the default value.
Just a quick update to make things run smoother and faster to boost your overall game experience
We thought we'd push out a couple of really quick, but important updates today. Speaking of quick, we've sped up the amount of time between the end of the hand and the start of the next. You should have enough time to get a "gg" or "nh" in there though!
Lastly we've updated our font so that while you are viewing a poker table at the smallest size your visibility won't be decreased. No more trying to find Grandma's spectacles to see your fat chip counts.
4 major changes in this release that will knock your socks off (or at least make your playing experience amazing – you know, in case you’re without socks).
Resizable tables! Now you can shrink or expand your tables anyway you like and we’ve also built in a couple of layout options such as “tile” and “cascade” to help you stay organized. Try them out; we know you’ll love them.
Hand histories can be saved to your hard drive. To turn this option on just load the game, select “Options” on the top tool bar and then “Table…”. On that screen just place a checkmark in the box that says “Save My Hands” and your hand histories will be saved under “My Hand Histories” within your “My Documents” folder. This feature is only available to real money table play.
Hand history player. Re-live that amazing win or that brutal bad beat with our built in hand history player. To use the player select “Options” under the tool bar and then “Playback…”. Press the load button (button on the very left) and choose any of your hands from your “My Hand Histories” folder. Sit back and laugh (or cry) as your old hands come back to life.
Control your tables. If you don’t like how your table pops to the front when it’s your action, you can now turn that off. Simply go to “Options” -> “Table…” and you will see the check box that says “Popup Table On Turn”. This will also allow you to force it to the front if you wish as well.
Updated Bad Beat Jackpot screen to show more information about the winning (and losing) hands
Players who take a seat at our Bad Beat Jackpot tables will win big when they lose large. Lose with quad Eights or better and win a cut of the Bad Beat Jackpot that grows with every hand. When a bad beat strikes, the winning table splits up 65% of the Jackpot.
The player suffering the bad beat gets 50%, the player who wins the hand gets 25%, and the other players split the remaining 25%. Visit www.ultimatebet.com/poker-promotion/bad-beat-jackpot for details
We have changed some of the scheduled tournament tabs to read the following;
- The "Land Based Events" tab has been changed to "Aruba" tab
- The "Entry Chip Satellites" tab has been removed
- All poker tournaments previously listed under the "Entry Chip Satellites" tab are now under the "Direct Entry Satellites" tab.
A new Aruba button has been added to the left navigation under Promotions. This button will take you directly to land based events tab in the lobby.
Players can now unregister from a poker tournament up to 16 minutes before the tournament start time.
We have removed all Royal Hold'em games.
Finally, we have added Blackjack and Ultimate Points to the Leaderboard.
A new "Go To" menu has been added in the title bar to allow super fast access to your favorite sections
We've removed our informational pop-ups about Roshambo and 3 handed blackjack so that you can get in, sit down and play that much faster
For those that use a large fonts on their computer, we've fixed some graphical glitches that were rendering large fonts incorrectly.
Last but not least we've lowered our rake on Roshambo games to a flat 2% on all of our games.
This update is all about bigger, faster, better! Features additional cash Roshambo games, and new UltimatePoints earning for certain BlackJack games.
Roshambo Higher Limits and Faster Play – Real Money table limits are now available in $5, $7, and $10. Also, the wait time between throws has been reduced from 30 seconds down to 15 seconds.
Earn UltimatePoints for Blackjack - Now our players earn UltimatePoints for all real-money blackjack play against the house. Earn 0.40 points for every $15 wagered. Redeem points for incredible rewards in our all-new upcoming UltimatePoints store, or convert them into everyone’s favorite gift…cold hard cash!
This update features a host of new games, significant enhancements and additional innovative features.
Roshambo – Commonly referred to as Rock, Paper, Scissors, Roshambo has arrived. Go head-to-head with another live player in Cash Games and SnGs for real money or for free.
3-handed Popup Blackjack - Play up to three Blackjack hands at once for more opportunity to take down the house.
New Lobby Look - It’s now reorganized and optimized, giving you quicker access to your favorite games.
Up-to-date Account Info - Your account balance is now displayed in the lobby. Now there’s no need to hit the cashier to find out that you’re loaded.
Instant UltimateBuddy™ Access - Launch the popular application directly from the game and find out where your favorite players are sitting
This update is history. Hand History.
There is no limit on hand histories, so you could see the first hand of the table if you want. Nice.
Forgot your password? No Problem! You can now change your password directly from the game client using a simple web page. One thing to note though is that it can be done once every 2 weeks, but changing your password every once and a while isn't such a bad idea.
Our single player blackjack table will no longer automatically place a $1 bet on each new hand. The minimum bet is still $1 though.
Coming next week Elimination Blackjack™ tournaments will eliminate players for sitting out 5 hands in a row.
For example 6 players are starting at a table 3 players will advance. 4 of the players never show up. On hand 5, the four players who don’t show up are eliminated for being absent too long. The remaining 2 players are the only ones who advance to round two.
Another example: if less than 5 hands are left, 3 players are playing hand #30 in a 2-advance round. Player 1 is the chip leader, but misses his turn. Because he didn't act in time, he is marked absent. At the end of the hand, Player 1 is still the chip leader, but is still absent. He absolutely advances along with the other player who has the second-most chips because he hasn’t been absent for 5 hands.
Big update today. Go ahead and look below for some pretty fantastic changes.
First off we've organized the tournament lobby to show you more of what you want to see.
The Details and Tables and Players tabs work like they always have and have not changed, but we've added 2 new tabs that will give you even more information about the current tournament:
1) Feeders. You are now able to view any feeders that may feed into the currently selected tournament and more importantly are able to jump to the tournament lobby of those feeders.
2) More Details. This tab will allow you to view all of the information we couldn't fit under the Details area. Things like blind structure, payout structure, breaks, starting chip counts, amount of time before registration closes as well as the type of tournament (ie. no limit, no rebuy, no all in protections, time left before no longer accepting alternates).
You will also be able to view different types of rules for different types of tournaments (bounty, sit and go, multi-table, etc.) straight from the tournament lobby.
Now you have the option to view player bet amounts. No more having to mouse over each bet stack, just turn on the option and limp in with style.
AOL players rejoice! You can now accept software updates if you have AOL Security Center installed.
Elimination Blackjack™ received a couple of changes as well. We've changed the time allowed to buy insurance from 10 seconds to 15 and if you've managed to squeeze in and finish a round with 0 chips (meaning you were the next in line to be axed but the required amount of people to advance to the next round had already been met) then you advance to the next round and start with the same chips as everyone else.
Today’s upgrade:
Query and view up to 100 hands of your hand history at any given time. Please note this functionality is available for players seated and playing at our tables only. Game observers are not able to view or query player hand histories.
Today’s upgrade involves some standard upgrades to better your playing experience.
Coming soon to UltimateBet...
Keep your eyes open for Password Protected Tournaments. Watch this space and your e-mail for details!
Welcome to our latest software update featuring FIVE NEW TOURNAMENT POKER GAMES!
- Half No Limit Hold’em / Half Omaha
- Bounty Tournaments
The new games can be found under the ‘Games’ tab in the poker section of the game.
TOURNAMENT DOLLARS
You can now use your tournament dollars to buy into Elimination Blackjack Tournaments!
DOUBLE RE-BUYS
Busted out of a re-buy? Click ‘Get Chips’. You are now given the option to double your re-buy amount.
CHAT FUNCTIONALITY
Players are now able to chat as soon as all-in action is completed. Chat is re-enabled just before the flop and river cards are turned over.
Stay tuned for more great updates! Questions? Please don’t hesitate to mail us at support@ub.com
Welcome to our latest software update featuring ELIMINATION BLACKJACK.
To access this exciting new tournament game, click the Multi-Player Blackjack button on the left side of the game.
What is Elimination Blackjack? If you love the thrill of poker and the excitement of blackjack, you’re ready to play and win at Elimination Blackjack. To learn more about what makes Elimination Blackjack so incredible, click here.