PokerStars Introduces Estimated Tournament Duration and Retires Webcam Tables

PokerStars has rolled out a new feature in its June 2025 software update: estimated tournament duration. Designed to help players better manage their time, this innovation offers an estimate of how long a tournament is expected to last — a welcome addition for casual players and grinders alike.

According to the operator, the feature uses a specialized machine learning model to generate its predictions. These estimates will appear directly in each tournament lobby, allowing players to assess whether they can realistically commit to the full event before registering. The feature is expected to debut first on PokerStars Ontario, with a global rollout to follow shortly thereafter.

PokerStars becomes the fifth major online poker platform to adopt this functionality, reflecting a broader industry shift toward transparency and user convenience. The trend began in September 2020, when Unibet Poker introduced the first version of the tool. There, however, the time estimate only becomes available once late registration ends.

In December of the same year, GGPoker expanded on the concept by including not just total duration, but also estimates for reaching the money, the final table, and the expected time spent at the final table — a format that has since become a benchmark in the industry.

Earlier in 2025, BetRivers Poker — developed by Phil Galfond and his former Run It Once team — launched its own iteration, offering both total tournament length and time to reach the money. WPT Global followed suit soon after, making it four platforms prior to PokerStars adopting the concept.

While many players appreciate knowing what they’re signing up for, some operators remain cautious. There's concern that showing long durations — such as 7-8 hour tournaments — could discourage recreational players who have limited time. Nevertheless, with top-tier platforms now embracing the feature, it’s likely only a matter of time before more poker sites follow.

In the same update, PokerStars announced it is discontinuing webcam support in Home Games. This feature, introduced in late 2021 in the UK and later rolled out globally, allowed players to see and talk to each other using their device’s camera and built-in mic — aiming to recreate the social feel of live poker.

Despite early interest, the feature remained exclusive to Home Games and never expanded to regular tables. PokerStars' exit marks the end of one of the few remaining webcam-based offerings in mainstream online poker.

It’s worth noting that PokerStars wasn’t alone in exploring video-integrated gameplay. Several startups experimented with similar concepts in the early 2020s — including Dealio Webcam Poker, Cash Live Poker, and Discord’s Poker Night. All have since ceased operations.

Interestingly, 888poker was an early pioneer in this space, introducing webcam tables as far back as 2011, though that experiment was also phased out after a few years.

With this dual update, PokerStars continues to evolve its platform in line with broader industry trends — embracing predictive tools to enhance the player experience, while phasing out underused features. As time estimation becomes a standard in online poker, players can look forward to better planning, greater transparency, and more control over their sessions.

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