Party Poker's Mobile App Update

Party Poker's Mobile App allows portrait mode in MTTs

More and more people around the world have been forced to stay at home in the last months due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. As a consequence, the numbers of players at online poker tables and other games has skyrocketed. And this increase in numbers has reflected not only in playing poker online on computer but also in the mobile app as well. In face of this scenario, Partypoker released a new update to its mobile app, with many new features, but probably the most important them is the possibility of playing multi-table tournaments (MTTs) in portrait mode instead of the regular landscape mode. 

Our computer monitors are oriented in landscape mode and that's how people usually play online poker on their computers. As this is the usual way to play and it also reflects the position of a poker table in real-life, this is how mobile apps were also developed: landscape mode. However, even though the choice reflects the way people are used to play, this choice does have its annoyances and drawbacks.

Playing this way, you must either use your phone with two hands or place it on a table or surface. And thou this detail may sound irrelevant at first glance, it becomes inconvenient for those moments when you want to hold your phone and play with one hand while the other is free to hold the bus or subway pole, have some snacks, hold a glass or cup and drink or anything else. Playing with one hand in landscape mode requires stretching your thumb to reach the parts of the screen you have to tap and this is not easy to do while also needing to hold your phone with the same hand.

Party Poker's New App

With that in mind, Partypoker designed the new app to make possible turning the phone into portrait mode. This way, the app is designed to be easy to reach without the need to outstretch your thumb and while also struggling to maintain grip on your phone. And so it is possible to play with one hand while having the other arm free, which is very practical. While it already exists in other type of cash games, this is the first time that MTT players can use it.

With that update, MTT players also have "Diamonds", as many other mobile games have, an in-game currency that is earned just by playing real money tournaments. And what is their purpose? Not much, really. They can purchase "throwables", silly objects that you can "throw" at your opponents at the table just for fun.