PokerStars Creator Isai Scheinberg on Changing Online Poker Forever

Isai Scheinberg, the creator of PokerStars, has had a profound impact on the online poker world. His journey began at the age of 10 when he started playing five-card poker with exchange with friends. This early introduction to the game laid the foundation for his future endeavors in the poker industry.

Before founding PokerStars, Scheinberg worked at IBM. He and his son Mark initially planned to develop software for poker, bridge, and chess. However, the idea of creating a separate poker room came later, during the beta testing phase, when it became clear that their software was exceptional. Despite initial plans to license the software to other companies, unsuccessful negotiations led them to launch PokerStars in 2001.

One of the key decisions Scheinberg made was refusing to implement a code that would allow developers access to players' cards. He believed this could lead to negative consequences and wanted to ensure the integrity of the game. PokerStars also established a large support center in Costa Rica, staffed with experienced professionals who were passionate about poker. This commitment to customer service was a hallmark of PokerStars' early success.