Need help, accessible poker?

[Chris08]

Hello all,
Have just registered on here, and hopefully someone on this forum is able to answer this question.
I am a visually impaired person and would really like to play poker online. We are left behind there since none of the pokersites seem to offer any text that shows the cards/hands or keyboard shortcuts for betting, folding, etc.
It is sure possible to create a program that could eventually monitor the screen and send that to the screen reader used by visually impaired computer users. Have been watching many shows, and practiced but i want to get into this world, and I am sure others want too. So, any ideas if there is any poker room that offers any keyboard shortcuts as well as having cards displaied in text, and not just the passed hand?
All the best and many thanks for all your help!

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

I don't know of any sites that do all of this, however it's almost certainly possible via table mods. I know various people have made hotkey mods for Party and Stars (among others), and I would imagine it would be a not-too-complicated process to mod the card displays so that the cards show as text. Stars is probably your best bet, as tables can be stretched to full screen too unlike Party.

However, I haven't got a clue personally about how to start on the modding of the layout, and I don't know anyone who does. I'll try and have a bit of a hunt if I get time in the next few days.

You could try e-mailing Stars support and explaining your situation to them. Their support has never been less than awesome to me and many people I know (don't wate your time mailing Party support, you'll get a crappy form letter response 95% of the time). Perhaps they'd be interested in creating a "text" theme themselves - it would be excellent PR, I'd imagine.

 

[Chris08]

Oh, didn't know aboutMany thanks for the reply! Have never heared about that table mods, sounds really interesting.
Have mailed several poker sites, including Stars but no good response. Any help is apreciated, even though you maybe not get much out about it as we would do. Look forward of hearing your comments! Many thanks!

 

[Welly]

Try 'ZForm Poker'. It is what you are looking for. I dont think that there is an official link from this forum, but maybe Nick might set one up. In the mean time look them up at Zform.com

Enjoy Yourself

Welly

 

[goffman73]

What about Pokerroom.com,Im pretty sure you can use the F1,F2 and F3 keys for betting and I also think it also uses text when dealing the cards and showing the bets.

 

[Stick66]

Try 'ZForm Poker'. It is what you are looking for. I dont think that there is an official link from this forum, but maybe Nick might set one up. In the mean time look them up at Zform.com

Enjoy Yourself

Welly

From the Zform website:

Accessibility

Thanks to the help of HUNDREDS of blind and low vision volunteers, all our games are completely accessible. Carefully designed speech and sound effects ensure that regardless of your level of vision, you can play with ease. All inPlay games work seamlessly with Window-Eyes and Jaws, and will automatically self voice on computers using other screen access software!​

Sounds pretty cool, but there's 2 possible problems:

1) Doesn't look like you can play for real money.

2) They charge a membership fee (I guess since there's no money to rake).


​

 

[Chris08]

Hi all,
Yes, I know ZForm (now more All inplay) and that is not real money games. I want to play real poker. Pokerroom.com doesn't show you the cards in text only after the hand has finished. Want to see the flop, and so on in text. Many thanks for your help!

 

[Tammy]

Hi all,
Yes, I know ZForm (now more All inplay) and that is not real money games. I want to play real poker. Pokerroom.com doesn't show you the cards in text only after the hand has finished. Want to see the flop, and so on in text. Many thanks for your help!

They do show the cards dealt in the chat box, but I'm assuming this is probably too small for you to read. (I'm referring to PokerRoom.)

 

[Chris08]

OK, if they do sounds good. But there is a problem. How do I take a seat? There are no keyboard shortcuts either for folding, calling, etc?
Also, you are sure that the cards appears as a chat message, not as an animation?
Many thanks!

 

[Tammy]

OK, if they do sounds good. But there is a problem. How do I take a seat? There are no keyboard shortcuts either for folding, calling, etc?
Also, you are sure that the cards appears as a chat message, not as an animation?
Many thanks!

Sorry to get back to you late on this one, but yes they are text in the chat window (just make sure you have dealer chat turned on). As for keyboard shortcuts, F1=fold, F2=call, and F3=raise (there is a box where you can type in the amount you wish to raise).

To sit down at the table, you need to click on an empty chair. A prompt will then appear where you input how much you want to bring to the table. After you've entered that, make sure to click "SIT IN" located on in the lower left-hand corner. Good luck!

 

[Chris08]

Many thanks for the info!
However, i would be very interested in trying this out at a slow table. And also for fun at the beginning so I know that it will work. Would any of you be interested in having a quick game with me?
So to really make this sure, i can see both my cards as well as the table cards in that chat window? As text? Will it look like:
4C for four of clubs, 10H for 10 of Hearts and so on?
Many thanks!

 

[twizzybop]

I am not sure but this may help.. did a quick search on ask.com and came across this.. seeing if I can find anything else that may be of help to you..

[link broken ~tb]

online poker in Which A Screen Reader Software Describes teh On-Screen Action - Online Poker for the Blind/ Visually Impaired

I don't know how ledgit it is but it is a start.

 

[twizzybop]

Ok I found more about that in particular

http://www.pokernews.com/news/2005/11/online-poker-blind.htm

About 500 users are registered. Most are blind, some are partially sighted, some have no vision problems at all, and a few are both deaf and blind. One distinguishing feature of the site is online volunteers, who are available to help new users with questions.

Dave O, a computer consultant and a Hold 'em tester, blind since birth, has been playing since the site first went online. Logging on as "Wolf," he says, "The games are top notch, and the people honestly care about the users."

The American Council for the Blind has sponsored AllinPlay poker tournaments. Tournament prizes include gift certificates and MP3 players.

OOps everyone is correct it is all-in play .. there are prizes to win

 

[Chris08]

Hello,
Many thanks for your help! Yes, I know All inplay, but this is not what i want ot play. I want to play real poker at the real poker sites. I really apreciate all of your help since this is a very important question.

 

[twizzybop]

http://www.clarityusa.com/

Found something else that may be of use.. but admit it cost money. I looked around for a bit and I liked what I saw.

 

[Chris08]

Once again, many thanks for your help!
But unfortunately I use speech and braille so no magnifier. There are software solutions for magnification as well.
But I am not that sighted so i can use it.

 

[twizzybop]

I just need time.. takes me awhile to search and find stuff

I have a brother who is legally blind so I have seen first hand how frustrating this can be.. only tip at the moment right especially for reading is to top left is go to view.. follow down to text and make it the largest.

Another way to do that is to hold the control key on your keyboard and roll the button in the middle of your mouse up and down cause that makes the fonts bigger and smaller.

 

[Chris08]

Yes, but that does not help me. Since I am allmost totally blind I have to use speech and or braille. So no magnification here! Many thanks!

 

[twizzybop]

Understandable....I am just trying to help

 

[twizzybop]

http://www.zabaware.com/

Just going to keep stabbing around here and there on the internet. If it isn't something for you, I apologize for the inconvience.

Ultra Hal Assistant is your digital secretary and companion. He (or she depending on your character preference) can remember and remind you of appointments. He can keep an address book. He can keep a phone book, and even dial phone numbers for you! Hal can also run programs and recent documents on command. Hal can help you browse the Internet. He will offer you help with most of your Windows programs. Hal does all of this from natural language -- simply tell him or ask him something in plain English! Hal has huge conversational database and can chat about anything at all. Hal will learn from every single sentence that you tell him and over time Hal will learn to like the same things you do, and to talk about topics you like to talk about. Ultra Hal Assistant even has built in speech recognition so that you can speak to Hal out loud instead of typing.

 

[Chris08]

Finally I managed to create an account at pokerroom.com!
I was also able to read the cards with my screen reader, BUT, there is a problem!
I have clicked on every graphic i can find on the screen. The screen reader only says "graphic" so it is impossible to find out what that is. I have found a text that says Sit in but nothing happens when clicking on it. I have not registered for a real money account. How to get in now?
I have also found the text that tells me to click a seat in order to take it. Am I missing something here?
Now i really want to play!
Many thanks!

 

[Tammy]

In order to join a table, you must click on a chair to "sit down". But be sure you are in the play money section, since I doubt it will let you sit down without any cash at a real money table.

 

[Chris08]

Yes, I was already at a playmoney table. The problem is that I am not alawys able to chooce playmoney table without having to restart the client. Looks like the screen is changing.
But that "Sit In" text, that will not let me take a seat. It is near the bottom of the window.

 

[wsorbust]

I'm Sorry about the slightly late response in the middle of when you're trying to play. After a good search I found something that might be very helpful, which I don't think anyone mentioned, although I'm not exactly sure of the extent of your impairment, so it might not be needed. It's similar to braille, but not quite the same, maybe even better. It is called the "IVEO". Although it is quite expensive ($945 for software and hardware), it is "[FONT=verdana,arial]an advanced file translation software that adds audio tags to visual images" which is coupled with a innovative touchpad. Maybe there is a cheaper version sold elsewhere.

A good article about it is here: http://www.3mtouchmatters.com/e_article000458693.cfm?x=b11,0,w

A link to a seller is here:
http://www.enablemart.com/productDetail.aspx?pid=1419&dept=12&store=10


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[Chris08]

Hello,
Many thanks for the tip! Yes, I know about this thing as well. But to get access to poker is possible.
So can any pokerroom.com user tell me if I need to click a seat then sit in? That text that is at the bottom of the window?
Many thanks! Also, i'd like to try wwith someone.