The launch of the new WSOP Online app in New Jersey and Nevada late last month brought a fresh look and several new features to replace the outdated software that had been in use for a decade.
However, the excitement quickly turned to frustration for a certain group of players, especially high-volume players, who encountered lag issues, particularly when multi-tabling. These problems persist, with some also experiencing freezes and crashes when playing more than six tables.
These issues seem to disappear when playing just one or two tables. Fortunately, some players have discovered a potential solution: running the WSOP Online software in administrator mode.
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Player Experiences with Administrator Mode
Several players have reported success with this workaround. For example, one player mentioned that running the desktop software as an administrator resulted in smoother performance without consuming excessive RAM. Another player noted that after rebooting and loading the software as an administrator, they experienced no freeze-ups and had a better overall experience.
“So, just a pro tip, guys,” a player posted on the popular poker forum Two Plus Two. “Now that I’ve run the desktop software as an administrator, everything’s working perfectly fine, not eating all RAM, and running as a high priority. Keep in mind that I have a full gaming PC with 32 GB DDR5 ram, too. Problem solved on the desktop, it seems!”
However, it is not a perfect fix for everyone. Some players reported that despite running the software in admin mode, they still faced crashes and other issues. One player mentioned, “I tried this today for the first time and played for almost 2.5 hours with no freezes or crashes,” while another player indicated that the software still crashed during long sessions even when run as an administrator.
But for the majority of players, this has resolved lag issues.
In the Windows operating system, running software in administrator mode grants it a higher priority and more resources, which can improve performance. This is particularly beneficial for resource-intensive applications.
Running WSOP Online in Admin Mode: Step-by-Step Instructions
If you’re experiencing lag issues and want to try this fix, here is what you need to do:
- #1 Locate the WSOP Online Icon: Find the WSOP Online shortcut on your desktop or in the Start menu.
- #2 Right-click on the Icon: This will bring up a context menu.
- #3 Select “Run as Administrator”: Click this option to launch the software with full privileges.
- #4 Confirm the Prompt: You will get a full-screen prompt asking “Do you want allow this app to make changes to your device?”. Click “Yes” to continue.
You can make this change permanent by right-clicking on the icon and going to “Properties” then “Compatibility.” Near the bottom, check the option “Run this program as an administrator”. Click okay — now every time you launch the app from the icon, it will be in admin mode.
If this doesn’t work for you, there’s another thing you can try: another player found that deleting remnants of the old software from their desktop significantly improved performance.
Despite the apparent success for some players, others continue to face challenges. The variance in experiences suggests that while running in administrator mode and cleaning up the old software might help, these are not universal fixes. One player noted that settings reset to default each time they log in when running in admin mode — so it may not be a suitable long-term solution for everyone.
WSOP appears to be actively working to address these challenges. Last week, it implemented updates for both desktop and mobile apps aimed at resolving various issues. Reportedly, many previous concerns, including those related to geolocation, have been addressed. However, despite these efforts, some players continue to encounter issues.
The new software utilizes Poker 8, provided by 888poker, which is also used in the dot-com markets and Ontario. Interestingly, the issues reported by US players are not as widespread in those markets.
The updated software introduces several new features, including Mystery Bounties, Progressive Knockouts (PKOs), a new design, a new table layout, and various modern features. However, it lacks some features from the old client, such as Stud games and heads-up and full ring cash game tables. On mobile devices, the experience is even better, as mobile players finally gain access to Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) and multi-tabling.
As the player community continues to provide feedback, it will be interesting to see how WSOP in collaboration with 888 tries to meet their needs. In the meantime, tournament action remains bustling, with WSOP hosting the Online Bracelet series, Online Championships series, and another Online Circuit series slated for later this month.
For those struggling with lag and crashes, running the software as an administrator and ensuring no remnants of the old software remain on the PC are worth trying. These may not be perfect solutions, but for many, they have significantly improved the playing experience.