The Tigers had James Chester sent off after only 14 minutes but appeared on course to claim an unlikely win after Nikica Jelavic's instinctive finish gave them the lead shortly before half-time
Indeed, for much of the 76 minutes they played with a man disadvantage but they were the better side, out-passing, out-chasing and outworking a Potters team that lacked direction
However, Stoke rescued a result, and a first point of the season, when Phil Bardsley's angled shot ricocheted off the inside of the post and against goalkeeper Allan McGregor and was nudged over the line by the waiting Shawcross
Hull were left to fume with the goal coming from a Stoke throw-in which should have gone the home side's way
A point was arguably more than Mark Hughes' side deserved for such a listless showing but Hull must surely have feared worse when they were asked to play the majority of the game at a numerical disadvantage
Hull were eager to assert themselves in the opening minutes, looking to get on the front foot and attempting to target Bardsley at right-back
Andrew Robertson was the chosen outlet and he began to find his range with a couple of teasing crosses from the left
Yet despite Hull's positive start, exemplified by the busy Stephen Quinn, Stoke were threatening on the break
Their first warning came after only three minutes when Peter Odemwingie played in Mame Diouf
He shook off Chester to leave himself clean through but was judged to have fouled the defender in the process
Chester was not so lucky next time, when Livermore's underhit back pass invited Glenn Whelan to charge at goal
All the momentum lay with the Irishman, who was left in a heap by an outstretched leg that had denied a clear scoring chance
Referee Jonathan Moss did not hesitate to produce the red card, leaving the hosts with a mountain to climb
The tactical reshuffle was relatively simple, Ahmed Elmohamady and Robertson swapping wing-back to full-back and Tom Ince dropping deeper into midfield
It was a system Stoke struggled to pick holes in despite their advantage
There were half-chances - an Odemwingie dribble into the area, Erik Pieters' wayward drive - but the hosts were holding up well
Hughes responded by sending on summer signing Bojan Krkic four minutes before half-time, with Whelan sacrificed, but he was unimpressive in Hull's opener just seconds later
Lacking the bite that Whelan would have offered, he allowed Tom Huddlestone to breeze past him and unleash a low shot that Asmir Begovic could only palm back out
Jelavic anticipated well, beat Marc Wilson to the ball and hooked home from a tight angle
It was the least Hull's battling response deserved and it was the hosts who ended the half pressing for a second as Stoke lost all semblance of calm
Hughes' half-time words seemed to have some effect, though, with his side much improved after the break
McGregor was called on twice in as many minutes, saving low from Shawcross following a free-kick routine then diving in front of Diouf to smother a cross
The respective managers quickly re-drew the battle lines, Hughes sending Peter Crouch on as a second striker and Steve Bruce replacing Ince with another defender in Liam Rosenior
Stoke had their best chance yet when Bojan's deft pass played in Crouch after 64 minutes but a clumsy touch allowed McShane to make a covering challenge
The ball looped invitingly for Diouf but his cushioned header landed a yard wide
Stoke's final substitute, Charlie Adam, was into the game immediately, firing a 25-yarder that McGregor flicked over the crossbar
The game was gradually building towards Stoke's response but Hull did not seem liable to crack
It took a wrongly-awarded throw-in and an unusal bounce of the ball to breach them, Bardsley hitting Bojan's cross into the ground and watching it rear up and bounce off the frame of the goal
McGregor, briefly disorientated, allowed it to come back off him instead of gathering it and Shawcross did just enough - his effort confirmed by goal-line technology
There would no winner but Hull, ever game for the fight, ended the game bravely seeking one
Source : PA
Source: PA