Poker Bots Threaten Fair Play
Monday August 29, 2005
Online poker has taken off in a way few could have imagined 5 or 10 years ago, making Texas Hold 'Em one of the hottest games around. There have always been concerns about people writing programs to play automatically, allowing them to pursue other activities while their computer wins money for them. Wired talked to the maker of WinHoldEm, which is a recent "poker bot" designed to do precisely that. The software will calculate odds and follow a formula the user can customize. "Bots are subject to the same cold streaks as real players. But, unlike humans, the machines play with relentless cunning and tireless discipline, raking in small pots from low-limit tables where less-experienced opponents hang out." Still more worrisome is that it makes it easy for you to collude with other WinHoldEm users. Poker is a pretty complex game to reduce to a formula, but collusion with other players is a proven way to increase your odds. Of course, a telephone, or several computers in the same room, are also simple ways to collude with other players, and I can't imagine that there is any way to stop this form of cheating aside from going back to playing in person, where you can watch for any inappropriate signals that might sway the outcome of a hand.
More: Online Poker Basics - Things you should know before betting real money on a virtual game.
More: Online Poker Basics - Things you should know before betting real money on a virtual game.
Comments
WinHoldEm can make money in low stakes fixed limit Holdem at least at 10-seated tables. But the profit at such low limits will be small. And since the user risks that the poker room will detect the cheating and confiscate his account question is if its worth it?
If you are playing limit Holdem at full tables with blinds at 0,25-0,5, 0,5-1, 1-2 and you are a losing- or a breakeven player you are probably losing money to bots.
But if you are a winning player at higher limits or at No-limit, the Poker bots that exists today will probably lose money to you .
The biggest problem for the bots are shorthanded, 5- and 6-seated, No-limit. I think it will take years from now before any Bot can beat this game at any level. And during those years the people who tries to beat the game with bots will constantly lose money and help doing these games even more profitable for the strong solid players.
How not to lose to Poker Bots:
- Learn to play good solid poker and beat up the bots
- Play No-limit or Pot-limit
- Play shorthanded, 5- or 6-seaters
- Chat with your opponents. If they cant tell you their name and what they do for a living its time to get suspicious.
Online Poker, and other casino games is still years after this article, increasing faster than the internet on a whole.
We have seen a massive boom in television advertising and thus television to internet conversions. It really is quite astonishing, and notably other formats such as the growing popularity in bingo games online. Bingo is popular amongst the fairer sex and thus has a far bigger market.