Poker bots: how to recognize and win?
Today, on the Internet, you can stumble upon the concept of a "poker bot" often. In truth, this may be a bit scary. Can a regular poker player beat a car? Is it that real threat? In today's article, we will try to answer these questions. We will not look at this problem from a programming point of view. We will tell you about poker with bots in simple terms. Many poker players are intimidated because a soulless poker program can constantly beat them at the online tables. Below we will point out some arguments, after studying which you will understand how harmful bots are.
There are often advertisements for programmers who allegedly wrote a poker bot with staggering profits. It sounds very defiant and deceitful. Why would a person, who in essence has a "philosopher's stone", tell others about it? Isn't it more efficient to quietly reap the fruits of your labor? We advise you not to be led to this and not to invest your money in dubious projects, receiving, in return, an invention, the effectiveness of which is in question.
The owners of online poker bots write that their creations bring them a pretty good profit, even at micro stakes. But then why not let the robot go to high limits and immediately cut a huge jackpot? There are many questions and very few answers, but we will try to figure it out.
According to other rumors, there are dozens of cases of money being returned to NL50 players affected by poker bots every day. But why is there absolutely no information about NL100+? Maybe this is a confirmation of the previous point? Or is it just that the support service does not pay attention to the activities of illegal programs at low limits? Unfortunately, there is no answer to this question.
Another interesting opinion on this matter is that playgrounds are constantly fighting among themselves for an audience, and poker bots can be used as a competitive weapon. It seems accurate, considering that such situations do not occur in large and popular online casinos in contrast to small gambling platforms.
The history of the development of robot poker
The most famous among the poker community are the following bots: Polaris, Claudico, Vex Bot, Neo Poker Bot, Tartanian7, Cepheus, and Libratus. Now let's say a few words about some of the popular PBs:
- Polaris. It is a bot developed due to years of research by specialists at the University of Alabama. This poker robot is considered the first to impose fierce competition on actual players. After its creation, many online players began to fear virtual poker tournaments, as some sites started to use it at home. But, as it turned out, a well-trained player can cope with Polaris.
- Cepheus. This poker bot was launched in 2012. The developers commented on the debut of the program as follows: "You cannot beat Cepheus, even if you play poker every day for 12 hours throughout your life." However, a group of well-trained poker players quickly mastered the program.
- Tarantian 7. This poker bot software was supposed to be the best in no-limit hold 'em, but it cannot boast of great success so far. Recently, an exhibition tournament was held in Tarantian7 played against professional poker players. The result is a victory for professionals. Which once again proves the futility of buying bots.
- Libratus. It is the most promising and ambitious robot, an improved version of the Taranian7. This Poker Bot is a next-generation program. Its developers claim that they did not write a strategy but created an algorithm to calculate a process independently. It took 15 million hours of computing operations to develop Libratus, about five times more than the competition.
The history of online poker bots dates back to the 80s of the last century. Professional player Mike Caro developed the first program – Orak. Of course, now this development is not among the most popular poker bots. Still, it certainly deserves the attention of players who are interested not only in the game but also in the history of poker. Mike spent two years on development. At the 1984 WSOP, the best poker players played against a bot.
Legality of software
Let's go back in time and imagine the Wild West of the mid-19th century. Each playroom is a separate state headed by a sheriff. In this case, poker bots are like robbers – the fight against them is being conducted but not as effective as the residents would like. No one can guarantee online poker players 100% protection against robots. Each site is fighting PB with its methods, and it makes no sense to talk about the criteria for determining the legality of robots.
The first place here is not safety, but the attitude towards customers. Hardly anyone enjoys playing with poker bots. The sites forget about the most important thing – the human factor, prioritizing personal gain. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully read the actual comments of the players to make sure that the platform is reliable.
What are people saying?
The PB theme worries many. It is discussed on almost all sites, forums, and blogs. Therefore, it is difficult to doubt the existence of bots. Pessimism is added because their creators maybe professional hackers with solid knowledge of poker.
The cost of poker robots is decent, so there is a considerable risk of losing your money. So why don't the creators themselves use poker bots if they are so lucrative? Here you can give many answers, but the closest to the truth is the following: poker rooms are fighting bots and impose severe sanctions on those who use them. Therefore, we do not recommend buying dubious instruments because this can damage your reputation. Plus, using PB doesn't develop you as a player.
The poker bot for the best online casinos is a fantasy section. At least, this is what the representatives of these sites say. According to them, the poker rooms are under the control of a high-tech operational anti-bot system that can detect and neutralize any malicious program in a matter of seconds. We will not deny this – indeed, most complaints about bots come from less popular platforms.
How to find and beat a bot?
Newbies do not trust poker rooms. They doubt their honesty. Players see the reason for the long losing streak not in their skills but in using bots by rivals or providers. A poker bot can be detected using the following signs:
- the opponent uses the same time intervals to decide;
- often uses the same sequence of actions – more often an extraordinary one;
- systematically makes the same bets;
- does not answer in chat;
- never bluffs;
- leaves the game table at a fixed time.
The above signs do not guarantee playing with a bot but are an alarm. How to beat a poker bot? Most robots that meet the above criteria play weak and straightforward. There are, of course, exceptions, but they are still scarce.
There is no need to relax – the weakest bots are on about the same level as beginners. To beat the PB, you first need to understand his poker and leek strategy. Most poker bots are specialized (such that they select a method based on game poker statistics). For example, a bot can notice a specific pattern in your game and start using it. If this is detected in time, then the course of the game can be turned against the bot itself, more often bluffing.
What if you suspect your opponent is a bot?
You carefully observed your opponent, noticed two or more signs in his game that indicate that it is a bot. What to do next? Take a deep breath, shrug your shoulders and get your money out of online poker once and for all? Write on your blog about poker room security negligence? Prepare for the Skynet uprising, along the way, stocking up on matches and canned food with canned meat? There are more adequate solutions:
Try to adjust. Some players will find weaknesses in the bot's strategy and benefit. Not all artificial bits of intelligence are equally good, and, with proper study, they often have weak points. And if the owner of the bot suffers from excessive self-confidence, he may not follow the "ward" for hours or even days. There is every chance to take the bankroll from the fraudster during this time.
Avoid playing tables with a likely bot. Another way is to avoid a fight in which you cannot win. It is a wise and balanced decision from sober-minded players. Why get involved in hopeless situations where you risk losing money to the bot and paying a percentage on top in favor of a not very responsible room. Sit down at tables without dubious opponents.
Share observations with other players. Sometimes players have valid doubts and objective evidence in statistics and comments. In other cases, the basis for radical conclusions is only the general impression of the opponents' play. In this case, we recommend that you tell your colleagues about the suspicions.
Studying statistics and sharing observations will strengthen your position if any players have the same thoughts. There were funny situations when a potential bot reacted to a message and dispelled suspicions. There are also opposite examples: people came to a post about poker bots with 0 in the message column and the initial status and started writing that they were not bots. Such responses from "real players" only convinced them more strongly than they were the owners of the bots.
Write to the security service. The correct solution is to contact the poker room's security service or technical support. If this is a little-known casino, you will only help improve the security and level of service. Do not hide information about the presence of bots from the site administration. There is an exception: you use the bot program, which is an entirely different story.
Pros and cons of playing with poker bots
Before downloading and paying for a bot, you need to know the bots supported by the sites. You also need to read the reviews carefully to ensure they are safe to use and legal. Consider all possible risks to protect yourself from losing your deposit and account. In addition, there is a significant risk of losing access to your account.
Pros:
- You can start winning at the poker tables with experienced players as a beginner.
- The best poker bots do not get tired of playing continuously for several days.
- Bots are not afraid to take risks because they do not value money. It can play into your hands in a controversial match.
Cons:
- Poker bots are considered illegal and are therefore monitored by poker room security.
- Not all bots are reliable and good at the game, so acquiring an ineffective bot is a risk.
- If a bot is found, your account may be deleted and your winnings canceled.
There are many more risks associated with your safety. Of course, you can argue about all the advantages and disadvantages for a long time. Each player has the right to decide how to act in a given situation. In our opinion, the opportunity to lose reputation is much more valuable than a dubious win.
Conclusion
The confrontation between machines and people sounds tempting, but not in virtual poker. Robots have become a global problem for poker sites. To not become a victim of a poker bot, you need to follow the above recommendations, often mix playing styles and do something unpredictable. It would be best to try to be the most uncomfortable opponent possible. Robots most often play tilted, avoiding dangerous situations.
It is not difficult to identify the bot – we write to the opponent in the chat, waiting for a response. If he doesn't answer, there are two options: the opponent doesn't want to answer, or it is a bot. It would be best if you didn't risk leaving the game room and looking for another place.
The use of poker bots significantly increases the risk of being banned. If we add here the high cost, then the use of these programs looks unprofitable. In addition, a well-trained player can easily see through and beat the robot. So instead of investing in questionable software, invest in your poker training.