Poker Bots: What Are They And Should You Use Them?
Technology grows exponentially, with one new technology leading to the development of others and each of them spinning off yet new advances. The rise of online poker has done the same. Not long after the development of the first online casinos, clever programmers began developing bots, or robot poker playing programs, that could automatically calculate the odds at any given moment of the game and would then play appropriately. This technology has developed to the point where there are now literally thousands of different bots available online. So what are these bots and are they worth the investment?
What are bots and are they unfair?
A poker bot is just a program that can be activated during an online poker session that can automatically calculate the odds of a win. However, poker is a game of imperfect information because not all the requisite data is available to the bot. Unlike a chess playing program, that can see all of the relevant information and can make calculations based on this information, in poker the bot cannot see the cards in the deck or the cards held by other players. To compensate for this, most bots use some sort of system to govern its recommended actions, but these systems too are imperfect.
The state of affairs can be both positive and negative. On the positive side, this means that no bot can be a perfect poker player. On the negative side, this imperfection allows bot enthusiasts to argue that there is nothing fundamentally unfair about using these programs. While it is certainly true that bots do not have the requisite data to be perfect poker players, it is also true that most bots outplay all but the very best human players. Many tournaments today are dominated by bots. Worse still, some online casinos have resorted to using bots to play the role of shills, leading to a wide range of ethical problems.
Should new players consider using bots?
No, new players should not resort to using bots. Poker is a human game and players should generally be playing because they enjoy doing so and matching wits with other human beings. However, since money is involved, there are always going to be people who could care less about the game and just want to turn over a quick profit. However, as noted previously, poker bots are not perfect and just because a person is using one does not automatically guarantee that they will win.
Further, because of the opposition to bots by many real poker players, many casinos now refuse to allow them. This means if they detect a bot they can not only eject the player from their platform, they can also take back his money. This is all usually explained in detail in the casino’s terms of service agreement.
Just as the development of online poker rooms led to the development of poker bots, the popular outcry against these programs has led to the development of bot detection programs. These are run by the online casino themselves and seek to locate bots using their platform. Some casinos have suggested automatically “tagging” bots, so that all the other players realize they are playing against a machine instead of a human being. Other casinos just seek to eject these bots from their websites. In fact, identifying bots can be a money maker for those casinos that expressly forbid their usage as all the bot’s winnings will revert to the house on discovery of the deception.
As is the case with all casino games, players should be playing because they enjoy the game and the thrill of outwitting others – or just getting lucky – and making some money doing so. Bots are completely contrary to this notion and their usage should not be encouraged.
