The Battle Against Online Poker Bots

If you’ve been an online poker player for a while, then you know what a problem poker bots are. And no, we aren’t talking about the site-sponsored computer players meant to keep play flowing through low play hours, we are talking about the player-designed bots who make gameplay straight annoying.

While most online casino sites disallow bots in their terms of service and ban players who are caught using them, there are some ways you can combat them as well. Read on to discover tips for bot spotting and avoidance.

How to Spot Poker Bots

Again, we would like to preface this by saying some sites do use bots to run their poker tables; however, these site-sponsored bots will usually be named as such and disclosed, so players know that the specified player is the website.

This article is for avoiding player-made bots, which are becoming more and more prolific on online gaming sites. Not only is it not fun to play against a poker bot, but you often find yourself losing more frequently than if you played online poker against a human.

Here are signs you might be playing against a poker bot:

·      The player is playing on numerous tables at a time. We aren’t talking 2-3 (which is normal among professionals) but 5+.

·      A player who always utilizes the exact same amount of thinking time (i.e., 10 seconds), indicating a programmed thinking time, or a player who always plays the instant it is their turn (we are talking faster than a human could click here)

·      Two or more players playing from the same IP address (though high-level bot developers are starting to use multiple IPs to hide their activity!)

·      A player who doesn’t engage in the chat function or engages improperly when approached via the chat box.

If you see just one of these indicators, it is highly likely you are playing against a poker bot.

Why Are Poker Bots Bad?

Poker bots have grown more sophisticated over the years, especially with the introduction of AI technology, and while they might be beneficial to the individual behind them, they are almost always bad for human players.

This is because these bots are run by computers, which can instantly calculate probabilities based on the cards they hold and are shown. As such, they win more than the average human player and, as you can imagine, are no fun to play against.

While there is some argument that bots are mid-level players at best (since all the decisions they make are based on math alone and there is still an element of chance involved) we find they are better than most players—which scares human players away from online casinos.

How Online Casinos Stop Bots

Trust us, casino owners are just as much against bots as the average player. Not only do these bots tend to win more than the average human, but they also scare off legitimate players, which harms the casino’s bottom line. Additionally, they can be a cybersecurity nightmare if they are sophisticated enough. As such, casinos have numerous bot-stopping efforts at play to ensure their players can play poker bot-free.

1. Captcha Usage

We all hate CAPTCHA, but this is the first line of defense for websites against bots. While it is still possible for bots to defeat CAPTCHA, it does slow down some of the less robust bots.

2. Play Monitoring

As we mentioned above, it is pretty easy to spot a bot if you know what to look for. Website owners watch for this as well, many utilizing a system that will flag certain patterns of play. When found, the bot may be booted and its account banned.

3. Banning IPs

If gaming websites notice a certain IP is always creating accounts that allow bots, they may eventually ban that IP. The only issue is, many bot users use a VPN, meaning a legitimate player may be banned along with a prolific bot user. Therefore, this has become less common in recent years unless it is clear that a bot user is utilizing their true IP.

What Should You Do When You Spot a Poker Bot?

If you are playing online and are reasonably certain you are playing against a bot, the first step is to report it. Most bots are not programmed to deal with the process that occurs after being reported, leading to them being banned. If there is a way to chat with customer service in real time, this may lead to the immediate banning of the bot.

There are some methods for playing (and winning) against a bot, but we don’t find them to be the most useful. However, if you want to attempt it, check out this article and remember that a computer can’t bluff in the same way a human can.

Unfortunately, there is no way for any website to truly eliminate bots, and all that can be done is to try to lower their impact by reporting when you suspect bot play.

Will Bot Play Ruin Online Poker?

Sadly, bot play is already affecting online poker communities, with individuals leaving largely affected sites in droves. While this just leaves the bots to play with each other, bot play doesn’t have the same cadence as human play, and it is hitting casino websites hard. There are many individuals who state they have left playing and returned to in-person games as a result.

That being said, there are some websites that are going the extra mile to prevent bot play by having high customer verification requirements. While this isn’t always the best solution, it is the only way currently to ensure a website is kept bot-free.

We hope in the future that there will be more effective bot monitoring tactics to make online poker fun again, but for now, one must weather the bot war and report the bots they come across. In the meantime, we recommend playing other online casino games, like slots, which bots can’t exploit.