In recent years, online poker sites have been infiltrated by cheaters who use so-called “bots” to rob innocent players of their hard-earned money. Many consider bots as a threat, but they can be dealt with effectively, if human players have the right knowledge on how to identify them.
What Is A Poker Bot?                                                          
A poker bot is a piece of software designed to play against humans.
Bots generally rely on mathematics and algorithms in making decisions at the table. While most bots out there typically adopt the most basic strategies and simply cannot match the skills of human players, they still pose a problem especially among beginners.
Also, poker bots have the edge in terms of dealing with tilt and fatigue, as they have no emotions in the first place, unlike their human counterparts. This means they can sustain longer sessions and still be consistent with their gameplay.
Identifying A Poker Bot
Thankfully, online poker operators have now incorporated detection methods into their system which help identify and eliminate bots. Major brands have recently stepped up their efforts to combat cheats, and so far, they have achieved some positive results.
As a player, you can also do your part in solving the problem – and that is if you know how to spot a potential bot. So how do you know you’re playing against a poker bot?
Always remember that bots always use the same strategy. Take note of repetitive behavior, such as making identical decisions in certain situations, using the same bet-sizing, and deciding within a similar timeframe.
Another sure sign that you’re up against bots is when an opponent does not respond to chats. Bots are usually silent in the chat box and do not reply to messages. So if you suspect one of your opponents is actually a bot, try sending them a message.
Poker bots have the ability to play unlimited hours, as they do not get tired, unlike human players. They don’t need to take a break. They can play as many sessions as they want. If you spot a certain player that’s been continuously active throughout a day, it’s a warning. Also, bots can play multiple tables at once, much more than what human players can accommodate.
If an opponent exhibits these behavior, you’re most likely playing against a robot, and here’s what to do next:
Beating The Bots
Since you already know that poker bots use repetitive strategy, you can actually take advantage of that. You can decide to continue playing against them by taking note of the patterns and exploiting their weaknesses. That way, you’ll be able to turn the odds in your favor and actually maximize your profits by competing with them.
If you feel they’re a threat, then stop playing. You can also contact customer support and report the player so the online poker site can deal with them promptly. The site can ultimately decide to ban them, if they’re determined to be bots. Their account balances will also be confiscated.
The bottomline is, you shouldn’t be intimidated by poker bots. Know that there are various ways of dealing with them. While there are advanced AIs developed by expert programmers recently such as Libratus which have the ability to beat professional players, the reality is, most poker bots are not that good. Building an excellent one with similar capabilities as Libratus will take a lot of time, effort, and resources. Not everyone can afford that.
So don’t fall victim to bots. They shouldn’t be an issue if you know how to identify them.
More importantly, bots are prohibited in online poker sites, so don’t ever think about developing one as you’ll risk getting your account banned for life. Bots are designed for cheating. They may be initially successful, but in the long run, they usually end up losing money or getting detected and ultimately terminated by sites.