Invasion of the Poker Bots
They may not be snatching bodies, but they could be snatching up your chances to legitimately win some pots. They’re poker bots, and one look at the online poker news of the day will show that they’re the scourge of the game.
Programs that aid players in improving and fine-tuning their poker playing skills is one thing. But these new programs are being designed and used to actually play the game for you and beat out your human opponents with surprising consistency.
But while this certainly sounds appealing for people’s wallets, its ethics are questionable (at best) and its increasing prominence at the online poker table is widespread enough that it’s starting to turn many players off to the game. If this trend continues, it bodes poorly for the entire industry as it will surely herald the shutting down of many poker rooms stricken by the sudden and rapid decline in their player base.
If using poker bots sounds appealing to you, watch out - because they’re officially banned at pretty much all online poker rooms. The big problem these sites face, however, is in enforcing that rule, due to the near-impossibility of distinguishing a human player from a poker bot in the eminently anonymous world of online poker.
What’s to come? How are online poker rooms to battle this spreading enemy? And what do you think of the growing threat?