How sites should combat BOTS

[PokerPaul]

Reading that wired article about BOTS and how they take over game and collude sounds kind of scary.

However, there was one line in there that was even more scary than anything:

" It didn't take long for the poker sites to catch on and fight back. Within weeks, they were scanning games to see if anyone was running XXXXX, and such users were getting booted off poker sites before they could cash out."

I would never risk my bankroll being confiscated in order for a bot to run my game.


ANYWAYS, here is one counter measure for the sites which i think would work:

In the chat box, run a check maybe once an hour at each table where each player has to type in a response, like a window popping up telling all players to enter JJ45 or some code.

Bots could certainly be built to recognize this, so the sites would have to display it like in a warped view type mode like when you try to signup for a new email account at yahoo and they ask you to type in what code you read in window box.

Don't know if thats too invasive, but at least its a start and i would be willing to do it to protext me from colluding bots

Weve had this idea for about a year now. For some reason the sites wont do it...

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]
Weve had this idea for about a year now. For some reason the sites wont do it...

[/ QUOTE ]

8 tabling with those boxes would be really fun...

[PokerPaul]

actually another thought just occured to me....

wouldnt bots be the best thing that sites could hope for? Other than the collusion fear of other customers, having players that can play 24/7 tirelessly keeping seats filled and games going could previde them with alotta extra rake...

[Luv2DriveTT]

Stop worrying about bots, start worrying about improving your game. Good players don't have to fear bots, there are other cheating methods that are of greater concern yet still not widespread enough to warrent a serious discussion.

TT /images/graemlins/club.gif

[wacki]

PP can just scan the system memory like Norton scans for antivirus. If any program isn't on a list of safe things to run it gets shut down. It's that simple. Checksums can be used to prevent people from simply renaming the programs.

To see if they are doing this, run a stealth program. If you can't run WinPP while playing poker then PP cares about bots. If you are able to run this program, then they probably don't care if you are running bots. It's that simple.

Still, I suspect they don't care.

wacki

[Sintax]

I HATE this answer. There is not one single other cliche on this entire board that is more erroneous than this.

Unless serious counteractive methods and penalties are started now, bots WILL destroy online poker within 10 years. Mark those words.

Aside from maybe a handful of prodigies, all of us winning players have learned our skill by applying the algorithms taught in various books and publications. A well programmed bots can collect, process and analyze more data then the human mind can. To suggest that studying these materials can keep you one step ahead of the bots is neive, dumb or both. Bots are getting more and more sophisticated each day. Even if you are good enough to beat them today, many of your opponents aren't. And within a few months, when you are 4-Tabling and 33 out of 36 of your opponents are bots playing almost perfectly, the game wont be so profitable. In a few years, these bots will eat you alive.

[Luv2DriveTT]

[ QUOTE ]
In a few years, these bots will eat you alive.

[/ QUOTE ]

BS.. in a few years, the bots will be equal to a tight aggressive player, no better than another human being who is tight and aggressive. I'm used to that already, you should get used to it too.

TT /images/graemlins/club.gif

[Alex/Mugaaz]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In a few years, these bots will eat you alive.

[/ QUOTE ]

BS.. in a few years, the bots will be equal to a tight aggressive player, no better than another human being who is tight and aggressive. I'm used to that already, you should get used to it too.

TT /images/graemlins/club.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

You are making a mistake because the problem with bots for good players isn't being beaten by them, but the bot parnoia scaring away new players.

[Sintax]

[ QUOTE ]
BS.. in a few years, the bots will be equal to a tight aggressive player, no better than another human being who is tight and aggressive. I'm used to that already, you should get used to it too.

TT


[/ QUOTE ]

Wrong. Bots will be better then you. I don't care how good you think you are, you will never be able to qualitively analayze your opponents moves like a bot can. In conjunction with a large database, bots will make the most accurate mathematical play every single time.

The difference between a human and a bot is that when you read posts here and the play is to raise if you think your opponent has XXX 50% of the time, call if they have XXX 40% and fold if they have XXX 10% of the time, the bot will be able to query every hand you have played (datamining is a bitch) and make the best decision. If you're good enough to get it right 9/10 times, it wont be enough, the bot will go 10 for 10.

[ QUOTE ]
You are making a mistake because the problem with bots for good players isn't being beaten by them, but the bot parnoia scaring away new players.


[/ QUOTE ]

Or simply a nine bot team descending on every weak player to hit the felt would screw the games up enough.

[cwsiggy]

Hello B&M.

[flatline]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In a few years, these bots will eat you alive.

[/ QUOTE ]

BS.. in a few years, the bots will be equal to a tight aggressive player, no better than another human being who is tight and aggressive. I'm used to that already, you should get used to it too.

TT /images/graemlins/club.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

This is nonsense. Technology advances. Bots will eventually be able to destroy human players (even top professionals). It may be five years, it may be thirty years, but it will inevitably happen.

[Luv2DriveTT]

[ QUOTE ]
You are making a mistake because the problem with bots for good players isn't being beaten by them, but the bot parnoia scaring away new players.

[/ QUOTE ]

bingo. Thanks for stating my point better than I did.

Once again, collusion (via software, not human to human) is the only true concern at this time, and will become a MUCH bigger problem years before a Bot can be good enough to beat the average good player on a regular basis.

TT /images/graemlins/club.gif

[Alex/Mugaaz]

A nine bot team couldn't make money..... do you see why? =)



" "This is nonsense. Technology advances. Bots will eventually be able to destroy human players (even top professionals). It may be five years, it may be thirty years, but it will inevitably happen." ."

This is not true, poker is not chess. I don't think computers will be better than good players ever unless it's heads up.

[cianosheehan]

As pointed out in another thread, the sites are the ones with the cash. As long as they have the funds to invest in anti-bot processes, the small timing bot players wont stand a chance. Theres no way the sites are going to let a few cheaters take down the whole industry. There will be measures devised against it.

To the OP, I honestly dont think that would be a reasonable measure, for a number of reasons. Also if you consider that a lot of these bots users would spend a lot of time in front of their computer anyway, they could easily get around this obstacle.

[CCovington]

If bots begin to hurt the growth of online poker, the sites will do what it takes to get rid of them.
I don't think there is any sense in us discussing it here where new players come read about advice and strategy and then get scared away by a bunch of folks talking about how good a bot could possibly play.
Daddy eats bots for breakfast neway.

[flatline]

[ QUOTE ]

" "This is nonsense. Technology advances. Bots will eventually be able to destroy human players (even top professionals). It may be five years, it may be thirty years, but it will inevitably happen." ."

This is not true, poker is not chess. I don't think computers will be better than good players ever unless it's heads up.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ever? Unless computer technology stops advancing, you are wrong. I'm not going to bother elaborating.

[gh9801]

Bots pay rake too. And they're not necessarily good. Who cares.

[SinCityGuy]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In a few years, these bots will eat you alive.

[/ QUOTE ]

BS.. in a few years, the bots will be equal to a tight aggressive player, no better than another human being who is tight and aggressive.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is the same dogma that was recited during the 1980's about computer chess programs.

Ask Kramnik and Kasparov now, and see if they agree.