The Ethics of Pattern Mapping

[andyfox]

I have never played on the internet. I do not know what pattern mapping is. I am a techno-peasant.

But I take it, from Ulysses' and other posts, that pattern mapping enables you to predict, with greater or lesser accuracy, the turn and river cards. To the point where:

"yesterday I had 77. The flop was 6AQ. Based on the pattern map, I knew that it was unlikely for someone to have AA or QQ (though I can only predict other people's hole cards with about 40% accuracy right now) and I also knew that the next two cards would be a 2 and a 7. Because of this, I capped the flop and turn against two opponents who had AQ and 66. Of course, the river was a 7 as expected and we capped that street as well resulting in a huge pot for me."

A game where one player knows what the river card will be and his opponents do not is a game of cheating. This should be publicized everywhere within the poker community and to appropriate authorities so that either an effective way of stopping the practice is found, or that internet poker is outlawed.

I would also hope there would be a class-action suit by those who did not pattern map to recover their losses, since they were cheated. They were guaranteed by the poker cite, I assume, that the game was on the up-and-up. Yet other players knew what the turn and river cards were likely to be, to the point where they would cap with pocket sevens on an A-Q-6 board.

[Mike Gallo]

Hi Andy,

Do you really believe an internet site that has 20,000 players at any given time would allow this to happen?

I think our man Ulysses started a hoax, and now people have taken it too far.

If he had such an invention do you really think he would go public with it?

If he does speak the truth then I agree with everything you say in your post.

[LetsRock]

I agree with you 100%. Pattern mapping is outright cheating. If this is really going on, then I'll soon be leaving the on-line poker world for you cheaters and suckers to fight over.

It really makes me ill that people are even bold enough to admit to using this tactic on-line let alone trying to sell the tool to other cheaters.

I'm glad to hear that at least one clown got busted and hope they nail all of you cheaters.

[LetsRock]

I am really, really, really hoping that you are right and it's a big joke. I'll be happy to be the victim of this joke.

Alas, I know just enough about computer generated randomness to know that there are detectable patterns and it's just a matter of time before someone figures out how to tap it.

Very sad.

[Homer]

All these pattern mapping posts are funny to read because the whole thing is a joke, and when I read responses like this, I wonder whether someone has fallen for the joke or is taking the joke to a new level...

[gonores]

Either way, I'm starting to get ticked off about it.

Imagine just how many new/inexperienced players have stumbled on these threads and have decided that this online poker thing just isn't for them.

It's been fun, but it's time for those behind the curtain to end this stuff.

[JTG51]

I was thinking the same thing. It's clear that a lot of people fell for it hook, line, and sinker, but I suspect that Andy Fox is too smart for that and is just joining in the fun.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Is rapidly turning 2+2 into RGP. That's the first and last thing I have to say about pattern mapping.

[Joe Tall]

Andy,

It is simple really. Which of the following is true:

1. The LARGEST POKER ROOM IN THE WORLD has software to randomly generate cards coming off the deck. They stand by their software as legit.

2. Someone has analyzed 10s of thousands of hands and come up with program that can predict cards coming off the deck and has just come out with this fact in a post by a newbie titled, "4th and 5th street cards can be predicted at Party?".

What do you think?

Peace,
Joe Tall

[JTG51]

You don't find this whole thing the least bit funny? I think it's hilarious.