Picoman's Favorite online poker site Full Tilt gets slammed

[bigboydan]

Last week it was Absolute and this week it's Pico's favorite online poker site FullTilt.

Online Poker site Full Tilt gets the “Bad Beat” over Bots

September 23rd, 2007 Written by Kelli Smithgall

The poker bot has struck again on Fulltiltpoker, in their Texas Hold’em Limit cash games. This time however, some of their attempts have been foiled. Full Tilt Poker is rumored to have frozen the accounts and seized the money of the alleged players utilizing bots.

A bot is a type of malware which allows attackers to gain complete control over another system. The biggest advantage in using them for poker is that they can be very intimidating. Since the bot player is not human, they don’t express fear or shame and will do whatever it takes to win; whereas humans will back off against extremely aggressive players. For example, a poker bot will raise any two cards if they think there is even the slightest advantage based on a real player’s history.

Although bots have been a common theme in online gambling and poker playing for several years now, it’s been almost impossible to catch these so-called online criminals. Like slimy snakes, they seek out unassuming new poker players that are still naive about the online gambling world.

The security department of Full Tilt Poker has sent out emails advising several players on their site they are victims and refunds will be given. Although not yet publicized, the toll of victimized online poker players is rumored to be in the thousands.

FullTiltpoker has not confirmed this either, but two of the alleged bot accounts suspects are Japinthesack and BeatMe1.

Upcoming months should prove to be intriguing as other online gambling sites that have been affected come to the surface as well.

[jon13009]

bots are everywhere

I wonder if the poker sites put bots of their own in play? How would the other live players know? I have seen enough strange things online that anything is possible.

[mshanedub420]

Im sure there is a lot of $ getting stolen on both sides.........there is more $ in online poker site than in some banks. And I dont see any armed security guards so why wouldnt you think people would attempt to rob it. They have to , its too much $ and far to easy.

[jon13009]

Bots do exist but what is the real extent?

Since the casinos employ live professional players to seed the games (and are hourly emloyees), it would only be natural for the on-line poker sites to do the same. The problem is that the poker site's bot (or perhaps an on-line live employee) may be able to see what cards are coming. With no real regulatory body what will stop the on line site from dipping into the cookie jar? This is the reason why playing online seems a bit risky. I have noticed that going all in before the flop is suicide against certain players and losing on the river is rather common place in many on line games (espcially during freerolls). I guess the more you play on-line the more paranoid you get.

[SBR Lou]

Most bots suck pretty bad, the only way they make money is off complete newbies. There are some advanced ones out at another poker sites high limit games. Online poker is and always will be just another form of a video game that involves money. People will find ways to cheat both.

[LLXC]

I wonder how Stars is with bots?

[prop]

Poker Sites seed the games to keep them going just like live card rooms - but they use humans to do it not bots - The players are paid an hourly wage, a per hand wager or 100% rakeback - they play with their own money and have no advantage over any other player at the table.
Even if poker rooms did seed the games with bots, which they don't, most rooms would not risk cheating and a pro could pick apart a bots weaknesses much easier than they could a humans. Humans are emotional bots aren't (I don't think bots are emotional anyways but thats besides the point).
Either way I doubt the big card rooms are cheating their players.

[prop]

I wonder how Stars is with bots?

Not the best as far as detecting them goes but by far not the worst and by far good enough.

Most bots suck anyways. The best bots are ones that can beat the rake and collect rakeback. PokerStars would not be the ideal site for anyone owning a 1/2 way decent bot anyways so its nothing worth worrying about.

[jon13009]

Seed players are there on-line, but what is the extent?

Poker Sites seed the games to keep them going just like live card rooms - but they use humans to do it not bots - The players are paid an hourly wage, a per hand wager or 100% rakeback - they play with their own money and have no advantage over any other player at the table.
Even if poker rooms did seed the games with bots, which they don't, most rooms would not risk cheating and a pro could pick apart a bots weaknesses much easier than they could a humans. Humans are emotional bots aren't (I don't think bots are emotional anyways but thats besides the point).
Either way I doubt the big card rooms are cheating their players.

I agree that there are seed players on-line, and if the poker sites are smart they will not give the seeds any advantage because the poker sites make their money via the rake. If there is ANY hint of the site stealing money from players - via revealing cards to seeds or bots - no one would play there. However, with soooo much money at stake, the mere chance of the on-line sites cheating is enough for me to risk my money at live tables only. There is no real regulatory agency watching these on-line sites, and if an online site wanted to reveal cards to an outside agency, they could do so. If a seeded player is playing with money that is given to him by the on-line site, that is another problem. Do all the on-line sites use seed players, and what is the percentage? When are the seed players told to get out of the table? Finally what is the percentage of seed players in the freerolls? These are questions the on-line sites need to answer.

[jon13009]

Don't accuse other players of being a bot.

I have also seen players accuse players of cheating in-line, and the on-line site will take away that player's chat ability and even suspend their account. While the on-line sites don't want to admit they use seed players or bots, they will never tolerate accusations of such actions because the on-line site knows how sensitive the players are to the possibility. Think about it, you are handing your money to a on-line site that is somewhere hundreds (if not thousands) of miles away. You have enough faith in that site that you trust them with your money and the cards that they are dealing you and your "opponents." It is a lot to ask, but for many it is the only way of playing poker for "real" because the US Government is too stupid to legalize, regulate and tax poker throughout the country because of the "dangers" of gambling while allowing lotteries and horse racing.

[likewhoaa]

Collusion between players is a bigger worry than any bots. Its doubtful sites employ bots themselves risking reputation and millions in revenue for RAKE that they will get anyways.

[bigdog3580]

Lets hope all this bot stuff will be fixed. Hard to believe Full Tilt can not figure this out, but who knows.

[jolub]

Duplicate Poker uses bots.