Numerous gambling chats and news forums devoted to poker increasingly anxiously mention so-called “card-playing robots,” also known as “bots” in Web nomenclature. These bots are used on commercial gambling websites. Many players believe that the success of many gambling portals is due to the use of special programs that can beat an average player. You can always predict your opponent’s weaknesses, determine his strategy, and so forth. It is impossible to tell if your opponent is human but not a specially designed program that has been “substituted for” a real player in a virtual casino.
If true, the widespread availability of poker bots capable of beating average players would be a problem for the poker industry. Furthermore, the business could be seriously affected if there is no particular system to verify players’ identity and “humanity” at online casinos. This opinion is shared by players and gambling professionals interested in developing the online gaming industry.
Skeptics argue that it is impossible to create a program that can scan opponents’ cards and then respond in real-time, given the game’s complexity. This view is supported by the many commercial programs that claim to aid players but have no natural effect. There is an answer to all of these objections. The Canadian University of Alberta has created an artificially intelligent automaton called “Vex Bot.” The robot can play poker at master level with two people. They have already used this new system to test the boundaries of artificial intelligence. It will also be the basis for a commercial poker tutorial program. The robot’s creators received letters warning them about the dangers of using the system for illegal gambling.
Darse Billings, the lead designer of “Vex Bot,” believes an approximately 50/50 chance of bots being used on commercial websites. However, he is confident that no other programs can match his creation. This is the result of 10 years of research by experts.
Billings stated that the game’s strategy could be challenging to devise a program that can defeat a group of human players who are more experienced. His opinion is that the most significant obstacles are the inaccessible information and the need for the program’s ability to use various strategies at different times. For example, you are bluffing or laying traps for your opponents. They also added artificial intelligence to the system to help with this task. It can not only model the behavior of its opponents but also calculate probabilities.
Creators of “Vex Bot” believe that its most significant advantage is that they can be calm and have no emotion, fear, shame, or fear. Even when the most aggressive player approaches him, he will remain neutral.
Journalists are studying poker boats’ issue note that it is difficult to obtain the truth due to the inability of many gambling operators to respond to inquiries on the matter. In addition, it is impossible to monitor suspicious play patterns on poker sites using high-quality software.
A representative of CryptoLogic Company commented on this issue and said they had removed players suspected of using boats from member sites. Sometimes it’s impossible to know if someone is playing is a robot or a human. However, a company that exposes all unusual strategies prefers to be insured and protect itself against the possibility of socializing with a bot.
Poker bots are a popular choice for professional players. You can play at least $10-20 per game, earning $1000 an hour if the program is running. Many gambling chat participants are upset that computer programs have replaced interactive poker. Skeptics believe that poker will continue growing in popularity, despite all the threats from programmers. According to them, it is only a matter of time before more people create bots that are remembered. But all these attempts will fail.