The poker operator knows how to find and stop the illegal software from being used
No one can honestly say they like to be cheated in any situation. However, cheating and fraud is a part of life that everyone has to deal with at some point. It can be found everywhere, and entire companies make a living from trying to stay one step ahead. In some cases, they find themselves in a losing proposition, but are successful in others. Online poker has had to deal with its own share of cheats, mostly through the use of bots, and operators everywhere are figuring out how to control the use of the software. PokerStars, the poker brand that helped put online poker on the map, is diligently working to keep bots to a minimum and has made substantial progress in achieving that goal.
There are now a number of tools that can be used to help spot and destroy poker bots, many of which have been developed through artificial intelligence (AI). PokerStars has a number of these in its arsenal and employs a team of individuals whose only mission is to find the software and prevent its use. The team includes data scientists, professional poker players and software developers, giving the platform a robust group that can effectively tackle the issue.
PokerStars explains of its anti-bot efforts, “We take pride in ensuring that the brains behind an account belong to a human and not a computer, analyzing every one of our accounts in three main areas: interaction with our software, detection of computer set-ups, and the way our players play poker. We also cross-reference our database of billions of hands to determine how individual accounts play in comparison to known bot profiles. Every potential risk is investigated. Flagged accounts are quarantined and subjected to a series of sophisticated Turing tests to ensure a safe and level playing field for every player.”
Anyone caught using a bot can be banned from PokerStars and can also be denied any payouts they might hold in their accounts. This means the potential for five- or six-figure losses, but that’s the price for conducting illegal activity.
In June 2020, PokerStars published a detailed infographic with information on collusion and bot detection during the final three months of 2019. A copy of the report can be seen below…
