The Thin Line: What is Cheating in Poker Software?
As the nature and structure of gaming evolves, so do the strategies players use in order to improve their performance. Some of these tactics are considered perfectly honest, others are clearly cheating, while yet more fall into some gray area and tend to be a matter of much debate. This is no less true for online poker played with poker software.
Certain types of software “aids” are acceptable. For example, a lot of poker sites will not object if you use a statistical odds calculator to “guess” what sorts of cards are likely to come up. In addition, it is considered quite normal to use a profiler on other players. This crafty bit of software runs as you play. It records and observes the actions of your fellow players, and presents you with odds and statistics on their behavior, which you can use if you come up against them in future games. With such software, it might be stated that pure calculation/memory skills count for less in online poker. A poker beginner who is nevertheless good with software can do better than more experienced players with the assistance of these aids.
However, there are some types of aids that are banned on most poker sites. Collusion is a definite no-no on many sites. Technically, collusion is when players secretly cooperate in order to take advantage of other players. The nature of online play can facilitate collusion, since players can use “normal” chat programs to communicate with each other in order to cheat. You can actually do this over the phone. For more high-tech cheating, one might try using a program specifically designed for passing poker information from one person to another.
Perhaps the most sophisticated type of cheating software is the bot. This is basically a program that is set up to enter and play in poker software games on its own—without actually being operated by a human being. It is, in essence, a poker-playing robot, hence the nickname “bot.” So far, poker software designers and sites are working to try to spot and weed out bots, but high-quality anti-bot software is still a few years away.
However, there are some types of software that are not full-on bots, but similar and also considered dishonest because they, in effect, make your major decisions for you. For example, there is a type of “helper” called an Autofolder. When you have certain hands in particular situations, the Autofolder folds you out of that round, whether you like it or not so as to keep you relatively safe. These are a sort of gray area. However, many poker sites still prohibit them. The philosophy behind this ban is that games should be played by humans, not programs. Humans may use calculating aids, but they should ultimately make their own choices.
Another type of “gray area” cheating involves generating profiles of online players and then giving or selling them to others. Yes, generating player profiles is all very well, but many site owners believe that you should only use profile information that you have gathered during your own game play, instead of buying somebody else’s database.
As the download pkr online poker software gets more sophisticated, so do methods of cheating. Honest players and poker sites should work together in order to keep play honest and fair.