One of the biggest problems facing computer programmers who write poker tournament software is the issue of bots. It’s possible for even a relatively new player to download a sophisticated bot package and use it to play poker on their behalf. More skilled players might rely on analysis software to figure out whether to call or fold in a particularly sticky position.
Considering that bots can play more like real humans these days, it’s gotten increasingly difficult to spot them. Fortunately, developers have come up with a few new tricks to keep poker tournament software fair. Each time a modern online poker program flags someone for an allegedly abnormal playing pattern, they actually defer their analysis to a skilled human player. Instead of deploying bots to fight other bots, poker tournament operators are finding that it’s far more useful to leverage the power of skilled human players who have seen a large number of positions in actual games.
This can also help to reduce the impact of false positives. Players can spot the difference between someone who’s currently using a computer to cheat and someone who just happens to have a very good understanding of odds. In extreme cases, they might even be able to spot instances of collusion where multiple players have elected to communicate with one another in order to rig specific games.
While cheaters will continue to come up with innovative ways to compromise the integrity of the game, poker tournament operators look like they’ll always be one step ahead of them.