Online poker has been evolving over the years, with each new iteration building upon the last. All this just to keep the players engaged and get increased traction. Online poker operators have done it all, from enhancing the UI and incorporating advanced animations to adding live dealer setups and focusing on mobile-friendly platforms.
Now, with the rise of AI (Artificial Intelligence) poker bots, online poker is going through another transforming phase where platforms are integrating advanced-level AI Bots into their platforms. Although there is no doubt that these bots are beneficial and add a lot of value to the platform, they also raise questions regarding the fairness, transparency, and ethics.
In this blog, we will explore how AI bots are reshaping online poker and how platforms are using them to keep the players engaged and increase profits, along with the ethical challenges they bring with them.
What Are AI Poker Bots?
AI poker bots are software-driven programs that are designed to simulate real players on online poker tables. These bots can act and play just like real players. They can join the tables when required, play hands, and make decisions while playing, just like real players would, or sometimes perform even better.
In online poker, these bots resolve the issue of empty tables and fill them fast when needed. By keeping the games active, bots ensure the platform remains truly alive, even when there are not enough real players.
Why Are AI Bots Important in Online Poker?
Keeping Players Engaged
The main hurdle for any online poker platform is the traffic. When players log in and find that the tables are empty, they will just leave and may not come back. AI Bots come to the rescue in such situations by joining these tables and playing with real players. This is the only way the players get attracted to the platform.
Appearing Active
We all know that players only want to be a part of poker rooms that are active. When there are full tables in the lobby, it creates a trustworthy and exciting experience for players. Platforms are actively using such AI Bots to simulate traffic in a strategic way and give the impression of a fully loaded poker room, even during low-traffic hours. Even though there is not real traffic on these tables but it will look otherwise.
Smooth Onboarding
For beginners, playing against these AI Bots is less intimidating than playing on a table that is full of professional poker players. These new players have a better chance of winning against these bots than against the pros, which does a World of good to their confidence.
Retention
When players constantly find platforms with empty tables of low traffic, they lose their interest in the online poker platform and are likely to discontinue playing. With AI Bots keeping the players engaged and tables full when required, the retention rate is bound to increase.
Also Read: Common Mistakes New Online Poker Operators Make and How to Avoid Them
How Online Operators Use Poker AI Bots
AI bots are not something that is being experiminted. In fact they’re already being used by many poker operators worldwide for the following reasons:
Filling Empty Tables: If no players are present on tables, bots are automatically added to fill in the seats so that real players can continue to enjoy the game.
Maintaining Traffic Balance: Even if only one or two players are seated, bots fill the seats until more real players arrive. They can fill the gap as and when needed by simulating real players.
Tournament Warm-Ups: Some sites use bots to help with the early registrations in some tournaments and ensure they begin on time.This is another way to keep the traffic intact and attract players to join tournaments and increase the prize pool.
Player Training & Tutorials: Bots can serve as teaching partners, and train beginners to the game, by teaching them the basics of the game getting them ready to play against real players. This is a great way to get new players onboard on your platform.
How to Integrate AI Bots Into an Online Poker Platform
The process of integrating AI bots into a online poker platform, requires technical as well as strategic implementation. The process includes these steps:
Bot Design & Logic
First things first, AI Bot need to be developed with customizable playing styles and an algorithm that they should be able to make decisions while playing.
Integration with Game Servers
AI bots need to connect smoothly with the poker game’s server so they can join and leave tables just like real players. This makes their presence feel natural and not forced.The integration needs to be smooth to ensure seamless gameplay, when AI Bots, join, leave and play on the tables.
Traffic Management Rules
AI Bots should join tables when it is really required. Every online poker platform should make sure that Bots are only used for engagement purposes only and join tables only when there are not enough players to play. So that they only fulfill the purpose of engaging players and not dominating the real players.
Exit Conditions
The Bots should be programmed in a way that they should leave the tables when there are enough players on the table. This is important to keep the poker ethics intact as real players will be able to compete against each other, which is the real purpose of the game.
Continuous Testing
The AI Bots should be tested vigorously under various conditions to ensure they are programmed to perform aptly in each situation. From joining the tables, playing against real players, making proper decisions while playing, and leaving tables when required, the Bots should be properly tested so that they perform as required.
Why Choose Creatiosoft for AI Poker Bot Integration?
At Creatiosoft we understand both, the technical as well as ethical sides of AI Bot integration. We have successfully integrated AI Bots for online poker platforms, who required Bots integration for player engagement, to keep tables active and to train beginners.
Our expert team of online poker game developers ensure that bots are created keeping the poker game ethics in mind and perform as and when required.
If you’re considering adding high performing AI Bots to your online poker platform, or want to develop an online poker software with Bots integration, Creatiosoft is the trusted partner to make it happen.
Wrap Up
AI Bots can come in more than handy to any online poker platform, as they keep the tables active, the players engaged and make the platforms look active even when they are not. As long as they are utilized in an ethical way, they can be a valueable asset and can help the online poker operators increase their profits.
