Just imagine that you’re deep in a high-stakes poker tournament, playing your best poker with confidence, where every hand counts. But how about one of your opponents isn’t really a human? What if, behind that avatar on the table, there is an algorithm making every possible move perfectly?
At times, that can be the dark reality of modern online poker, where cheating and bots have come into the system as one of the biggest threats in the industry. But the good news is that now, platforms and players can fight them back together. In this blog, we will discuss how cheating occurs, the tools cheaters use, and how it can be prevented.
How Cheating Happens in Online Poker
Cheating in online poker takes many forms, from sophisticated software to subtle collaboration. Understanding these threats is crucial in order to effectively combat them.
#1 Poker Bots
Bots are automated programs that play poker naturally against humans. They are programmed to analyze every hand, make betting decisions, and adapt to various situations using advanced algorithms. Most of them are created by artificial intelligence and can replicate human behavior to avoid getting detected.
Bots operate non-stop, without any emotions or getting tired, which gives them an unfair advantage over real players in the long run. They can grind on all tables, from low to high-stakes, around the clock, and eventually take away the genuine players’ bankrolls.
Also Read: The Rise of AI Poker Bots: A Detailed Overview for Operators
#2 Real-Time Assistance (RTA) and Solver Tools
While bots play automatically, some players use “real-time assistance” programs that suggest the best possible move in every situation. These tools, which are often based on Game Theory Optimal (GTO) models, can analyze a range of opponents’ hands, the bet sizes, and probabilities without requiring the players to do the analysis themselves.
When a player secretly relies on an RTA or solver tools while playing online poker, it effectively turns them into a semi-automated machine, which is clearly a violation of fair play rules.
#3 Collusion
Collusion occurs when two or more players secretly play together at the same table, without the knowledge of others. They combine to share their hole cards with each other or coordinate in strategizing their betting to trap opponents. For example, one player might indulge in “soft play”, which means not betting aggressively against their colluding partner to ensure one of them wins.
This type of cheating is hard to spot manually because it involves human communication and discreet coordination.
#4 Multi-Accounting and Ghosting
Multi-accounting happens when a single person plays on the same table or tournaments with multiple accounts to gain an unfair advantage and manipulate cash games and tournaments. In some cases, a stronger player “ghosts” by playing on another person’s account, giving that account a strong edge on other players.
Both tactics distort fair competition and damage the credibility of both cash games and tournaments on the online poker platform.
#5 Player Data Mining and Hand History Sharing
Some cheaters collect massive databases of hand histories, sometimes using illegal software that can track their opponents’ playing patterns. By analyzing this data, they can identify weaknesses and predict the gameplay styles of other players, which again gives them a substantial advantage over other players.
How to Prevent Cheating and Bots in Online Poker
Now that we understand how cheating happens, let’s focus on how to prevent it. Stopping bots and cheaters requires a multi-layered defense, which is a combination of technology, data science, and community trust.
– Advanced Bot Detection Systems
Modern poker platforms use AI-powered detection tools to identify bots on their platform. These systems can analyze and detect the following bot behaviour:
Reaction times: Bots often act with consistent timing. This can be a clear indication that the player is a bot.
Decision patterns: Almost perfect or uniform betting strategies can indicate that a human is not playing from that seat.
Game volume: Bots can grind tirelessly for hours and hours and play thousands of hands per day without taking any breaks. This is beyond a human’s capability.
Programs are trained to flag suspicious accounts automatically, allowing operators to review these accounts and ban them upon confirmation.
– Statistical and Behaviour Monitoring
Poker platforms constantly track player data, including their winning rate, gameplay aggression, and hand frequency in a session. The suspicious accounts with irregularities are further investigated.
For instance, if a player wins much more than the statistical norm or never makes human errors, it’s a red flag. Behavioral analysis can also assist in detecting if there is any collusion going on between players on a particular table. Players who engage in soft play or make strange plays are often likely to be playing together.
– Device Fingerprinting and IP Tracking
In order to identify players who are involved in multi-accounting and ghosting, the poker platforms should make device fingerprinting and IP monitoring mandatory. By doing this, they will be able to detect:
Multi-Accounting: Multiple accounts that log in from the same device or IP address.
Location: Unusual changes in the playing location of a player can be a clear indicator that more than one player is playing from the same account.
VPN: Use of VPNs can also be tracked, and the identified accounts can be flagged and banned from playing on the platform.
KYC: It is important for all platforms to have a strict Know Your Customer (KYC) policy, as it makes it much harder for cheaters to hide behind fake identities.
– Real-Time Human Verification
Some poker platforms should conduct random human verification checks while players play on the tables: Some of these human verifications include:
CAPTCHA: A CAPTCHA pops up on the player’s screen to confirm if a human is playing.
Text Response: Similarly, players may be required to take short response tests during gameplay
Pause: There may be temporary pauses while the games are running, requiring manual confirmation from the players.
These random tests can help in confirming that the player playing from the account is actually a real human being and not a bot.
– Anti-Collusion Detection Algorithms
AI Algorithms can also help in detecting collusion through extensive analysis. By studying player interactions across thousands of hands, these algorithms can identify the following patterns:
Collusion: Players who consistently play together at the same tables. This may include joining together, leaving tables together, and making suspicious gameplay decisions.
Unusual Profits: Unusually high profit sessions between certain accounts can also be an indicator of accounts involved in suspicious activities.
Hand History and IP Tracking: Matching the hand histories of associated accounts or some accounts that play from the same IP connections can also result in those accounts being flagged for investigation.
– Limiting Third-Party Software
Another vital step in preventing players from gaining an unfair advantage is limiting the use of third-party tools that can run as players play on the platform. Operators should ban external software that reads hand histories of players or displays heads-up displays (HUDs).
The use of such third-party software gives players detailed insights into the gameplay style and betting patterns of their opponents.
– Transparent Fair Gaming Policies
To build trust and boost player retention, the platforms should publish fair gaming policies that include:
Anti-cheating rules: All Players should be aware of the platform rules while playing poker and abide by them at times to avoid getting their accounts suspended.
Sharing Banned Accounts: Platforms should encourage fair gameplay by showing proof of supporting the initiative by sharing the banned accounts’ details with players. When players see this, it strengthens their trust in the platform. This is a mandate for
– In App Reporting
The poker platforms should encourage players to report any suspicious activities, such as collusion or bots. Such accounts should be reviewed and banned upon confirmation of the same. Encouraging the players’ community to report such anomalies can help platforms detect the accounts that are involved in unfair gameplay.
– Player Education
Prevention of cheating and bots can be done beyond technical means. Players should be educated about:
How to spot cheating: Players should be taught the different ways by which they can identify potential players who cheat while playing.
Avoiding the use of third-party tools: Players should also be warned against the use of third-party tools that may give them an unfair advantage over others. The ones who refrain from this will risk having their account suspended or permanently banned.
Build a Fair and Secure Poker Platform with Creatiosoft
If you’re a poker operator looking to offer a platform where players can enjoy the game without worrying about cheaters or bots, Creatiosoft has you covered. Our platform is built with an advanced detection system that keeps gameplay fair and transparent. It continuously monitors player behavior, detects unusual patterns, and flags suspicious activity, making it extremely difficult for bots or dishonest players to gain any unfair advantage.
With Creatiosoft, you can focus on growing your poker business while we ensure every game remains clean, fair, and trusted by your players.
Wrap Up
Preventing cheating and bots in online poker isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s an ongoing battle that needs to be fought by combining both technology and vigilance.
The keys to success include advanced AI monitoring, use of CAPTCHA for bot detection, strict player identity verification, proactive player reporting, and transparency.
When platforms combine technology with human oversight and community trust, they don’t just prevent cheating, but they also protect the soul of the game.
