Plea For Leniency Fails Casino Swindler
Slot boss Daniel Roybal will now have decades in prison to think about the embezzlement from Sandia Casino prosecutors are calling one of the biggest such crimes in local history. Roybal, 39, and a now-dead colleague stole more than $1 million from the casino where Roybal worked as the slot-machine manager. He was facing 699 criminal counts that could have netted him 2,000 years in prison sentences. Instead he cut a deal with the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office and pleaded guilty to 17 charges.
On Monday a District Court Judge Ross Sanchez sentenced him to 50 years in prison, more time than many violent criminals get. With good behavior he could be out in 25 years. (Man, he shoulda never pleaded out for this!)
Pleas for leniency from Roybal and his family fell on deaf ears.
"One chance so I can be home with my family is all I'm asking for," Roybal said in court. Roybal and co-worker Lynn Gallo faked jackpots and pocketed the cash, according to investigators. Gallo died before she could face charges.
"They worked a few days together, and they started off kind of small; $3,000 a day or so, $4,000 a day that they would steal on average," prosecutor Robin Hammer said. "On the very last day that they were caught they stole $20,000 in one day." Investigators said overall the pair swindled $1.2 million over the course of 14 months. They were busted in October 2006 after the casino's accounting department noticed something fishy in jackpot pay outs.
Sandia Pueblo tribal police said Roybal bought an expensive boat and camper. They also reported they found $60,000 in cash at his home, some of it in a shed in his backyard. District Attorney Kari Brandenburg called Roybal's scheme one of the largest white-collar crimes ever uncovered in Bernalillo County. As part of his plea deal Roybal must also pay back some of the money to Sandia Casino. The amount has yet to be determined.
My Take: This is a much too severe penalty for ripping off a casino!
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Caro talks about Poker Cheating!
Poker Guru Mike Caro Gives Mouthful About Poker Cheats!
"For eight years, I haven’t talked much about cheating at poker. Unfortunately, today’s word “cheat” came up at random from a pool of candidates whose size can be calculated by 16,384 times the reciprocal of 2 to the 14th power. Here’s a self-interview, in which I get to ask my own questions and respond however I like.
Question 1: How come you haven’t talked much about cheating publicly in recent years?
After decades of dealing openly with the topic and headquartering my Cheater Monitoring Service at two different casinos, I was slapped around by entities and players I considered my allies in efforts to keep poker honest.
It happened a decade ago, when I announced that there would be a public interview with three cheaters who promised to expose all. In recorded, preliminary, private questioning, they ended up making many unfounded and false accusations along with some legitimate ones. Because of that, I decided not to conduct public interviews, but the cheaters themselves distributed stolen video. Even today, this subject is sensitive. But you can do an Internet search (both on the web and in the Usenet newsgroups) if you want to piece it together for yourself.
I learned from that episode. I also concluded that you can’t combat cheating effectively in a public arena where anonymous trouble makers contribute to the conversation and nobody, except those who are objectively investigating, have a clue who’s telling the truth and who’s lying.
Poker today is played in the spotlight. It’s no longer unnoticed in dingy backrooms, so management and players have more to protect. It’s obvious that poker is more honest today than ever and that most real-world and online poker rooms try to ensure poker integrity. But it’s a challenging job, and one that can best be handled behind the scenes. That way, the weapons used to combat cheating are usually a surprise to the criminals.
Question 2: Did you say “criminals?” Is that how you feel about players who scam poker?
Yes. And there should be an even more repugnant word for them. Guys who rob convenience stores are very bad dudes, in my book. But at least you know who they are. They’re the ones in the masks, holding the guns.
But poker is a game of implied promise. We pledge to each other that when we sit at the table, we’ll be playing as individuals, not as teams. An honest player simply cannot compete with opponents who join together and help each other out at the table. And that’s why I keep reminding people that poker partners are serious criminals. You’re honoring your pledge; they’re not — and there’s usually no way to know it! They’re not just stealing from a 7-Eleven, where everyone knows a crime is committed. They’re destroying fair chances to win, hope, homes, fortunes, and more. And they’re doing it while counting on you to keep your word to them.
If poker partners sound to you like the lowest bacterial life on earth, then we share similar opinions.
Question 3: What can honest players do?
Don’t tolerate cheating. Don’t look the other way. Don’t just get out of a game and seek safer grounds. Say something, if you’re sure. Scream. Our game is too important not to protect. Poker is all over television. It has crawled out of dank windowless basements and been exposed to the sunlight. Honor our game by not letting anyone cheat. The days when people glamorized and envied poker cheats are long ago, yesteryear, before humans walked upright. Protect me and I’ll protect you.
Question 4: What inspired you to do this interview after saying so little about cheating for so long?
Ford.
Question 5: Ford?
Yes, Ford. Ford Motor Company has created the most obnoxious advertisement in history. Hardly anyone is saying much about it, which is scary.
The announcer promoting a pickup truck says: “I figure the engineers who built the all-new ’09 F150 are probably the same guys we all cheated off of in science class. We’re thinking about pizza; they’re thinking about aerodynamic weight properties. Crazy smart.”
Right there is the end of poker. Yes, I realize that the latest generation doesn’t consider cheating something that makes you a social outcast. Recent polls report that most students think cheating on tests is okay — and many do it. And, apparently, Ford thinks it’s cool to target an audience of that age with those beliefs. I pity any teachers who still try to teach that cheating is a severe offense, that if you do it, you’re stealing the future of others who won’t excel as much comparatively from their efforts. Here’s a corporation of world stature claiming “we all cheat, so let’s buy this truck.” To me, this is beyond reprehensible.
I teach and admire many aspiring young poker players. They definitely don’t share Ford’s outlook. Still, beware of the next generation of poker players. They’re on the way.
My Take: Good job, Mike!
"For eight years, I haven’t talked much about cheating at poker. Unfortunately, today’s word “cheat” came up at random from a pool of candidates whose size can be calculated by 16,384 times the reciprocal of 2 to the 14th power. Here’s a self-interview, in which I get to ask my own questions and respond however I like.
Question 1: How come you haven’t talked much about cheating publicly in recent years?
After decades of dealing openly with the topic and headquartering my Cheater Monitoring Service at two different casinos, I was slapped around by entities and players I considered my allies in efforts to keep poker honest.
It happened a decade ago, when I announced that there would be a public interview with three cheaters who promised to expose all. In recorded, preliminary, private questioning, they ended up making many unfounded and false accusations along with some legitimate ones. Because of that, I decided not to conduct public interviews, but the cheaters themselves distributed stolen video. Even today, this subject is sensitive. But you can do an Internet search (both on the web and in the Usenet newsgroups) if you want to piece it together for yourself.
I learned from that episode. I also concluded that you can’t combat cheating effectively in a public arena where anonymous trouble makers contribute to the conversation and nobody, except those who are objectively investigating, have a clue who’s telling the truth and who’s lying.
Poker today is played in the spotlight. It’s no longer unnoticed in dingy backrooms, so management and players have more to protect. It’s obvious that poker is more honest today than ever and that most real-world and online poker rooms try to ensure poker integrity. But it’s a challenging job, and one that can best be handled behind the scenes. That way, the weapons used to combat cheating are usually a surprise to the criminals.
Question 2: Did you say “criminals?” Is that how you feel about players who scam poker?
Yes. And there should be an even more repugnant word for them. Guys who rob convenience stores are very bad dudes, in my book. But at least you know who they are. They’re the ones in the masks, holding the guns.
But poker is a game of implied promise. We pledge to each other that when we sit at the table, we’ll be playing as individuals, not as teams. An honest player simply cannot compete with opponents who join together and help each other out at the table. And that’s why I keep reminding people that poker partners are serious criminals. You’re honoring your pledge; they’re not — and there’s usually no way to know it! They’re not just stealing from a 7-Eleven, where everyone knows a crime is committed. They’re destroying fair chances to win, hope, homes, fortunes, and more. And they’re doing it while counting on you to keep your word to them.
If poker partners sound to you like the lowest bacterial life on earth, then we share similar opinions.
Question 3: What can honest players do?
Don’t tolerate cheating. Don’t look the other way. Don’t just get out of a game and seek safer grounds. Say something, if you’re sure. Scream. Our game is too important not to protect. Poker is all over television. It has crawled out of dank windowless basements and been exposed to the sunlight. Honor our game by not letting anyone cheat. The days when people glamorized and envied poker cheats are long ago, yesteryear, before humans walked upright. Protect me and I’ll protect you.
Question 4: What inspired you to do this interview after saying so little about cheating for so long?
Ford.
Question 5: Ford?
Yes, Ford. Ford Motor Company has created the most obnoxious advertisement in history. Hardly anyone is saying much about it, which is scary.
The announcer promoting a pickup truck says: “I figure the engineers who built the all-new ’09 F150 are probably the same guys we all cheated off of in science class. We’re thinking about pizza; they’re thinking about aerodynamic weight properties. Crazy smart.”
Right there is the end of poker. Yes, I realize that the latest generation doesn’t consider cheating something that makes you a social outcast. Recent polls report that most students think cheating on tests is okay — and many do it. And, apparently, Ford thinks it’s cool to target an audience of that age with those beliefs. I pity any teachers who still try to teach that cheating is a severe offense, that if you do it, you’re stealing the future of others who won’t excel as much comparatively from their efforts. Here’s a corporation of world stature claiming “we all cheat, so let’s buy this truck.” To me, this is beyond reprehensible.
I teach and admire many aspiring young poker players. They definitely don’t share Ford’s outlook. Still, beware of the next generation of poker players. They’re on the way.
My Take: Good job, Mike!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
My Old Haunt Caesars Palace Hit By Two Inside Casino Cheat Scams!
Those of you who have read my books know that my favorite casino to cheat during my 25-year cheat career was Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Well, apparently some of Caesars' own dealers and employees are taking a liking to rip off Caesars as well. Last month, Gaming Control Board agents arrested a ticket writer at the Caesars Palace sports book for allegedly stealing chips used to pay for bets and passing them off to an associate who cashed them out.
If that wasn´t enough, just days later GCB agents caught a craps dealer pocketing $1,000 in chips that slipped from a hole in his pocket into his shoe. It isn't clear how many of the grand chips he got away with, but based on my experience at Caesars, where they had very loose controls on their $1,000 chips, I'd say it was several dozen at least. BAck in my casino cheat heyday, I worked over Caesars Palace in Vegas with $5,000 chips and made a bundle. The question is: Will dealers start palming and stealing those biggies too???
If that wasn´t enough, just days later GCB agents caught a craps dealer pocketing $1,000 in chips that slipped from a hole in his pocket into his shoe. It isn't clear how many of the grand chips he got away with, but based on my experience at Caesars, where they had very loose controls on their $1,000 chips, I'd say it was several dozen at least. BAck in my casino cheat heyday, I worked over Caesars Palace in Vegas with $5,000 chips and made a bundle. The question is: Will dealers start palming and stealing those biggies too???
Friday, October 16, 2009
Interesting Glitch in $500,000 Slot Cheat Case--Is it a Crime or isn´t It?
Attorneys for two of three men accused of rigging a poker machine in The Meadows Racetrack & Casino said Thursday that taking advantage of a glitch in a machine isn't a crime. "If someone is smart enough to outwit a machine, is that a crime?" defense attorney Patrick Thomassey said. "I don't think it is. It might be cheating, but is it a crime?"
Thomassey's clients, Kerry Laverde, 49, and Andre Nestor, 37, both of Swissvale waived their rights to preliminary hearings before District Judge Jay Weller in North Strabane. Both entered pleas of not guilty. A preliminary hearing for Patrick Loushil, 42, of Brookline was postponed. The men are charged with manipulating a poker machine at the casino to collect $429,945 in fraudulent payouts. Authorities said the men started the scam in June and were arrested last week.
Nestor's attorney, Washington County Public Defender Glenn Alterio, said he agreed with Thomassey. "We're going to see if, in fact, a crime was committed," Alterio said. "It boils down to manipulating a machine."
Casino officials began to suspect the men when Nestor, posing as a "high roller," began frequenting the casino in late June, officials said. Laverde, a former Swissvale police officer, acted as Nestor's bodyguard, officials said.
District Attorney Steven Toprani disagreed with Thomassey's assessment. "There was money made out to the three defendants that they weren't entitled to," Toprani said. "It sounds like good, old-fashioned theft to me."
From late June through August, Nestor, Laverde and Loushil visited the casino 15 times, authorities said. The investigation showed Nestor repeatedly used "a complex series of button presses and screen changes to cause the slot machine to have an error in its programming. This resulted in the machine displaying a false jackpot," according to the grand jury presentment. Nestor always manipulated the poker machine alone, but all three men cashed the winning checks, authorities said.
Toprani denied that gambling safeguards were too easily bypassed by the three men.
"In my opinion, the safeguards did work. The Gaming Control Board alerted the state police," Toprani said.
Weller lowered bail for the two men to $100,000, at 10 percent, meaning Laverde and Nestor must post $10,000 apiece to get out of jail.
My Take: Of course it's cheating and of course it's a crime, but how 'bout a slap on the wrist and let the accused slot cheats keep the money!
Thomassey's clients, Kerry Laverde, 49, and Andre Nestor, 37, both of Swissvale waived their rights to preliminary hearings before District Judge Jay Weller in North Strabane. Both entered pleas of not guilty. A preliminary hearing for Patrick Loushil, 42, of Brookline was postponed. The men are charged with manipulating a poker machine at the casino to collect $429,945 in fraudulent payouts. Authorities said the men started the scam in June and were arrested last week.
Nestor's attorney, Washington County Public Defender Glenn Alterio, said he agreed with Thomassey. "We're going to see if, in fact, a crime was committed," Alterio said. "It boils down to manipulating a machine."
Casino officials began to suspect the men when Nestor, posing as a "high roller," began frequenting the casino in late June, officials said. Laverde, a former Swissvale police officer, acted as Nestor's bodyguard, officials said.
District Attorney Steven Toprani disagreed with Thomassey's assessment. "There was money made out to the three defendants that they weren't entitled to," Toprani said. "It sounds like good, old-fashioned theft to me."
From late June through August, Nestor, Laverde and Loushil visited the casino 15 times, authorities said. The investigation showed Nestor repeatedly used "a complex series of button presses and screen changes to cause the slot machine to have an error in its programming. This resulted in the machine displaying a false jackpot," according to the grand jury presentment. Nestor always manipulated the poker machine alone, but all three men cashed the winning checks, authorities said.
Toprani denied that gambling safeguards were too easily bypassed by the three men.
"In my opinion, the safeguards did work. The Gaming Control Board alerted the state police," Toprani said.
Weller lowered bail for the two men to $100,000, at 10 percent, meaning Laverde and Nestor must post $10,000 apiece to get out of jail.
My Take: Of course it's cheating and of course it's a crime, but how 'bout a slap on the wrist and let the accused slot cheats keep the money!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Full Tilt Statement Claims Online Poker Site Has Software That Can Detect Bots BEFORE They Play!
Do I believe it? NO! But here's their statement:
Full Tilt Poker is a multi-million dollar Online Poker Room, one of the largest in the world. Poker players from all over sit down at the tables to play a few hands at all hours of the day, bringing many players to the tables who would otherwise be unable to participate in poker on a large scale. It is not uncommon for accusations to fly regarding cheating through these sites, and Full Tilt was a recent victim of such an allegation.
Recently, at Full Tilt, two players were recently banned from the poker room, forfeiting winnings of over $50,000 dollars. They had decided to bring a civil suit against Full Tilt, claiming that Full Tilt operates "poker robots" to play the game at a level of skill and logic that a human may not be able to emulate. The duo sought $80,000 dollars in damages, and filed the claim in California to recover said damages. Full Tilt had been quiet, but just days ago they released a statement.
“Full Tilt Poker has been made aware of the recent filing of a baseless lawsuit by former Full Tilt Poker customers - Ms. Lary Kennedy and Mr. Greg Omotoy. Both of these player accounts were appropriately terminated for multiple violations of the express terms and conditions governing fair and lawful play in the Full Tilt Poker online virtual cardroom, including their own admissions of using multiple accounts," was how they began.
Full Tilt went on to say that the claims have "no merit," are "false assertions," and that they will "remain committed to protecting their players from anything that might compromise the integrity of its [Full Tilt's] games."
Full Tilt was designed by poker players, for poker players, and they take a very severe stance against all forms of cheating and collusion. Just read a Review of Full Tilt Poker Room and you will see why thousands of players find this site to be safe and secure. Full Tilt also claims that they have software that will detect bots before they can even begin to play, but the matter will not come to a head until both party's attorneys sit down and delve further into the issue. The situation is undoubtedly going to explode, potentially harming the hope for completely legal Internet Poker.
Full Tilt Poker is a multi-million dollar Online Poker Room, one of the largest in the world. Poker players from all over sit down at the tables to play a few hands at all hours of the day, bringing many players to the tables who would otherwise be unable to participate in poker on a large scale. It is not uncommon for accusations to fly regarding cheating through these sites, and Full Tilt was a recent victim of such an allegation.
Recently, at Full Tilt, two players were recently banned from the poker room, forfeiting winnings of over $50,000 dollars. They had decided to bring a civil suit against Full Tilt, claiming that Full Tilt operates "poker robots" to play the game at a level of skill and logic that a human may not be able to emulate. The duo sought $80,000 dollars in damages, and filed the claim in California to recover said damages. Full Tilt had been quiet, but just days ago they released a statement.
“Full Tilt Poker has been made aware of the recent filing of a baseless lawsuit by former Full Tilt Poker customers - Ms. Lary Kennedy and Mr. Greg Omotoy. Both of these player accounts were appropriately terminated for multiple violations of the express terms and conditions governing fair and lawful play in the Full Tilt Poker online virtual cardroom, including their own admissions of using multiple accounts," was how they began.
Full Tilt went on to say that the claims have "no merit," are "false assertions," and that they will "remain committed to protecting their players from anything that might compromise the integrity of its [Full Tilt's] games."
Full Tilt was designed by poker players, for poker players, and they take a very severe stance against all forms of cheating and collusion. Just read a Review of Full Tilt Poker Room and you will see why thousands of players find this site to be safe and secure. Full Tilt also claims that they have software that will detect bots before they can even begin to play, but the matter will not come to a head until both party's attorneys sit down and delve further into the issue. The situation is undoubtedly going to explode, potentially harming the hope for completely legal Internet Poker.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Full Tilt Poker Makes Statement on Bot Cheat Scandal
The $80 000 lawsuit against Full Tilt Poker.com filed in California recently by two players banned for multi-accounting and robot play has triggered an official statement from the company. In the statement, the company claims:
“Full Tilt Poker has been made aware of the recent filing of a baseless lawsuit by former Full Tilt Poker customers - Ms. Lary Kennedy and Mr. Greg Omotoy. Both of these player accounts were appropriately terminated for multiple violations of the express terms and conditions governing fair and lawful play in the Full Tilt Poker online virtual cardroom, including their own admissions of using multiple accounts.
"The usage of multiple accounts not only violates the clear terms and agreements governing fair and lawful play, it creates an unequal and unfair advantage that Full Tilt Poker does not and will not permit. We aim to protect our players at all cost, thus we terminated these two claimants’ accounts.
"The claims of these former customers have no merit, their complaint is frivolous, especially given the lack of candor during extensive investigation and the unequivocal and unambiguous admissions of using multiple accounts. There is no reason to play poker anywhere else, the most tournaments, the top ring games, biggest prizes and most players. In addition we will give you $600 free on signup.
"With respect to alleged use of prohibited automated systems, the claimants’ false assertions will be revealed as such in due course. Full Tilt Poker has never knowingly allowed "bots" to play on its site. To the extent either of these claimants indeed used such prohibited “bots” in violation of all applicable rules, such impermissible use by the claimants was without the knowledge of Full Tilt Poker. When fraud, collusion, and cheating of any kind is uncovered, Full Tilt Poker investigates extensively, and then acts accordingly and appropriately, as was the case involving these claimants.
"As always, Full Tilt Poker remains committed to protecting their players from anything that might compromise the integrity of its games. Full Tilt Poker expects that this erroneous lawsuit and its spurious claims will be dealt with accordingly by proper courts of law and other appropriate tribunals. Full Tilt Poker expects that these claimants will be obliged to compensate the aggrieved defendants for any harm that may arise out of their false allegations, and for the wrongful institution of these bad faith legal proceedings.”
“Full Tilt Poker has been made aware of the recent filing of a baseless lawsuit by former Full Tilt Poker customers - Ms. Lary Kennedy and Mr. Greg Omotoy. Both of these player accounts were appropriately terminated for multiple violations of the express terms and conditions governing fair and lawful play in the Full Tilt Poker online virtual cardroom, including their own admissions of using multiple accounts.
"The usage of multiple accounts not only violates the clear terms and agreements governing fair and lawful play, it creates an unequal and unfair advantage that Full Tilt Poker does not and will not permit. We aim to protect our players at all cost, thus we terminated these two claimants’ accounts.
"The claims of these former customers have no merit, their complaint is frivolous, especially given the lack of candor during extensive investigation and the unequivocal and unambiguous admissions of using multiple accounts. There is no reason to play poker anywhere else, the most tournaments, the top ring games, biggest prizes and most players. In addition we will give you $600 free on signup.
"With respect to alleged use of prohibited automated systems, the claimants’ false assertions will be revealed as such in due course. Full Tilt Poker has never knowingly allowed "bots" to play on its site. To the extent either of these claimants indeed used such prohibited “bots” in violation of all applicable rules, such impermissible use by the claimants was without the knowledge of Full Tilt Poker. When fraud, collusion, and cheating of any kind is uncovered, Full Tilt Poker investigates extensively, and then acts accordingly and appropriately, as was the case involving these claimants.
"As always, Full Tilt Poker remains committed to protecting their players from anything that might compromise the integrity of its games. Full Tilt Poker expects that this erroneous lawsuit and its spurious claims will be dealt with accordingly by proper courts of law and other appropriate tribunals. Full Tilt Poker expects that these claimants will be obliged to compensate the aggrieved defendants for any harm that may arise out of their false allegations, and for the wrongful institution of these bad faith legal proceedings.”
Monday, October 12, 2009
2006 WSOP Champ and Accused Cheat Jamie Gold Sued Again!
Remember 2006 WSOP Main Event winner Jamie Gold? The erstwhile Hollywood talent scout bartered his way into that year’s tourney as part of a deal with online site Bodog in which he agreed to find celebrity personalities for Bodog to sponsor. Following a lengthy legal battle, Gold had to split his winnings with Bruce Crispin Leyser after it was disclosed that the two joined forces in helping secure celebrities for the event. It’s possible that Leyser wasn’t the only one Gold promised a share of his possible winnings to in exchange for assistance, as LA event promoter Francis Dellavechia recently filed a suit against Gold, alleging a promise from Gold for 1 percent of his winnings, equal to $120,000 from Gold’s record $12 million winner’s payday. No court hearings have been held in the matter to date.
Poker TV "Face the Ace" Producers Targeted in Lawsuit
Was the concept for the new poker show “Face the Ace” an illegitimately borrowed idea? So claims Brandon McSmith, who says that he pitched a similar concept to “Face the Ace” production company Poker PROductions in 2006, only to be told that his concept, including star players emerging from a series of doors, lacked merit. McSmith seeks $85 million in damages, with no hearings held as yet. “Face the Ace,” which features a number of Full Tilt-sponsored pros, has struggled in the ratings to date and has already undergone one concept “Face”-lift as well.
Kahnawake Gaming Commission Releases Final UltimateBet Poker Cheat Report
While former WSOP Main Event winner Russ Hamilton remains the only participant officially named, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, responsible for oversight of the UltimateBet online poker site, released its final findings on the years-long insider cheating scandal. Twenty-one different user accounts and a total of 118 screen names were used by the perpetrators who cheated high-stakes limit and no-limit players out of more than $22 million (since refunded) from 2003-2007. The KGC report also cited 31 other individuals with connections to Hamilton and the ongoing cheating scandal, although these names were not publicly released. The KGC, however, did imply that these names and hundreds of pages of supporting documents were made available to selected authorities in other jurisdictions.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Are Poker Cheat Bots the Real Deal?
It is well known that strategy games have been an interesting and challenging domain for computer science research over the decades. Beginning with Tic-Tac-Toe, computer researchers have used games to develop and teach artificial intelligence the application of theoretical concepts to practical situations. The use of games to to develop artificial intelligence was brought to the fore in the 80’s in the movie WarGames, staring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy.
Long argued as a game of skill, the game of poker is a prime candidate for study because it is a conceptually simple yet strategically complex game that offers more dimensions than the one-on-one games such as chess, checkers, and other well-studied games. Therefore, it was only logical for the University of Alberta Computer Poker Research Group (“UACRG”) to set out and develop the adaptive software program named “Polaris” the poker playing robot. Used solely for scientific study, Polaris has been matched up against some of the best players in the world, in controlled environments. And while Polaris has been able to win a game or two in specific scientific settings, it is a work in progress. More importantly, Polaris is the proprietary scientific property of the UACRG and its artificial intelligence programming is not available to the general public.
Since poker players are always looking to get a leg-up in an effort to minimize losses and give poker players an edge, the development and sale of plug-in/add-on poker software has become big business. Typing the words, “Poker Robot” into your search engine of choice will produce several websites with statistics about the use of Poker Bots while advertising their software purported to give the purchaser an upper-hand over other players and other robots. While there are several legitimate programs and services that assist players in tracking play and calculating odds to aid in improving one’s game, any website purporting to sell robot software or other similar “cheating” programs should be overlooked as either illegal or a potential scam.
Poker bots are banned from almost all gaming websites. While they may be increasingly common they are really just poker calculators that run on auto pilot continuously, calling, folding, and or betting based on preset scenarios. While hardly artificial intelligence, the advantage is that the software never tires and can play consistently for days on end in multiple games and sometimes even multiple sites, therefore giving the user an unfair advantage over legitimate players.
Internet forums and social websites are chock-full of postings from disgruntled on-line poker players complaining about bad beats, rigged scenarios, and the suspected use of cheat software. However, the majority of the comments are unfounded criticisms based more in frustration than actual factual evidence so it is difficult to tell if a loss is truly the result of an unfair or illegal advantage. Besides, it is practically a rite of passage for a poker player to take the most unimaginable bad-beat possible by having a monster hand cracked on the last street. Like fishermen and their big-fish stories, poker players gather to compare their losses and eventually learn to wear them as a badge of honor, having survived to tell the tale and play again. And while the majority of the worst bad-beat stories seem to be the result of an on-line experience, given the number of hands per minute played on-line as opposed to in live play, overall the odds should remain the same.
Case-in-point, the 2008 World Series of Poker - Championship Event, when pocket Aces were beat by a lesser starting hand that resulted in quad Aces begin cracked by the rarest hand in the game, a royal flush.
Long argued as a game of skill, the game of poker is a prime candidate for study because it is a conceptually simple yet strategically complex game that offers more dimensions than the one-on-one games such as chess, checkers, and other well-studied games. Therefore, it was only logical for the University of Alberta Computer Poker Research Group (“UACRG”) to set out and develop the adaptive software program named “Polaris” the poker playing robot. Used solely for scientific study, Polaris has been matched up against some of the best players in the world, in controlled environments. And while Polaris has been able to win a game or two in specific scientific settings, it is a work in progress. More importantly, Polaris is the proprietary scientific property of the UACRG and its artificial intelligence programming is not available to the general public.
Since poker players are always looking to get a leg-up in an effort to minimize losses and give poker players an edge, the development and sale of plug-in/add-on poker software has become big business. Typing the words, “Poker Robot” into your search engine of choice will produce several websites with statistics about the use of Poker Bots while advertising their software purported to give the purchaser an upper-hand over other players and other robots. While there are several legitimate programs and services that assist players in tracking play and calculating odds to aid in improving one’s game, any website purporting to sell robot software or other similar “cheating” programs should be overlooked as either illegal or a potential scam.
Poker bots are banned from almost all gaming websites. While they may be increasingly common they are really just poker calculators that run on auto pilot continuously, calling, folding, and or betting based on preset scenarios. While hardly artificial intelligence, the advantage is that the software never tires and can play consistently for days on end in multiple games and sometimes even multiple sites, therefore giving the user an unfair advantage over legitimate players.
Internet forums and social websites are chock-full of postings from disgruntled on-line poker players complaining about bad beats, rigged scenarios, and the suspected use of cheat software. However, the majority of the comments are unfounded criticisms based more in frustration than actual factual evidence so it is difficult to tell if a loss is truly the result of an unfair or illegal advantage. Besides, it is practically a rite of passage for a poker player to take the most unimaginable bad-beat possible by having a monster hand cracked on the last street. Like fishermen and their big-fish stories, poker players gather to compare their losses and eventually learn to wear them as a badge of honor, having survived to tell the tale and play again. And while the majority of the worst bad-beat stories seem to be the result of an on-line experience, given the number of hands per minute played on-line as opposed to in live play, overall the odds should remain the same.
Case-in-point, the 2008 World Series of Poker - Championship Event, when pocket Aces were beat by a lesser starting hand that resulted in quad Aces begin cracked by the rarest hand in the game, a royal flush.
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