Life as an Online Poker Bot

European Commission Sues Sweden and Germany over Gambling Ban

2008-01-31T11:55:00.000-05:00

The European Commission has today instigated legal action against Sweden and Germany in a final effort to ensure compliance with the European Union’s directive on the free movement of services. The EU’s Internal Market Commissioner, Charlie McCreevy, has given Sweden two months in which to show that prohibitive measures against poker games and tournaments are compatible with EU law. Sweden’s

German Online Gambling Ban on the Horizon?

2008-01-01T14:23:00.000-05:00

My condolences to all of you German residents out there. It looks like your country has banned online poker much as the United States did with the UIEGA.The new law prohibits all Web-based gambling, wagering and betting over the Internet, specifically including the placement of bets with companies located in other countries. Some are suggesting that this will even force German ISP companies to

A New Free Poker Bot for the New Year. No More Excuses

2007-12-28T23:20:00.000-05:00

For my New Year's resolution, I'm going to create a new pokerbot with OpenHoldem.I will create this bot transparently, here, on this blog...step by step. We'll start from the beginning, so if you are looking for a tutorial or guide to get started botting from ground zero, this may be the place. My goal is to create an ABC, typical tight aggressive, bot that can be easily modified. I won't be

Antigua Settles with US Over Gambling Prohibition

2007-12-22T02:14:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Mark Gritter for pointing out that the WTO reached a decision allowing Antigua to ignore United States copyrights worth up to $21,000,000 per year. That's practically nothing on the international scale.Bad news, but on the plus side I've had no difficulties at all with Poker Stars E-checks. Quick and easy deposit method for any US or Canadian players looking to scratch their texas

More Bots Busted at Full Tilt Poker

2007-12-21T14:35:00.000-05:00

A moment of silence for our fallen comrades and the hundreds of thousands of dollars Full Tilt has confiscated. Reportedly, Full Tilt has begun redistributing the siezed funds after concluding that they were using artificial intelligence software or pokerbots at the low limit NL ring games as well as higher heads-up fixed limit tables.japinthesackbeatme1pokergirl zFT Bot Bust

US WTO Gaming Deal Bypasses Antigua

2007-12-21T13:34:00.000-05:00

In their never ending fight to protect us from ourselves, the United States government pens a settlement with the European Union to continue the US prohibition of online poker.If you've been following at all, you know that Antigua has caused quite a stink in the WTO. They haven't taken kindly to America's gambling prohibition which violates a WTO (World Trade Organization) ruling. Antigua had

Fold? Call? Whatever You Say, Miss

2007-12-20T03:45:00.000-05:00

Smoking hot Ashley Leggat at the Luxor casino donking off for some Nicky Hilton poker tournament. Why don't they ever look this good at my table? I'm sure it's more difficult to count outs, calculate equity, and read your opponent with a girl like this batting her eyes at you.I think I'd sacrifice a bit of my winrate for that kind of view.

The Classic Money Laundering Fraud Scam with an Online Poker Twist

2007-12-19T16:58:00.000-05:00

An acquaintance of mine just fell for a variation on his Full Tilt Poker account. The scam is the same, only the payment service changes between wire transfer, paypal, or in this case...an online gambling account. It's quite ingenious, actually.First of all, the criminal befriends his victim at a low limit table. He becomes a regular, chatting it up and letting slip how he'd be playing at

Bluff Fires Chris Vaughn after Cheating Controversy

2007-12-11T14:51:00.000-05:00

The axe has fallen. BluffMedia (Bluff Magazine) has officially fired Managing Editor Chris Vaughn. After initially supporting him following the Mizzi/Vaughn account sharing fiasco at the Full Tilt $1,000,000 tournament, Bluff must have hoped that the story would dry up and blow away. One week of mounting industry pressure, however, has left the cheater Chris Vaughn on the soup line.Matthew

Open Holdem Pokerbot Source Code Discussion

2007-12-06T14:26:00.000-05:00

There seems to be a LOT of interest in OpenHoldem, the exciting new open source bot platform, and rightly so. In my previous post I neglected to mention the official OpenHoldem forum hosted by MaxInMontreal of winholdem forum fame. It's already gained the attention of quite a few botters/coders and I predict that forum will be a new hot spot for pokerbot discussion. Hot spot means quality, not

Sorel Mizzi and Chris Vaughn Admit to Cheating the Full Tilt $1 Million Guaranteed Tournament

2007-12-05T17:16:00.000-05:00

No more debating. They've both come clean.Mizzi bought Vaughn's account when the tournament was down to the final three tables, logged in, then resumed the tournament(ultimately winning), and still denies that he cheats in tournaments via multi-accounting. So let's recap. Sorel Mizzi enters a tournament and plays hands from his own account as well as hands from Chris Vaughn's Full Tilt account

PokerStars Blogger Tournament 2007

2007-12-05T14:53:00.000-05:00

Having finished in October, The PokerStars Blogger Texas Hold'em Tournament isn't exactly the freshest online poker news, but I received a couple of emails asking me why I didn't enter the event under this blog's banner.I'd like to think they are kidding, but just in case...I like my accounts at PokerStars. They make me money. They make Pokerstars money as well, and they don't seem to mind if the

Another Full Tilt Poker Scam

2007-12-03T23:58:00.000-05:00

Chris "BluffMagCV" Vaughn, Managing Editor of Bluff Magazine: BANNED!Sorel "Imper1um" Mizzi: Maybe sorta almost banned?Details are still hazy about Sorel Mizzi, but without question Chris Vaughn (Winner of TWO Full Tilt $1 Million Guaranteed Tournaments in a row) has been disqualified from the tournament, his winnings removed, and his account 100% banned from Full Tilt Poker after running a scam

Open Holdem, Free Online Poker Bot Source Code!

2007-12-03T19:13:00.000-05:00

If you have been sitting on the sidelines, afraid of what virus or trojan might be hiding in a commercial pokerbot, now is the time to get in the game. Open Holdem is a new OPEN SOURCE (nearly) commercial quality botting platform.That's, right. It's open source. You can see the source code and you are free to modify it anyway you like (within GPL restrictions, I believe).OpenHoldem builds on

Pokerbot World Championship Cruise Results

2007-12-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

Well, the much hyped PBWC has come to a conclusion and, as I expected, turnout was dismal. Honestly, I forgot about the event completely. A few academic types and Ray's forum favorites showed up, but just about anybody who's first priority is profit stayed home.The max buy-in anybody would pony up for a game was $100, which is kind of sad when you are calling the event a World Championship. I

The Cost of a "Free" Poker Bot

2007-11-26T16:18:00.000-05:00

For those with short attention spans, just read this one sentence: Free pokerbots aren't worth your time and will more than likely COST YOU MONEY in the long run.Stop downloading them. Even if you happen to find a copy that is not laden with mall-ware (or worse), most of these free poker software bots will require you to sign up with a new account at whatever small list of online poker sites

ICM (Independent Chip Model) Primer for NL Poker Bots

2007-11-26T15:17:00.000-05:00

If you are building a No-Limit Hold'em poker bot, knowledge of ICM is absolutely mandatory. PokerPlayerNewspaper.com put up a nice little primer that should whet your appetite. If you are new to the topic, read this introduction, then head to the 2+2 forums and start searching. You'll think of chip equity in a whole new way.ICM is a purely mathematical system, making it a perfect tool for your

Full Tilt Security Rampages On

2007-11-25T21:27:00.000-05:00

You just gotta love FTP for constantly harassing their human players, tying up their security team. Here comes the woeful tale of a 2+2 forum poster who's $50,000 bankroll is tied up in Full Tilt's investigation limbo. Emails not returned...timetables missed. It's comical how easily these poker sites will toy with tens of thousands of dollars.A particularly good post from the thread: Dear

Nothing is Certain but Pokerstars and Taxes: Guide to Gambling Taxes in the U.S.

2007-11-20T20:56:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, yes you must (according to the IRS) pay taxes on all "worldly income" and this includes gambling winnings as income. We won't try to talk about any state laws at this time...they are simply to varied. A tax professional in your state would be your best bet at these questions. Along the same lines, don't take any of this post as tax advice, but only a collection of the "rules" as

WSOP Voted One of America's Top Competitions

2007-11-20T04:28:00.000-05:00

All the Winholdem bots, Ultimate Bet Scandals, and Absolute hacking incidents can't put a damper on poker's continuing move to the mainstream as this news release shows.

World Poker Tour Host, Vince Van Patten Interview

2007-11-18T06:03:00.000-05:00

Winholdem Pokerbot Review

2007-11-15T02:56:00.000-05:00

WinHoldEm is an online Texas hold 'em bot, created by Ray Bornet which can be used in online poker play. Poker is a game which has endured the generations and these days Winholdem is becoming popular among players.WinHoldEm software is the most popular of these intelligent poker bots.You avoid detection by running your poker software on a machine where WinHoldem is not installed. Most sites run

Choosing an Online Poker Calculator

2007-11-14T06:58:00.000-05:00

A good poker calculator is a good investment and a good tool if you are not a mathematical wiz. This family of poker software is both for beginners and semi-pros since nearly everyone is using a calculator of some type in todays highly volatile online poker games. Most poker calculators are a software program that's run during play that provides valuable information like odds, probabilities,

Earning Ultimate Bet Points

2007-11-14T05:01:00.000-05:00

Ultimate Bet is one of the largest poker rooms on the internet.with traffic that is among the top 3-4 in both ring games and tournaments. I believe it is a great place to learn these games at low stakes levels. Ultimate Bet is also a USA friendly poker room, by the way, operating on the Excapsa network. I've found that the gameplay at Ultimate Bet is pretty tight. UB software is faster and

Collusion Continues in Online Poker Rooms

2007-11-14T03:42:00.000-05:00

One of the disadvantages of online poker is that it's more difficult to read your opponents. It is among the most popular gamse in the world, and it pays to be a pro in it. So is it true that online poker is rigged? We need to remember that it is different than live poker in a cardroom. Hacking online poker sites is largely a myth, but there is another threat to the poker industry.Though

Full Tilt is "On Tilt" Over Complaint

2007-11-14T03:18:00.000-05:00

Competition at Full Tilt is above and beyond your average poker room and is one of the biggest names in the online poker industry. Full Tilt is a relatively new online poker room having just launched in July 2004. A fairly popular site, Full Tilt is increasing in popularity due to its advertising campaigns and large bonuses.After an investigation prompted by a player complaint at FullTiltPoker.

Poker Bot Software Bankrupt

2007-11-14T02:47:00.000-05:00

The use of poker bots is considered a form of cheating in online poker rooms and is prohibited at all online poker sites. Besides being prohibited, using Poker bots is not illegal. A recent Wired article on poker bots is an interesting read on this matter. Where the truth lies remains to be seen, as poker bots is a rather young and unexplored domain.There's been a lot of talk this days about

Wired Magazine: Online Poker Players Bet on Prohibition Repeal

2007-05-21T11:16:00.000-05:00

Nothing more for me to say, and nothing further after the jump.This is an excellent article from Wired Magazine showing the current state of online poker due to the UIGEA, and the damage it has caused to the typical grinder at the poker table.The tables really have dried up...both for myself, a mid-stakes pokerbot, as well as my friends that play everything from $5,000NL to heads up Omaha. As

So This Blog is Banned from Digg...

2007-05-20T11:42:00.001-05:00

Woke up this morning to do my normal Sunday Digg browsing and got a shock: This blog is banned from Digg?No idea what happened, but all articles from this site are now auto-buried by Digg. Now, they don't call this a ban because they want to maintain the idea that they are a site created by the users. Banning a site might create a backlash of publicity (not from my trickling of readers, but there

DOJ Siezes More of Our Money: Citadel Commerce

2007-05-18T19:05:00.000-05:00

More bad news.Personally, I've never used Citadel Commerce, but they've fallen victim to another DOJ cash grab. You may know them better as myCitadel Wallet.Citadel Commerce, a Canadian based company, gave a press release in late April that they had money "held up" by one of their U.S. based processors. Now, they confirm that the DOJ has seized over $9,000,000.This is a company that stopped

2007 WSOP Event Director Resigns

2007-05-18T12:33:00.000-05:00

Still think the WSOP isn't a declining brand?Robert Daily, former World Series of Poker Tournament and Events Director has agreed to become a member of the DG Holdings board, leading the company's online gaming platform division.Mr. Daily leaves Harrah's after 11 years in various capacities. During his tenure, he served as the 2005 WSOP Event Manager and 2006 WSOP Tournament Director. Bob

Full Tilt PokerBot Scandal Post-Mortem (Part I)

2007-05-17T10:32:00.000-05:00

Now that the roar is dying down (Full Tilt Pokerbots(?) at Two Plus Two Forums), I thought I'd wrap it all up with what I, as a bot operator, have found interesting in this monstrous debate.#1. "...As for 1forthethumb and mariojr, I've not only played with both of them but have talked to both of them..."Most players still believe that a few replies in the chat window "prove" your bot is a human.

More Pokerbots Found at Fulltilt? whistles innocently

2007-05-15T16:48:00.000-05:00

Alan Bostick, an interesting blogger currently writing at As I Please gives us a bit more information on the Full Tilt bot scandal(s).2+2's favorite tinfoil hat wearer, MrGatorade, is on the witch hunt. He doesn't give criteria, just rattles off a bunch of names of heads-up poker bots at Full Tilt.Full details at As I Please.

WSOP Changes Payout Structure

2007-05-15T12:31:00.000-05:00

In what I believe to be the dumbest P.R/Advertising move in the entire poker industry, the people behind the World Series of Poker change to a flatter payout system.It makes no sense to me. How much did 74th place get last year? Anybody know? Anybody care? I don't understand how the WSOP folks could be unaware of what every spam-blog poster on digg already knows: Big numbers sell! People don't

Firepay Assets Siezed by U.S. DOJ

2007-05-15T09:37:00.000-05:00

Shares of Optimal Group Inc. (parent company of the Firepay e-wallet service) fell sharply Monday after the Montreal-based company had nearly $20,000,000 frozen by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York.$4.2 million has been siezed directly from the Firepay reserve accounts, with another $15 million siezed from Optimal Group's money market accounts.While this won't be as

And the Free WinHoldem Winscrape Site Is...

2007-05-10T23:20:00.000-05:00

*Drum Roll Please*NOTHING.Why? I'm not sure. 127 unique visitors came to this site since the time I posted my offer to do a free WinHoldem screen scrape by either direct reference from the WinHoldem forums, or by searching for a phrase containing the term WinHoldem. Not a single person emailed me to suggest a site for scraping.Is WinHoldem losing ground to the newer, more user friendly poker bot

Full Tilt Rep Responds to Poker Bot Accusations

2007-05-10T22:05:00.000-05:00

Full Tilt Poker representative "FTPSean" responds to the angry mob at Two Plus Two. As you've come to expect from Full Tilt poker, there isn't much substance.I'll spare you FTPSean's corporate-customer-service-speak and jump right to his bullet points. During the investigation we found the evidence to be inconclusive in supporting either determination (human or bot).After careful consideration,

Full Tilt Poker Bots (?) at Two Plus Two Forums

2007-05-10T21:16:00.000-05:00

A massive thread at Two Plus Two regarding poker bots at Full Tilt Poker has exploded. You can read the 1,500+ replies, or see my summation below.An observant human player (SukitTrebek) noticed some statistical similarities in the play of 1forthethumb, full_tilting, mariojr, and 0_Drunkenboxer. When I say similarities, I mean SIMILARITIES. Their stats on all streets are nearly identical over 100k

Poker Stars Cashout by Check Increased to $10,000

2007-05-09T01:19:00.000-05:00

In this post UIGEA world, any news of relaxed banking is good news! According to reports in the Two Plus Two Forums, Poker Stars has doubled their maximum cashout by check.As quoted on the Two Plus Two forums:"Hello xxx,Thank you for emailing us.The minimum you can request on any one cheque is $25 and themaximum is $10,000. If you wish to cashout more than this, you willneed to use an alternate

Poker Cheats: The History, Part 2

2007-05-05T01:31:00.000-05:00

"The continuation of the article found in the archives here. A quick look at the history of poker cheating when getting caught meant more than getting banned."Poker, The Cheating Game? - Part IIby: Kenneth BatemanThe introduction of the 52-card deck meant that the poker tables could now accommodate more players and there were more cards left over to draw, with each player having the chance to

Poker Cheats: The History, Part 1

2007-05-05T01:03:00.000-05:00

"I happened upon this post while browsing the web. It's an interesting primer on the history of poker cheats when the game was practically brand new. No, not 2001 at Paradise Poker...New Orleans riverboat in 1840. Without further ado, Mr. Bateman's article..."Poker, The Cheating Game? - Part Iby: Kenneth BatemanPoker’s advance from the casino’s of New Orleans to the paddle wheelers plying the

Neteller Layoffs and Continued DOJ Investigation

2007-05-02T11:03:00.000-05:00

I don't think it will come as a surprise to anyone that Neteller continues their downward spiral. Gambling911's inside sources notify of further layoffs plus some interesting DOJ tidbits.If you were playing poker a year ago, chances are you were moving your money around via Neteller, and if you were an online pokerbot, then the speed and convenience of Neteller's transfer system was great for

Tuff_Fish Will Make Your Day

2007-05-02T03:38:00.001-05:00

Tuff_fish is a well known internet celebrity (think: the star wars kid). I'm not in the habit of posting videos, but after a Tuesday downswing, this video was needed. The funniest 2 minutes you may have today.

Free Winscrape for your WinHoldem Bot

2007-04-30T16:29:00.000-05:00

I've been a bit bored lately.No cashout problems.No "random" security checks.No bot problems.I've gotten some hits from the WinHoldem forum, so I've decided to start tinkering around with WinHoldem again.The biggest problem plaguing the new WinHoldem user at this moment seems to be the recent loss of official online poker room screen scraping. Unless something has changed since the last time I

Yahoo Enters Online Poker Market

2007-04-29T14:00:00.000-05:00

Online poker might change dramatically in the coming months. The first online mega-giant has entered the fray.Both Party Poker and Poker Stars representatives have been quoted in the past as saying that the real fight begins when one of the big online brands enter the market. Well...here it comes.Yahoo's site is currently not open to U.S. or Canadian players, as the UIGEA continues to cast doubt.

Ultimate Bet Poker Tightens Up

2007-04-29T04:51:00.000-05:00

The most noted pokerbot playground just changed the rules. Ultimate Bet Poker has recently changed both their rakeback MGR calculation and now today, their pts calculation methods. A LOT of winholdem and OPI poker bots just drifted into -EV.In the past, UB's rakeback MGR was calculated in the method commonly called "dealt". For example, if the pot is $60 ($3 rake is taken) and there were 10

UIGEA to be Repealed? Barney Frank Introduces Bill

2007-04-25T11:45:00.000-05:00

Great news for U.S. Online Poker players and gamblers!Bad news for the Euro's who've gotten used to the absence of the U.S. sharks!Rep. Barney Frank, House Financial Services Committee Chairman, announces today that he will introduce legislation on April 26 to repeal the UIGEA. Hopefully this is a bill with a real chance of success. I'll be scouring the net for more information, but wanted to get

Reason Your Pokerbot Will Be Banned #1: Session Length

2007-04-25T07:53:00.000-05:00

There are many ways to flush the hard work of coding a bot down the toilet. Most seem obvious, but greed clouds judgement. The most important rule is to play reasonable session lengths!Chances are that you will have an account or two banned as you go through your career as a botter. Don't panic. Before you begin, just assume it is going to happen and plan accordingly.The most common reason for

Online Poker for U.S. Players Post UIEGA

2007-04-22T18:13:00.000-05:00

Contrary to popular belief, there are several reputable online poker rooms accepting U.S. players. A small list of the most notable, recognizable, and trustworthy of U.S.-facing online poker rooms:PokerStars - The largest online poker room in the world with a reputation for the best customer-friendly service in the business. No rakeback is available, but their frequent player point store can

Video Tutorial: How To Build a High Quality Poker Table

2007-04-22T15:05:00.000-05:00

Building your own casino style poker table might be the difference between a home game that dries up and one that flourishes. I know that when my friends and I are considering a friendly competition, one of our biggest concerns is the comfort level during play. The more comfortable you are, the better you will play and the happier the fish will be. Nothing adds a sense of class to your home game

Update: Winholdem Release Notes

2007-04-21T13:23:00.000-05:00

Winholdem.net released a new version of their popular poker bot software with a few improvements geared more toward ease of use than giving your bot a new edge at the poker table.f$formulas.whf is Obsolete. A new formula file naming convention means your bot will always look for the formula file of the same name.Confirmation Popups Removed. License and chair confirmation dialogue boxes can be

7 Things You Must Know Before Using Online Poker Robots

2007-04-20T14:13:00.000-05:00

Online poker robots are not easy cash machines. Before you begin writing your own code (or tweaking code you've purchased) you should consider that this will not be NEARLY as easy as you expect. Some points to consider...You don't know as much about poker as you think you do. I can't stress this enough. I was a winning player before I turned loose my war room on the online poker world. I played

Antigua Gaming Commision Open Letter to US Online Poker Players

2007-04-20T10:51:00.000-05:00

This hit my email this morning, passed along from World Poker Exchange. Get involved!Greetings Players,As you may be aware, online gaming has been under attack by the United States for the last decade. The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has successfully challenged the malicious prosecution of Antiguan operators in the World Trade Organization. The WTO has found that the US's application of its

ESPN to Broadcast World Series of Poker in HDTV Format

2007-04-20T10:11:00.000-05:00

Starting in July, 32 hours of coverage will be presented in HD for the first time. The coverage will include the main Texas Hold 'Em event as well as other World Series events. The tiny "hole-card cam" that briefly shows what each player is holding most likely be unconverted. The upgrade makes "WSOP" the first regular poker series to be produced in HD.Not the most influential news, but any little

YouTeller Launch Delayed

2007-04-19T18:53:00.000-05:00

"After facing legal problems with NETeller, YouTeller decided to delay the launch of their new payment processor. "It is in everyone's interest that YouTeller will not be confused with NETeller," said Seed Capital spokesman Florian Schweitzer. If Seed Capital will not be able to make the legal situation clear the company will introduce an all-new online payment system next summer."Interesting

Winholdem Drops Free Site Support

2007-04-19T10:07:00.000-05:00

As of the 13th of April, Winholdem is no longer maintaining it's catalog of free poker room screen scrapes. I, for one, am quite pleased.I'm not afraid of many Winholdem users. The program itself, while powerful, is outside the patience or experience level of most that use it. However, I'm pleased to think that less of these amateurs will be flooding the rooms with their junk bots. Can I take

Phil Ivey takes SBRugby(Brian Townsend) for $400k Heads Up

2007-04-19T09:45:00.001-05:00

Well, as many of you know Full Tilt Poker is the place to visit for high stakes no limit texas hold ‘em. Tonight rail birds really got one of the best shows in weeks. Renowned internet pro SBRugby (Brian Townsend), who recently won over $500k from Ram Vaswani, lost over $400,000 to poker pro numero uno, Phil Ivey.Read more at Doublethrough.com

WTO Ruling Good News for U.S. Gamblers

2007-04-18T21:34:00.001-05:00

If market expectations are any guide, the United States will likely end up allowing its citizens to gamble online. In the hours after the WTO ruling was announced, stocks in online gaming companies lifted. Investors clearly see the writing on the wall, even if the U.S. government does not.Read more at Cato.org

Video: Poker Chip Shuffling Tutorial

2007-04-18T20:41:00.001-05:00

I'm not one for big, showy chip tricks, but let's face it...if you sit at a table long enough, you are going to eventually fondle your chips. You might as well look like it isn't your first time in the casino.

Jesse Martin Takes Home Big Pot at Bellagio $2.5K NLH Tournament

2007-04-18T12:27:00.001-05:00

April 15th, the traditional tax day for American citizens as many scramble to complete returns and get them to the post office. For the 331 players who bought into the Five Star World Poker Classic Event #9 $2.5k NLH, each hoped for a big payday that would complicate their tax situation next year.Read more at Pokerworks.com

Full Tilt Poker Rep Answers 4/17

2007-04-18T05:20:00.000-05:00

Full Tilt Representative, "FTPDoug", popped in at the Zoo to answer some questions about Full Tilt's recent upgrades and their plans for improving online poker for their players in the future.Information of interest:New default fonts for all table sizes. Less eye strain for you grinders, easier text scraping for you botters.The latest client shows a move away from being datamining friendly, as it

ESPN Reduces 2007 WSOP TV Coverage

2007-04-18T04:58:00.001-05:00

ESPN sports network has released its taping schedule of televised events for this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP). If the schedule holds, ESPN will be televising just bracelet and final table action.