Partypoker May Actually Be Winning War Against Bots

Much has been made about how bots will ultimately lead to the demise of online poker. However, partypoker is fighting back – and they may actually be winning too!

Partypoker has been releasing updates on their efforts to eliminate poker bots at their site. In the past, they’ve deleted hundreds of accounts associated with artificial intelligence (AI).

Their latest report shows that they may have largely solved their problem. They only found 16 accounts tied to bots in the most-recent sweeping effort. In addition to closing the 16 bot-related accounts, partypoker also confiscated $10,000 from the account holders.

13 of the AI accounts were found on partypoker.com. The site took a total of $9,338 from these users. The other three were found on the .eu version.

Spoils of War

The fact that partypoker only busted 16 accounts is a cause for celebration. After all, they had to ban 48 accounts not that long ago in August. Additionally, they seized over $180,000 during these efforts.

In all, partypoker has taken down 665 bots and confiscated more than $1.1 million. The bulk of these results have come since the site ramped up their campaign in late 2018.

Partypoker is largely seen as the most-concerned site when it comes to poker bots. They hired a team of experts to take care of the problem. Their goal at the time was to eliminate all AI accounts from their network.

Many would’ve seen this as a near-impossible task back then. After all, some online poker rooms remain infested with bots. But partypoker is proving that a network can combat AI with a concentrated effort.

Winning Over the Poker Community

Certain personalities in the poker community believe that bots are the biggest threat to the online game’s future. They may be right when considering that some people are scared to play internet poker out of fear of running into AI.

Partypoker is currently easing these fears for many players. Moreover, they’re positioning themselves as one of the safest places to enjoy the game. They’ve also been very transparent about their results when dealing with this problem.

The latest report could be taken to mean that partypoker’s security team isn’t as efficient at catching AI. However, the more likely scenario is that they’ve busted so many bots that few such accounts are left to go after.

What’s the Major Problem with Poker Bots?

Years ago, AI was seen as less of a threat in online poker. Bots at the time weren’t capable of beating any game on a consistent basis.

However, this began to change in the mid-2015s, when AI was able to solve limit hold’em. Just a few years later, Libratus proved that bots are capable of taking down top no-limit pros.

Of course, one doesn’t need elite AI like Libratus just to beat low-stakes NL games. Crooked players are using mid-level bots to beat online poker and earn consistent profits.

The sites have been clear that they won’t tolerate such programs. After all, bots can play 24/7 and win more often than the average player.

The key problem, though, is in catching those who use AI. If a poker site can’t ward off bots, then they’re not offering a safe place to play.

Luckily, partypoker appears to show that an online poker room can still take control and fight off AI. Hopefully, more sites follow their lead and make a strong effort to eliminate bots.