[crazypete]

I am currently considering writing a program to play on-line poker. What do you guys think of the ethical problems with this? Indeed are there any? The program will (hopefully) play just like I would - I gain an advantage by being able to play multiple tables and thereby the statistics should be good, and it removes any emotion from the game.
Personally I don'e see why a decent player should be scared of a bot - it can only play as well as it's programmer.
Comments appreciated

[ThomasR]

I'm against poker bots - I can see why they are used, as you say, sit in at multiple tables for hours on end playing it safe and racking up winnings in a controlled environment, free from tilt, fatigue and so forth - But, I think that this takes a lot of the fun out of games. Poker bots can't read bluffs, only work with numbers, and like you say if a decent player latches on to the fact it's a bot then you can extract money from it time and time again. I try and stay away from them online, they are generally easy to spot in the way that they are at tables for hours on end, never move, enever speak (although some humans are like that!).

However, I do find it immoral that a set of routines and tables of numbers are pitted against humans in this way. The same reason I find the Chess Tournaments against computers wearing - I am highly interested at the outcome, and love to see man vs machine, although the fact that a machine can caluclate thousands if not millions of operations per second is always going to statistically give a machine the better odds of winning. The same goes with a poker bot.

They aren't perfect, but unless you can find a weakness in their AI then they will just sit playing it safe then going out a little when they get a hand. Plus they don't talk to you all that much

[BigAl]

Ethical problems? Well there isn't a problem per se, the biggest problem I have with them is people multi tabling, playing ultra tight poker, making a few cents and a few bucks here and there pretty much 24/7.

It really defeats the object of the game, and can make a table very dull and inexciting. Apparently, good players can extract money easily from them, but I wouldn't want to try it. They are programmed to play tight and lose next to nothing, and that they do. Very well infact.

[DeepBlue]

Eugh, the bane of many a players existant at low limit tables online. The trouble is the game they play, alright it's easy enough to spot big hands coming, but they are just sat there making money for some lazy-ass who's laid in bed making a few dollars whilst he's asleep.

The worst part is that you need zero knowledge to use these things, so just think - you're being conned by the biggest fish in the world half the time you encounter a bot.

[BigAl]

True enough, but who's making the money whilst he sits on his fat ass huh? I guess you have a point, it's a little unfair, but then again the technology is there and it isn't cheating so, use it?