DoingPoker pulls bots from real money tables (March 14, 2008)
In a previous article,
PokerScout provided evidence that DoingPoker was filling up its real money tables with
nearly 100 robotic players, or bots, playing around the clock to create the illusion of an active player base.
The site's management denied the accusation, stating that it simply used human test players who were
not very poker-savvy. Interestingly, the site's support staff only denied that bots were used
at real money tables, leaving open the possibility that bots were employed in the play money games.
In the month since the article was published, things have changed at DoingPoker. A recent check of traffic shows
that instead of having dozens of players around the clock, the real money games
have no players at all, human or robotic.
The play money games, on the other hand, still seem to be stocked with hundreds of house bots.
That conclusion is supported by much of the same evidence as was cited in the original article.
Some players may regret the lost opportunity to play for real money against some truly
awful robotic players. However, the site's apparent change in policy allows players
to experience the thrill of playing against bad bots without the risk
of losing real money to possible collusion or other forms of misconduct. To that extent,
it may be a welcome change indeed.