Since their invention, poker bots have experienced considerable opposition from online poker websites. Companies have placed considerable measures to deter and paralyse their usage. This raises the question regarding the rage against the poker bots, and whether it is warranted or not.
Poker bots are made by university research communities and students in the area of artificial intelligence (AI). Some are also made by companies and are sold and distributed openly and globally. This casts doubt on their possible illegality. Indeed, no country has outlawed the making, purchasing or usage of these poker bots. Therefore, the fight against them is solely based on the violation of the terms and conditions stipulated by the gaming websites.
Although, the bots are said to outsmart real-world players, those who own or who have used them before claim that they cannot match the wits of experienced players. Therefore, their users mainly target games with lower limits, where starters are more likely to play. This implies that if in any case, they introduce any form of cheating in the gaming industry, then it must be on a smaller degree, and those who are apparently cheated would have had no chance of willing if they played against experienced players.
Another claim is that the use of poker bots has led to significant anxiety among people intending to play online poker. Beyond just anxiety, it is reported that people who have encountered the bots never play online poker again. On the contrary, it is reported that only experienced players may detect that they are possibly playing against a poker bot. It is also reported that some gaming sites actually use poker bots to increase their liquidity. Therefore, the fight against poker bots may not be based on the need for fairness, but on the fear that the house may lose to the owners of bots.