Hu Poker Bots Found On The Merge Network
23 August 2011 by 10kHero (Poker Bots)
So I've been watching a couple of HU training videos, reading up on HU play, and feeling ready for some action. I need to improve my game before going back to 200NL on PokerStars!
I signed up to Carbon while they were still offering the 35% RB deal (this was going to be a separate exercise to my 10k Challenge).
Oh, I need a new screen name. What to choose?
The night before I over indulged on sausages. 8 to be exact, just couldn't stop eating them, my girlfriend cooked them with some garlic and chilli. Mmmm.
CaptainSausages it is.
Obviously I PTR any player before joining the table, and do my best to play the fish. Table selection is key with any form of poker.
After a week or so of casual play, showing a slight loss, I notice that some of the regs are ALWAYS online. I decide to play one of them - chinatownqueen.
The notes I made for this villain (in chronological order):
High flop cbet % IP
Gives up on turn IP when weak
Plays very passive OOP (check/calling down to river with TPTK).
Folds high % to PF 3bet
Never adjusts!
ROBOT
Wow, I was pretty sure I had just discovered my very first poker bot. My main reasons for thinking this was due to the fact chinatownqueen didn't adjust his range when I was 3-betting 100% of hands PF.
He would always fold the same range, call the same range, and 4-bet the same range.
I lost a couple of buy-ins early on, just calling for information, working out exactly what his ranges where. I also had my HUD stats, and every session I played him, the stats were the same (no matter how I played).
This guy was actually winning! He was a profitable player. I was shocked and my immediate thoughts were to report this scumbag to Carbon.
But after thinking about it, I realised it wouldn't be long before I could learn his algorithm and play close to perfect against him. Taking loads of money off these bots is surely a bigger punishment then just getting them banned to go and play elsewhere.
So sure enough I spent the next few days improving my understanding of his play and making all the right moves against him.
For example he would always 4-bet PF with 5% of his range, this was basically TT+, AQ+. So if I had 99 or TT and he 4-bet me, I could fold with confidence. As JJ only has 46% equity vs his PF 4-bet range I could even fold that hand, avoiding the 'coolers'.
A couple of days went by, I got more and more confident against chinatownqueen, but he disappeared for a while. I decided to play another villain, and another, and soon realised there were up to 15 HU poker bots operating on the Merge network!
AndrzejLR
blisterer
chinatownqueen
coldasice22
GHETTOBLASTER
FOVAMEEE
N1xDSD1
RPMPMSRP
Slawomir
CannicaGirl
nalenef1134
WCToiletWC
takeurmonyandrun
RUSSIANFLOWER
Sloty4UrGF
Here's a selection of stats from two of the bots:
They were all doing exactly the same plays as chinatownqueen. I told a couple of friends, and even started training up my girlfriend on how to exploit them (a thank you for all the nice sausages she cooked me?). I started work on a flow chart, but soon realised it was a pretty complicated task and decided my time would be better spent playing 14 hours a day.
I knew it would only be a matter of time before someone would report these bots, and sure enough it happened on the 2+2 forum.
I can't complain, I got good value out of them, I would have sure liked it to last a bit longer though:
3 Comments - Have Your Say
Pokeratu
5 September 2011
I'm not surprised at all, there was other cases. They exploit low stakes HU players and SNG's. I'm glad that someone discovered them.
prinzprosper
5 September 2011
Really nice to read! I am super suprised and disappointed as well :( I used to play HU on Merge but only nl200+ so I did not have the change to play those bots!
KR from Malta!
Spud
4 September 2011
You've got it in one. Couldn't have put it betetr.