Bot or not bot??

[kattboots]

 I have got to write something about this... I just finished playing in a freeroll tourney at BetOnline Poker. I have played there a while and never seen anything like this, but I digress...

Ok, the first table I was seated at all things seemed normal... then the inevitable move to another table happened... at this 2nd table things went really weird... It seems I was at a table with 8 bots, me, and one other humanoid...

Here is what was happening... for between 20 and 30 minutes on each hand the blinds were posted, cards dealt, and all 8 of the bots would fold. If I and the other humanoid bet anything... even just being the small blind and flat calling the big blind we would take that pot. It was so obvious that the other humanoid types a chat message saying, "Do you want to take turns stealing these blinds?"

Since we had both figured out that we would get the blinds everytime... we just took turns after that until we got another humanoid at the table and they moved the one I had been sharing with from the table shortly after that.

The only variation in each hand would be whether he or I would bet and thus take the pot. If neither of us bet the dealer would take the pot on every single hand. When the new humanoid joined the table it was easy to know he was human and not bot...

What do you think... bot or not bot???

katt

[blueday]

Hmm could they have not just been "sitouts" Katt?

It sounds the same as it would for a sitout unless there was something that was quite different between the sitout fold and the purported "bot" fold once betting commenced.  Bots don't generally sit out because they are connected the same as you or I would be connected.

blue

[kattboots]

I guess they might have been blue, but hard to believe that 8 players at one table are all sitting out for a half hour?? And most times a player is sitting out there is some indication... sometimes the cards are more transparent, sometimes it actually says sitting out. These did not ever show anything like that. And don't they usually only let a person sit out a set number of hands and then they take them out of the tournament? This went on and on...

But, I am truly still a noob and certainly have a lot more things to come across that I have never seen before... 

katt

[blueday]

It depends on the website really Katt.  Whatever their policy is regarding "sitouts" is, it would have applied.  Not all sites show "sitting out" either.  A very difficult one to answer. 

A bot wouldn't sit out unless the connection had been cut but that would be unlikely I would say (that the connection had been cut). 

blue

[kattboots]

I think you may be right then about them being sitouts and perhaps they just all got grouped at the same table by coincidence... it certainly was very strange... won a lot of hands, perhaps that pumped up my stats!

katt

[medtrans]

Katt,

Are you talking about the freerolls at BetOnline?  I play them too.  I think what happens is people sign up and then don't come back to play in them.  On the very first hand everyone gets their chance to call or fold.  If you are idle after the first hand too, your hand automatically folds until you click the "I am back" button.  So if these people don't ever come back their hand is automatically folded every time.  This site does not drop you from the tourney if inactive.  It waits until all the chips are gone and that takes a long time.

So if a couple thousand are in the tourney it is possible you can have 8 inactive players at the table.  I have seen it alot.  And if you know what is going on and the other couple active players at the table don't, it is easy to steal the blinds. 

medtrans

[kattboots]

Thank medtrans now it makes absolute sense... yes it was one of the big freerolls! Me and the other person actually playing at the table for that half hour figured it out and took turns picking up the pot. Heck I went from $875 to over $3200 before I got moved again.

katt