A new UK based start up reckons they've developed software smart enough to outsmart the poker bots.
Featurespace was formed in 2005 by a group of Cambridge University engineers and they have been working on a software product that detects abnormal betting or trading activity. Their product has progressed to the point where Betfair and King.com have decided to give it a go.
The software uses complex statistical and behavioural modeling analysis applied to scenarios to predict whether choices are normal or abnormal, and if abnormal, whether they are undesirable. That is to say, it gives operators of applications like online poker rooms a method of detecting patterns of play more likely to be bots than actual humans.
The software's value for the online poker industry is obvious. Poker bots have for some time now been speculated to be operating prolifically across online poker sites. And while they are still far from perfect, some experts believe their sophistication has progressed to the point where they will have most average players pretty well beat in the long term.
But far more important for poker room operators, is the damage that a widely held player perception of substantial bot use does to the industry as a whole. I certainly wouldn't want to join a table if I suspected some or all of my opponents were bots rather than humans, and I imagine most players would feel the same way.
Visit Featurespace at www.featurespace.co.uk
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