Full Tilt Poker Makes Another Major Bot Bust
Date: Fri, Dec 21, 2007
A few months ago Full Tilt Poker busted a number of "bots" operating in their mid limit Heads Up Limit games. A substantial amount of money was confiscated from the "bot" accounts and redistributed to the victims, and the bots were banned from the site.
Now Full Tilt Poker has banned a number of other "bot" accounts. Actually, they banned these accounts about a month and a half ago, but just started distributing the seized funds yesterday.
"Bot" accounts seem to either prefer the really low limit No Limit Hold'em ring games or the mid limit Limit Hold'em games (heads up). The rationale for operating bots in both games is easy to see: in the case of the low limit No Limit Hold'em games, you could employ a fairly basic strategy of simply pushing all-in if you held a certain range of hands. Due to the weak play at these levels, you are going to get called by extremely weak hands. Heads Up Limit Hold'em is another obvious choice for people employing "bot" technology because the artificial intelligence needed to play a heads-up game is presumably much easier to program than in a short-handed or full ring game.
A few months ago, a number of "bot" accounts were banned from Full Tilt Poker, including "japinthesack" and "beatme1." Hundreds of thousands of dollars were confiscated and returned to the victims of the "bots."
Now, Full Tilt has banned another batch of bots operating in the heads up mid limit Limit Hold'em games. One of these accounts is "pokergirl z", who has apparently had about $47k confiscated from her account. There were a number of other alleged "bot" accounts banned as well.
The owner of the "pokergirl z" account has been posting on 2+2, proclaiming her innocence. As I said earlier, her account was actually banned about a month and a half ago, but Full Tilt Poker just recently started distributing her seized funds.
Her account was initially frozen on October 12th. After a number of weeks of investigation, Full Tilt banned her account permanently, saying that they had assessed her hand histories and "playing patterns" and had determined that she was using an artificial intelligence program. As per their usual policy, Full Tilt is being tight-lipped about exactly how they determined that she was "allegedly" a bot, but one can assume that they use statistical analysis, timing tells and maybe even screenshots of her desktop to come to their conclusion.
"pokergirl z" is obviously not pleased, but there is no way for her to really do anything as Full Tilt has the final say.
It makes you wonder how many alleged "bot" accounts are operating on Full Tilt or any other site at this exact moment.
DAILY HAND QUIZ - Top pair with a player all in, final table of the Sunday Millions
Date: Fri, Dec 21, 2007
Game type: PokerStars Sunday Million
Stage of tourney: Final table, 5 players remain
Avg stack: ~11 million
Your image: Aggressive but losing
Opponent’s image: The BB has been fairly straightforward
Your hand: J♠K♠
The setup: You’re down to the last five players in the Sunday Million. The (rounded) payouts remaining are as follows:
5th $41k, 4th $55k, 3rd $68k, 2nd $97k, 1st $194k
You raise UTG to about 1.5 million, roughly 2.5x the BB. The table folds to a short stack in the SB, who pushes for just a little over 1.9 million total. The BB thinks for a second and flat calls. You call and flop top pair on a draw-heavy board:
T♥9♣J♣
The BB checks and it’s your action. What’s your play?
1. Bet large
2. Check
3. Bet small
SEE RESULTS HERE>>>>
DAILY HAND QUIZ - Pocket queens against a very tight opponent, no limit cash shorthanded
Date: Thu, Dec 20, 2007
Game type: 2/4 NLHE on Full Tilt
Your image: Fairly aggressive
Opponent’s image: Very tight, especially preflop
Your hand: Q♦Q♠
The setup: You’ve been pretty active preflop in this no limit cash game, and you haven’t taken very many hands to showdown.
This hand you’re dealt queens in the SB. UTG min raises to $8 and the button flat calls. UTG is a very tight preflop raiser but has been getting beat on for the last few orbits. Over a 500 hand sample in PokerTracker, you have their preflop raise frequency at 4 and their VPIP at 12.
You decide to find out where you stand and three bet to $28 total. UTG snap calls and the button folds. The flop comes rainbow and under:
6♠2♣5♥
You lead for $55 into $68 and UTG calls quickly. The turn brings the K♦.
It’s your action. There’s $178 in the middle. What’s your play with queens?
1. Lead strong
2. Check / Fold
3. Check / Call
4. Lead weak
SEE RESULTS HERE>>>>
Watch "traheho" win $230k on $200/400 NL in one hand
Date: Tue, Dec 18, 2007
traheho played a very nice $200/400 session yesterday on Fulltilt and won a total amount of $237k. He won most of this money from Ziigmund and thorladen, he also hit a nice session on $100/200 where he won another $30k.
SEE HAND HERE>>>>>
Sorel "Zangbezan24" Mizzi Takes Down Another High Stakes Showdown on Pokerstars
Date: Tue, Dec 18, 2007
Sorel "Zangbezan24" Mizzi took down yet another High Stakes Showdown on Pokerstars Sunday afternoon, besting "Dariominieri" to take down the $25k first prize. Other competitors in this week's High Stakes Showdown included "Bebop86" and "MrSweets28."
Mizzi has absolutely owned this event since it was launched. No one else has come even close to matching his success in the High Stakes Showdown.
According to thepokerdb.com, Mizzi has now taken down this event 6 times since it began on July 8th.
On December 16th, he took down the 4-man Showdown for $25k.
Last week, on December the 9th, he took down the 2-man Showdown for $20k.
On December 2nd, he placed second in the 8-man Showdown for $30k.
On September 23rd, he took down the 8-man Showdown for $50k.
On September 9th, he came in second in the Showdown for $15k.
On August 5th and August 12th, Mizzi took down 8-man fields both weeks for $50k cashes.
And finally, on July 15th, Mizzi took down the 16-man field for a total cash of $72k.
That's a ridiculous $312k in total cashes and six victories since the event started in July.
The next closest to Mizzi in terms of victories in this event is "$tinger 88", who currently has three victories.
Online Poker: Scott Clements Wins Sunday Million
Date: Tue, Dec 18, 2007
The PokerStars Sunday Million had 6,769 entrants last night to generate a prize pool of $1,353,800.
These numbers were up significantly from last week’s 6,342 entrants and $1,268,400 prize pool, likely due to both the UBOC 2 main event and the monthly $1 million-guaranteed event at Full Tilt.
Scott “BigRiskky” Clements made it to the final table of the event and eventually found himself threehanded with the chip lead versus Carden72 and holdplz.
The final three players made a ådeal for the remaining portion of the prize pool, with BigRiskky guaranteeing himself the lions share, and $30,000 remained on the line for the eventual winner. BigRiskky followed through and earned that extra money when he outlasted his two opponents to take the final pot from holdplz. His total winnings for the event came to $165,552.
The final results were:
Scott “BigRiskky” Clements — $165,552 *
holdplz — $93,160 *
Carden72 — $95,984 *
PokerSkiBum — $54,152
joacb — $40,614
CrossyDC — $29,784
Rover10 — $20,984
maxit11 — $12,184
v1ckster — $7,987
DAILY HAND QUIZ - AQ facing a re-raise from the BB, 6 max tournament
Date: Tue, Dec 18, 2007
Game type: 6 max no limit tournament on Full Tilt
Stage of tourney: Middle stages
Avg stack: 6k
Your image: Fairly tight
Opponent’s image: Selectively aggressive
Your hand: A♥Q♠
The setup: You’ve been playing fairly tight since being moved to this table a few orbits ago, as you’ve been card dead and the rest of the table has been pretty active. this hand you’re dealt AQo UTG and you raise to 288. The two players to your immediate left call and the SB folds. The BB raises to 1200.
The BB hasn’t been terribly active but the few moves they’ve made have been big ones.
What’s your play with your strong ace?
1. Fold
2. Move all in
3. Call
4. Re-raise
SEE RESULTS HERE>>>>
Poker Stars Sunday Million - lilholdem954 - AMAZING MOVES
Date: Tue, Dec 18, 2007
Early stages of Sunday Million, goes from $10K to $25K - some bold moves
Ask yourself would you make these same plays?
DAILY HAND QUIZ - Garbage hand on the final table bubble - PokerStars Sunday Million
Date: Mon, Dec 17, 2007
Garbage hand on the final table bubble - PokerStars Sunday Million
Game type: NLHE tournament, PokerStars Sunday Million
Stage of tourney: 11 remain
Avg stack: ~6 million
Your image: Nursing the short stack
Opponent’s image: Relatively quiet
Your hand: 9♠2♥
This hand is based on actual game play in the PokerStars Sunday Million on 12/16/07
The setup: You’re near the final table bubble of the Poker Stars Sunday Million when the following hand comes up. Your table has been very aggressive preflop and neither you or the BB have had many chances to open hands, so it catches you a bit off guard when the table folds to you in the SB.
You have a pretty trash hand and a tiny stack. 11th and 10th pay the same, roughly $5,700, but the money jumps about $2,300 from 10th to 9th.
What’s your play with 92o?
1. Raise
2. Fold
3. Call
SEE RESULTS HERE>>>
Sit & Go Domination by lilholdem954
Date: Sat, Dec 15, 2007
Watch lilholdem954 dominate this Sit & Go
3 Betting - Do you have the guts to win?
Date: Sat, Dec 15, 2007
The first thing that is important to note about restealing is that it takes guts. In order to use the resteal, you have to put it all on the line. You need to own the idea that your tournament life, in itself, has no value whatsoever. You need to own the idea that this could be the last hand that you play. You need to own the idea that you are attempting to win it all, and that nothing less than first place is acceptable, and you need to own the idea that you may end up looking like a fool if you are called.
Restealing (the act of reraising a probable steal-raise) can be a true difference-maker and vault you into contention, because you can potentially make three times as many chips than you can with a run-of-the-mill steal attempt. Using this tactic, you don't necessarily have to put yourself at risk as often as you do during a steal to stay ahead of the curve in a tournament. In fact, successfully restealing once in three orbits while playing no other hands is approximately a break-even proposition! This is especially important during those critical points in a tournament where you are getting no cards and no good steal opportunities. It is the ultimate chip accumulation tactic!
DAILY HAND QUIZ - AK preflop with a LAG image facing a fourth raise, no limit cash
Date: Fri, Dec 14, 2007
Game type: 1/2 NL cash, full ring
Your image: Very LAG
Opponent’s image: No strong read
Your hand: Ac Kd
The setup: You’ve been playing a very aggressive game preflop and on the flop at this 1/2 NL cash table online. Last hand you 3 bet a later position raiser and were forced to call with A6s when a short stack over-shoved from the blinds. You sucked out on AQ.
This hand 3 players fold and then next player makes it 3x to go. You decide to 3 bet with AK and make it $22. You get two callers behind and the action heads back to the original raiser, who now makes it $90 to go.
What’s your play with AKo?
1. Fold
2. Re-raise
3. Call
SEE RESULTS HERE>>>
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