How to get started when you program and build a poker bot in python?

Poker bots let you make the most of the gaming opportunities that online poker brings. Whether you are looking for an assistant that provides real-time analysis in game, or something that can play the game for you, there is a product out there that can help. Advances in AI mean that the latest commercial products can beat human players, and the best can match tournament professionals in skill when playing Texas Hold’em poker.

However, commercial poker bots can seem like an expensive investment, costing a few hundred dollars for a license. If you are thinking that you could save a bit of money by creating your own bot, would it be possible? Even if you just like the idea of creating a bot for fun, is it something you could really do?

Is It Possible to Make a Poker Bot software?

In theory, you can do almost anything, and it is possible to build a bot. However, poker bots use complex software-based artificial intelligence routines that are connected to various input and output systems to take in analysis and enact the chosen strategy.  They need to analyse and adapt to their opponent’s moves, avoid detection by online poker sites and importantly, win poker games. To do this they use custom programming, often in Python, to connect everything together.

That is, you need to have some understanding of programming and software development, and experience in AI training to  make a poker bot that actually works. However, if you have those skills, it may be possible to develop a poker bot using python or other platforms. 

How do Poker Sites detect you are using a poker bot?

While there is no law that makes poker bots illegal, they are usually banned in the terms of your account with any of the main poker sites. That is why they implement detection systems designed to catch any player using bots when playing games.

Most poker platforms, whether you are talking about websites or app-based providers, use automated detection systems to identify bots and ban them. There are several key factors they look for. The first and most obvious is play time. If a player has been online playing a table for 12 hours or more without taking a break, that can arouse suspicion. Once it gets into 24 hours or more, it is almost certainly an automated player. After all, few of us can stay awake for that long, but a bot can play indefinitely, it will keep going until you stop it.

Another thing that these sites monitor is response times. Human players tend to take different lengths of time to make their choices depending on how the hand is going. Deciding whether to stay in or fold may take longer than other decisions for instance. But a poker bot will run through its calculations constantly, and as a result take a similar time to play each turn, sometimes down to the second.

Finally, human players will vary simple parts of each hand depending on their mood, how the overall session is going and so on. Detection systems look for players who bet the exact same amount, or take the exact same moves every time in the early stages of the hand. This can also signify a poker bot in use.

What is the Best Poker Bot 2024? 

2024 has seen rapid advances in AI technology, which has seen poker bots that can take on any opponent, even professional poker players. However, while there have been many poker bots emerge, and several well-known bots have been updated to take advantage of new AI advances, there is one bot that really stands out.

The NZT poker bot is a market leader not just through performance, but because it is one of the simplest to use. A simple interface allows you to choose the right version for the poker room you want to play, making it easy to set up. It also performs exceptionally well, and whether you want to use a poker bot at PPPoker, UPoker, Pokerbros or many others, it is one to look out for.

However, as with all bots, they are only good if they match your needs. A poker bot that can play automated games is great, but if you prefer to have an assistant to help you play hands yourself, the best option may be something else. Check out each product and find the one that best meets your needs, and look for reviews or use free trials to see how they perform.

Coding and modelling your Bot for Poker? 

The first choice when creating a poker bot is to decide the programming language you will use. This is kind of like deciding a platform to play poker on, they can all do the job, but some are better than others, and you may prefer one over another just as a matter of taste.

The next step is to develop a game engine that manages the data flow and allows the AI algorithms to interact with the game itself. It is here that the rules of the game are laid out for the system to operate within. It is essential at this point that you have detailed knowledge of the rules to ensure the completed bot plays the game properly.

After that, you integrate the machine learning and AI tools into the decision process. Rather than coding these yourself, it is possible to utilize open source solutions to provide your bot with its intelligence and understanding. Well-known options such as ChatGPT and others can be integrated for this. There are two decision trees for this:

• Betting Choices
• Algorithms for playing each part of the hand

Integrating the Bot with the Poker Platform

All of that is only useful if the bot can connect with the poker platform to receive data on what is going on in a hand, and in many cases, to automate the entire game play. This is why bots have to be tailored to specific platform, so they intercept the correct data for players, cards and so on. But for automated play, they also need to be programmed for screen layout too. Automated clickers can keep the game moving, but as each poker room has a different layout, they have to be designed for each table, and updated as the tables change, to work.

Testing and Optimization

The key to success! A poker bot is only as good as it is trained to be. Testing and optimizing is crucial for this. The best approach is to have the bot play against itself for a large number of hands. You can then analyze the results to find weaknesses in the gameplay and refine strategy as you go.

Play the bot yourself, or find a pool of good poker players you can use to test each refinement and see how the bot performs against human players. Through this process, and as many iterations as needed, you can create consistent performance from the bot.

This phase cannot be rushed. One of the most common errors with poker bots is setting them running on live sites before they are ready. It can lose you a lot of money very quickly.

How much can you earn on a Poker Bot?

That depends on the type of games played and the bot itself. There are reports of bots winning consistently for months, bringing in tens of thousands, and that is certainly possible. However, you have to consider the risks too. Micro-stakes poker means low buy ins and usually inexperienced or low-skilled players. That means your poker bot can win regularly. Of course, they win less per hand than a no limits table, but could be more profitable over time.

FAQ

What programming languages are best for creating a poker bot?

The most common language for poker bots is Python, as it is well suited to machine learning applications, making it easy to integrate AI algorithms.

Do I need to be an expert in poker strategy to program a successful poker bot?

Not really. A good AI algorithm will develop strategy in the learning phase. You do need to make sure you know the rules well though, so you can define everything correctly during development.

What are the main components of a poker bot?

The main elements are the AI algorithm, the interface with the game, the hand evaluator and the core betting system.

Can I integrate machine learning into my poker bot?

Yes, you can even use free to use software like ChatGPT.