"Bot" accusations at Full Tilt Poker

The 2 + 2 Internet poker forum has been swamped with posts about a possible bot infestation at Full Tilt Poker this week.

In a detailed post, "SukitTrebek" explained how he used Poker Tracker, a computer program that provides statistical analysis of Internet poker play, to discover that several Full Tilt accounts had virtually identical playing patterns at the $1/$2 No Limit Hold'em tables.

He provided Full Tilt with a detailed analysis of the accounts in question. Full Tilt investigated the issue and froze the accounts in late March, but eventually reopened the accounts, prompting SukitTrebek to post the story on 2 + 2.

After two days and more than 1,500 posts, Full Tilt responded at 9:30 p.m. last night.

"We take bots very seriously, and for obvious reasons cannot go into the details of our policies, procedures and detection methods," wrote a Full Tilt representative in the 2 + 2 fourms.

The poker room, however, stated that it found no conclusive evidence that the accounts in question were bots or humans in its investigation, and therefore returned control of the accounts to the users.

One of the accounts, Full_Tilting, is owned by Charles Kuruzovich, who responded to the bot accusations in the thread under his user name "nlnut." Kuruzovich maintains that each account is manned by its owner and that the group plays multiple tables in the same room in his Johnstown, Pa., home. The players avoid playing at the same tables so they can't be accused of collusion, but they play using an identical system.

"We created (the system) together, and studied it together," Kuruzovich wrote on the forum. "And then we try to give each other advice during our sessions…all of this will create identical numbers…and all of this is allowed by (Full Tilt Poker's Terms and Conditions)."

Some questioned whether the players were simply running a computer program that told them what action to take, which Kuruzovich denied. Others dubbed the operation a "sweatshop" where players mindlessly act based on the system.

"So if I'm sitting in front of a computer (in the middle) with 2 friends on each side of me and were (sic) discussing hands/decisions is that a sweatshop…if so I am guilty," Kuruzovich wrote.

"We are a team and even though allowed by full tilt (sic)..it is considered by some to be unethical. I never considered it to be, but now i (sic) see the reasoning why some would think it is."