Poker has always been a game of edges. The player with better reads, stronger math skills, and more discipline walked away with the chips. Artificial intelligence has thrown a wrench into that equation. Some players use it to sharpen their skills. Others use it to cheat. The question of whether AI helps or hurts poker players depends entirely on who you ask and how the technology gets used.
Bots at the Tables
A Bloomberg investigation in September 2024 exposed a Siberian organization called Bot Farm Corporation. The group, founded by Russian students, offered botting services across multiple platforms. Their programmers built software that could simulate mouse movements, generate convincing chat messages, and randomize decision times to imitate natural hesitation. The operation was sophisticated enough to evade detection for some time.
Online poker rooms have responded with their own countermeasures. GGPoker blocked tens of thousands of accounts and confiscated millions of dollars between 2023 and 2024. PartyPoker shut down 291 fraudulent accounts in 2024 and redistributed $71,771 to affected players, the largest recovery since 2020. The platform has closed over 2,540 fraudulent accounts since 2018 and returned more than $2 million.
Back in 2023, 888poker banned 161 accounts for using bots or real-time assistance and refunded $362,893 to 4,068 players. The operator paid $250,000 directly when stolen funds had already been withdrawn.
PokerStars maintains a 50-person Game Integrity Team that reviews flagged accounts alongside automated systems. They claim a 95% proactive detection rate before players even report suspicious activity. The system flagged approximately 1,240 accounts for review, with 890 receiving temporary or permanent bans.
The Training Arms Race Between Amateurs and Professionals
Tools like PioSOLVER Edge and GTO Wizard now cost between $30 and $549. GTO Wizard processes solutions in seconds on mobile phones, and its subscription tiers from $30 to $100 per month put professional-level analysis within reach of anyone who wants to play poker seriously. Doug Polk credited the Lucid Poker trainer as instrumental to his $1.2 million victory over Daniel Negreanu during their heads-up challenge.
The gap between recreational players and professionals has narrowed as a result. Both Polk and Negreanu studied solvers and worked with coaches before their match. Access to the same preparation methods means the edge once held by full-time players is smaller than it used to be.
Live Poker Gets Stricter
The 2024 World Series of Poker Main Event forced rule changes after Jonathan Tamayo was seen consulting with coaches Dominik Nitsche and Joe McKeehen, who used a laptop during the final table. The incident sparked enough controversy that the WSOP rewrote its policies.
Rule 64d now prohibits charts, apps, artificial intelligence, or any electronic assistance that could give a participant an advantage. For 2025, the policy goes further. Once participants reach the final three tables in any tournament, all approved electronic devices must be removed. Failure to comply results in penalties up to disqualification.
Where the Rules Draw the Line
Most poker sites permit AI tools for study purposes but prohibit them during active play. You can analyze your hands with GTO Wizard after a session ends. Running it while seated at a table violates platform policies and results in bans. Sites enforce this through software detection and account monitoring.
Gaming commissions now work directly with poker platforms to establish AI usage rules. Across major operators, real-time assistance and automated bots are classified as cheating. Enforcement standards vary, but the prohibition itself is universal.
Daniel Negreanu has spoken publicly on the issue, stating that real-time assistance and bots undermine the essence of poker. His view reflects a broader industry position that competition should remain between people, not between humans and machines.
The Double Edge
AI creates a strange situation. Players who study with solvers improve faster. They learn bet sizing, frequencies, and optimal play in a way that once took years of trial and error. Beginners and professionals now access the same strategic frameworks.
The same technology becomes harmful when brought to the table in real time. The line between preparation and cheating runs through the moment cards are dealt. Study before you play, and you improve. Study while you play, and you exploit.
Recreational players benefit from affordable access to professional-grade tools. The hierarchy based on information access has flattened. At the same time, organized bot operations demonstrate how AI can be abused at scale, forcing platforms into constant detection battles.
Who Benefits and Who Loses
Honest players who use AI for study benefit through faster learning and improved decision-making. Recreational players gain tools that were once exclusive to professionals.
Players who refuse to adapt fall behind as the game evolves. Cheaters benefit temporarily until they are caught, often after significant damage has already been done. Platforms shoulder the financial and operational cost of enforcement through integrity teams and detection systems funded by the player ecosystem.
The Answer Depends on the Question
AI helps poker players who use it ethically. It hurts those who face cheaters. It helps recreational players close skill gaps and hurts professionals who once relied on informational advantages. It strengthens platforms that invest in detection while damaging the game’s reputation when abuses surface.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence is neither inherently good nor inherently bad for poker players. Used responsibly, it accelerates learning and improves strategic understanding. Used dishonestly, it erodes trust and distorts competition. The future of poker will depend on how clearly the industry enforces the boundary between preparation and cheating—and whether players continue to believe they are competing against people, not programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does AI actually make poker players better?
Yes, when used for study. AI tools help players understand strategy, frequencies, and decision-making more efficiently.
Is using AI during online poker games allowed?
No. Real-time assistance and automated play are prohibited on all major poker platforms.
Why are poker sites cracking down harder now?
AI tools have become more powerful and accessible, forcing operators to strengthen enforcement to protect fairness.
Will AI eventually ruin online poker?
Only if cheating outpaces enforcement. Ethical use for training can strengthen the game, while unchecked abuse risks damaging player trust.
