Poker Software Cheating Programs: Buyer Beware

You’ve heard the old phrase “buyer beware,” right? You may think that most poker software programs are legitimate, but be wary of some of the get rich quick scams you’ll run across when exploring the various options for poker software available. At PokerSoftware.com, our goal is to provide you access to the top poker tools available to you. Part of that is also exposing you to the darker side of the industry. We downloaded an e-book called “The Ultimate Online Poker Cheating System” that outlines how to cheat at online poker. Our goal is to show you some of the common flaws you’ll find with these types of programs and explain why they don’t work. Under no circumstances are we endorsing this product, found at PokerCheatingSystem.com; rather, we want to show you why you should avoid these kinds of farces when you play.

The e-book is anything but ultimate or practical. The basic idea is that you hook up multiple CPU’s to one computer monitor in order to play multiple hands at the same table. You’ll do this using a modem, router, and a KVM switch in order to be able to operate multiple computers from one monitor. The guide suggests that playing in a six-handed table provides the maximum amount of value. You’re playing multiple hands at the same table, so you’ll have a “considerable” advantage because you’ll know more of the cards in play and can use this information to collude against the other players at the table. Here’s a shot of the suggested computer setup:

In order to be able to avoid detection in online poker sites (which would result in banning of your account), the e-book tells you to use a program that generates a different IP address every time you use the internet. Once you’ve hooked up all of your computers to a central monitor, you’ll be able to hit “Control-Alt-Shift” and a number (all at the same time, no less) in order to flip among the various screens in a mad scramble to keep up with the table's action. All you have to do is log into a table and attempt to sit (eventually) in a total of four to five seats with different accounts, trying to collude against the fifth and sixth players at the table. You’ll soon be controlling play at your table, using various tactics to reap the most amount of money possible from the other stooges at your table that have no idea four accounts are being operated by the same person. Or will you?

Genius idea! Sign me up! I’ll take five e-books, please! If any of these thoughts even remotely crossed your mind, then think again. As you can tell by reading this, there are several major flaws with utilizing multiple CPU systems along with a tool that masks your IP address:

1. You’re still stuck with incomplete information. Just because you know what 15-17 cards (your hole cards plus five community cards) are at the table, there are still 35-37 unknown cards. Yes, I know what you’re thinking: You still know more than the average person does. That’s very true, but if one of your hands is something like 8-3 and the board has neither an eight nor a three, how much information did that extra hand really give you? If you held pocket twos on a board of 4-8-9-10-J, you can safely assume your opponent probably doesn’t have pocket twos, but that fails to give you a leg up on your competition. Although you have the potential to know up to roughly 30% of the cards in play using this system, 70% of the cards are still up in the air. Don’t let this, or any other system, ever convince you that you have a considerable advantage because you know more cards. This assumes that the cards are relevant to the hand you’re playing.

2. The e-book describes various techniques which can allegedly lead to big money, including ganging up on a player and controlling pot odds. I’m salivating at the bit about the thought of being able to give my opponents proper pot odds to keep chasing his gutshot straight draw all the way to the river (sarcasm alert is going off full blast). These are great ideas, in theory, but there’s no guarantee that your opponent knows or cares what his pot odds are or has any interest in chasing is four-outer to the river. If he does, the e-book’s system assumes that he doesn’t actually hit his hand and you’ll start making big money. Not everyone who plays online poker understands pot odds and may even keep calling you down or folding no matter what the odds indicate they should do. You’re walking a fine line when you use a system like this anyway. Never assume that players you’re competing against will act rationally at the tables.

3. The fact that you have to manage at least four to five different windows at the same time in order to play at a faced-paced six-handed table makes this system nearly impossible in the first place to follow. Yes, you can, in theory, hit Control-Alt-Shift-Number frantically for a few hours and make a little money, but in all likelihood, you’ll leave your head spinning in the process. In fact, go ahead and try to hit four keys at the same time right now. Go ahead. I’ll wait… Imagine having to do this for hours at a time, several days in a row, in a vain attempt to make money. Don’t let a screen shot like the one at the end of this article fool you into thinking that all of the cards are laid out for you on the same screen; that’s wholly inaccurate and completely deceiving. Rather, you’ll need to remember which cards you you’re holding at all times, including pre-flop, post-flop, after the turn, and at showdown on every hand. Good luck remembering all of that.

4. Remember that an online poker room makes money by taking a small percentage of every pot and pocketing it, which is called a rake. When you’re playing four to five hands at a six-handed table, your accounts are responsible for 67% to 85% of the rake charged in each hand. Online poker room rakes can run all the way up to $3 per hand, so you’ll consistently be losing money every hand you play in rake. This cuts into whatever profits (or adds to whatever losses) you’ll ultimately be making with this system, especially since, in most hands, you’ll be winning money in one account and losing it in another. The amount you’re winning in one account and the amount you’re losing in another will be different, with the rake accounting for the variance. It’s not a big deal if you play for one or two nights; if you’re a “serious player” like the e-book calls for, your losses to rake will add up over time.

5. Technical requirements for the system include the IP masking agent, a KVM switch, four to five computers, a router, a modem, a monitor, and a cable internet connection. Plus, you have to buy the e-book to learn how it all goes together. That’s a pretty big investment, especially if you’re starting from scratch. Although you may have dreams of winning it all back through your newly-discovered cheating system, chances are you’ll be in debt several thousand dollars long before you even sign onto PokerStars. Again, buyer beware. It’s important to understand that there’s an initial capital investment that you’ll have to cover before realizing you’ve been scammed.

6. The e-book notes you’ll need to set each of your accounts up using different e-mail addresses, fund them with different credit cards, and vary the amount of profits or losses in each account. That’s a lot to keep track of. Chances are you don’t even have five e-mail addresses or own five credit cards (and if you did, you’ll need to use one of them to buy five more computers). Even if you did, you’re bound to make a mistake. You’re human. You’ll forget to run the IP masking software one time or accidentally fund one account with the incorrect credit card. It’s inevitable. When you finally make this critical error, don’t expect the e-book authors to bail you out. Your accounts will most likely be frozen and banned, and you’ll wish you had kept your $50 you spent on the e-book and bought MarioKart for Wii.

All told, watch out when you see programs offering you the possibility of winning thousands of dollars using questionable means. There are often plenty of problems you’ll encounter on the road to rags or riches. When you’re looking for poker software, make sure to use the legitimate options that PokerSoftware.com reviews and recommends. No matter what you’re told, a screen shot like the following one is never attainable: