What are poker bots

Bots are basically automated software that plays poker by itself using parameters, like what cards to raise with or call with, you put into it. Basically.

Are they effective and profitable? Not that I have ever heard of. They are not sophisticated enough to adjust to different playing styles or table dynamics. In theory they might be profitable at limit hold'em since that is a more basic form of poker.

But from what I have gathered in 4 years of online poker playing, Bots (profitable ones, at least) are more of a myth than anything else. Yes they exist. But they are rare and most importantly exploitable if you can spot one.
But should the be outlawed, or banned? or who cares

They ARE outlawed and banned from all sites.

Also, no bot can win at deep stack NL cash games. There is a winning bot for HU limit holdem called polaris, and I guess it would be reasonably easy to make a winning bot for low stakes turbo SNGs and to shortstack cash games where you buy in for 20bb, because the proper strategies for those games are so simple.

I suspect poker bots have no real value in poker. Why would somebody write a programme which could win a poker and then sell it. I think if somebody did have the ultimate poker bot they would keep it very much to themselves.

See my thread 'I am BOT', also Search bots etc, here, there are a few huge threads on this topic already.
Welcome to the Borg...

QFT.

Hey guys
I’m curious, how can you know if a player or a site is using the bot?

Check if he is from Russia or China

To my knowledge Bots are illegal on all Poker Sites.


Fear not the Bot:

Semi Bots are playing against you at all times.

Identify > Adjust > Take Advantage >> Win.

Bring on the Bots.


Good Luck