New poker site claims to be legal in 28 states, including Colorado - Poker News

tamiller866 · 07-07-2012, 03:28 AM

New poker site claims to be legal in 28 states, including Colorado

Quote:

At SkillBet, two players are dealt identical hands and play against the same five computer bots in Texas Hold ‘em. The live player who wins more money wins the difference. For example, if player A wins $25 against the five computers and player B wins $10 against those same bots with the same starting hand and same community cards, then player B owes player A $15.

SkillBet says it has an opinion Marc Zwillinger, a Harvard lawyer who was previously the head of internet gaming enforcement for the Department of Justice, supporting its claim that the game is legal in more than two dozen states.

SciMat · 07-07-2012, 03:57 AM

In what way is this game more skillful than real poker? The player perceived as weaker, i.e .the one who makes poorer decisions, can still be ahead over a very long sample size.

If the premise of Skillbet is that it offers a more skill-based game than normal poker, and therefore clears gambling legislation where poker does not, then this premise is based on a misapprehension of both games, and would be a negative influence in the campaign for legally recognised and regulated poker.

Sounds comparatively dull, also.

ike hax0r · 07-07-2012, 04:29 AM

Yeah this is dumb. Hope DOJ prosecutes.

Roman · 07-07-2012, 05:20 AM

it seems similar in concept to bridge

NLSoldier · 07-07-2012, 05:35 AM

sounds kinda awesome imo

collinz10 · 07-07-2012, 06:44 AM

Step 1) play pokerz
Step 2) ???????????
Step 3) profit

Zamboni · 07-07-2012, 06:51 AM

Too early to be confused.

ESKiMO-SiCKNE5S · 07-07-2012, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SciMat

In what way is this game more skillful than real poker?

politicians are retarded and perception is reality

PokerZombie · 07-07-2012, 07:25 AM

Dupilcate poker (as in from duplicate bridge) is something that gets kicked around occasionally but has never caught on

2p2jim · 07-07-2012, 07:34 AM

Presumably the bots don't have any randomisation in their play (else you've only eliminated the chance factor from the cards) ?

SwoopAE · 07-07-2012, 07:39 AM

They tried this already, duplicate poker, it was a terrible idea, and failed.

Imagine a tournament, have your friend play faster, and know what the boards are, then tell you on skype or w/e. lolcollusion. there are plenty of reasons this is a terrible idea

tamiller866 · 07-07-2012, 07:42 AM

The DOJ acknowledges that over an infinite amount of time, every player would end up in the same situations with the same cards, making their results a contest of skill, so what this site does is just eliminate the element of time.

Because there is no requirement for a player on a normal site to play more than one hand, and a player can win or lose money in just one hand, the element of chance must be judged based on one hand.

But the fact that poker fits the legal definition of gambling doesn't make a professional poker player a gambler (though it could make him a criminal in some States), the stock market reduced to one trade would also fit the legal definition of gambling, but because it is regulated those who do it professionally are highly respected.

ESKiMO-SiCKNE5S · 07-07-2012, 07:47 AM

just tried it....

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2p2jim

Presumably the bots don't have any randomisation in their play (else you've only eliminated the chance factor from the cards) ?

not sure but i did think the bots did play differently vs each player a small minority of the time

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwoopAE

They tried this already, duplicate poker, it was a terrible idea, and failed.

Imagine a tournament, have your friend play faster, and know what the boards are, then tell you on skype or w/e. lolcollusion. there are plenty of reasons this is a terrible idea

this is actually a bit different.

there is no opportunity for collusion, mostly because they are only offering heads up

tamiller866 · 07-07-2012, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwoopAE

They tried this already, duplicate poker, it was a terrible idea, and failed.

Imagine a tournament, have your friend play faster, and know what the boards are, then tell you on skype or w/e. lolcollusion. there are plenty of reasons this is a terrible idea

Duplicate Poker didn't have bots though did it? I believe every player was competing with another player at the same seat on another table, but with the bots they can make it a strictly heads up contests, eliminating collusion.

TheDarkElf · 07-07-2012, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tamiller866

The DOJ acknowledges that over an infinite amount of time, every player would end up in the same situations with the same cards, making their results a contest of skill, so what this site does is just eliminate the element of time.

Because there is no requirement for a player on a normal site to play more than one hand, and a player can win or lose money in just one hand, the element of chance must be judged based on one hand.

But the fact that poker fits the legal definition of gambling doesn't make a professional poker player a gambler (though it could make him a criminal in some States), the stock market reduced to one trade would also fit the legal definition of gambling, but because it is regulated those who do it professionally are highly respected.

There is still luck in both duplicate bridge and duplicate poker. In both games you can make the "wrong" play from a percentage POV, but it can work out because of the lie of the cards. At both tables, the bot jams on the turn with top set, and player A folds his flush draw because he is not getting the right pot odds; player B makes the bad call and makes a flush on the river.

Thus even if all of the assumptions you are making are actually true (which, as usual, are questionable), the whole premise is absurd.