Very good points here. Incentives for starting games could be very beneficial.

Hello, Mike, and welcome!

I'm sure that many BOL players on 2+2 are extremely happy that we finally have a dedicated site forum. I look forward to being able to direct questions and concerns to someone who, I hope, is actually in a position to cut through the red tape and provide answers, plus get problems solved quickly.

I agree. It seems to be slightly shorter than most sites I've played on in my 10 years online, although since the last update I think it's been adjusted upward. Someone suggested making it 30 seconds, but IMO that would slow the game down too much. Adding another 5 sec. would probably make it right, which it appears is what was done.

Rakeback: Yes that would definitely be a positive, and get me playing on your site much more often than I currently do. 15-20% would be great.

Bots: Big, big issue that has caused huge traffic decreases and ruined the reputations of many sites over the years. Please make an effort to do everything possible to get rid of them.

NO ANONYMOUS TABLES!!!!!!: I will never play on any site that has them, not only because bots can't be tracked, but also everything that madmansam said in post #21. The social aspects and relationship building among players are an important part of poker which can't be done online at anonymous tables, since you aren't physically in the same space as your table mates.

I would like to see you add the option (as on virtually every other site I've played on), to save where you prefer to be seated for each table configuration. Such a waste of time to have to click "Sit Here" every time you join a new cash table.

Thank you very much for providing the free HUD, and please continue to do so. I use it all the time, but as a rec player I appreciate not having to spend the (what would be for me) considerable money for something like PTR4 plus a card catcher program. Since it's free for everyone on your site to use, it should negate the argument from the naysayers who claim that players who use HUDs are somehow cheating against those who don't.

I know this is being discussed in another thread but, as several other posters mentioned please bring back the ability to see who's at a cash table in the lobby before joining, rather than having to open it. This goes along with the same arguments against bots and anonymous tables.

Hi pokerannie32,
Thank you for the kind welcome.
Some interesting points to be looking at and making the site better for everybody.
You can ask me any questions you like and I will always do my best to get an answer or solution asap.

Kind Regards
Mike

RE: Timebank

I am actually happy with the length of timebank on BOL. I play on other sites with longer time banks and the game moves sooo much slower. I much prefer things the way they are now.

P.S. I know this is subjective. Just giving my two cents.

BetOnline Mike, you guys should push the Boost cash game format hard. As the only U.S. facing site with working non anonymous zoom cash software. It would be a wonderful asset for you guys. Take advantage! Recs and regulars enjoy the format...

+1 the fast fold variant is so convenient. Would be awesome to see some higher stake Boost games going.

+2 shame no traffic on them.

Hi guys,

I have mentioned this before regarding the boost game, and we are looking into making changes to promote it and get more people involved.
All of your suggestions and comments are being looked into and changes will be sooner rather than later.

Kind regards
Mike

@BetOnlineMike Tell them to strike while the iron is hot! Grab the momentum. Take over the market share!

Anonymous games are the worst. It takes the fun out of the game and makes bot detection extremely difficult. I currently put 100% of my volume on BetOnline instead of Bovada for this very reason.
Rake races benefit very few people, so I prefer a small, flat rakeback percentage. Reduced rake for table starters.

Games are pretty good minus the constant botting and nitty regs. As a rec, rakeback would be more appealing than BBJ that is essentially half recouped by the site and hits twice a year.

It would be nice to see fast fold poker get moving like it is on Bovada.

Not good enough, Mike. Answers like this will embarrass you on this forum. Some of us have played hundreds of thousands of hands at Chico network and we have seen every limit get FLOODED with bots.

To say there is at least 1 bot at every table is incorrect. I recently stopped playing and withdrew my money from Chico. There were 4 BOTS at many tables and at least 2, most of the time 3 bots at EVERY TABLE.

Recs know this too and play less. There are other sites that have less issues.

It shouldn't be up to the PLAYERS to inform you of bots. Your security team needs to find ways to fix the root problems.

Stop offering under the table rake back deals. (yes you do don't deny it.)

Put in captcha requirements while at the table.

Every week you should update the software in some small way that prevents the bots from being able to play. I don't know anything about this but common sense says this is totally possible.

Admitting there is or at least previously 50+ bots invading all limits will be a nice first step to letting players like myself that have boycotted your network to consider the impossible notion of putting money back on your bot infested site.

Do you understand the bots have taken Hundreds of Thousands of dollars off the tables from Recs and Regs that are following the rules?

Hi pokerNoob,
I do not feel that telling you our policy is embarrassing at all.
I 100% understand your frustration as this seems to be a problem across the online poker world. We are currently one of the safest sites to play on and are actively investing and trying to consistently improve. I believe we were at the same security risk for bots and attacks as poker stars.

Asking for player feedback and assistance is obviously only going to benefit the players and the progress going forwards.
Whilst you openly admit knowing nothing about updating the software, I like you know very little. However I am told that amending things on the software is not so easy and takes time. But I can promise you that we are changing things and making improvements for the better..

I hope you will see that we are doing everything we can to improve all areas.

Kind Regards
Mike

The bots and collusion( plo/plo8)issue is so extreme, a rec would never enjoy his decision of making that first deposit, and the chances of him depositing again is slim to none. I know sports bettors on Chico who don’t even casually play poker on there no more because of the bot and collusion problems, recs want to have fun, and of course try to win money, but they DONT wanna be cheated by players and accounts not following the rules.If Chico doesn’t want to stop it due to the rake it generates for them change the rules and T&Cs and no one can complain. But mike don’t just act like the security team is looking in to it, make statements on what action is be taken.

Hi stakepicado, I am not acting like the security team is looking into it, they are actively looking into many accounts and all of these issues. I am not allowed to post everything for obvious reasons. Just be aware that we are one of the best sites for tackling this issue and safety.

I can only tell you that things are being done and as soon as I am allowed to update you guys with progress I will, and I am sure this will be very soon.

Kind Regards
Mike

Sugarcoating annoys me. I don't trust anyone who's only job is to get paid to cover up things.

+1 , true that poker noob. Sarah huckabee Sanders tho�� lmao

Hi Poker_noob

I can assure you that my job is not to cover things up, nor is it only working on the forum. I am part of a new poker team that is actively trying and working really hard to improve things for our players. We are also asking for feedback in order to listen to our player base and actually change things.

It seems silly to post our exact methods online for the world to see how we are combating this issue.
BetOnline has a strict stance and that the use of Bots on the site is prohibited, therefore all accounts that are found to be using this type of software will be banned.

I have stated that changes will be happening soon and all feedback is welcome.
You are also welcome to message me privately and ask me anything or tell me anything about the issues, maybe send screen shots and stats, like some of our other players.

Kind regards

Mike

I sent you a list of 4 bots im sure they wheres bots with data 15 days laters they still there playing 4 tables 12 hours a day.

I sent you a list with 50+ suspected account i did not look with data that im pretty sure they are bots they still are all playing atm....

Plz dont compare your network with pokerstars for proactivity against bot it tilt me so much your not even in the same universe all the tables from nl10 to nl200 have 2+ bots on them. When there is pretty much no bot on PS. Having a strict stance against bot is not enough YOU NEED TO BAN THEM.

The community would probly be more comprensive if you tell them the true facts btw aka you dont want bots on the network but you have no clue how to detect them so they wont be ban i can be wrong on this but i highly doubt it plz prove me wrong.

Just a note, on pokerstars zoom tables (obviously the fast ones), time bank is 60 seconds which get replenished at some rate over more hands.

30 seconds should be enough for post flop decisions below 100NL

200NL+ you could increase to 60 seconds

Pre flop time bank should be maybe 15 seconds after an initial 10 seconds

There are not too many players at Chico that would be able to use more than 30 seconds in a "thinking manner", rather than just letting time bank run out taking a "gut feeling" so I think 30 sec time bank is fine after an initial 10 seconds post flop (40 total seconds) and 15 seconds pre after an initial 10 seconds (25 total seconds)


A shorter time bank won't really make the games go faster. Because if one specific player wants to time troll after tilting, their time bank will run out and they only get 10 seconds per every later decision. And MOST of the time Regs won't need 30 seconds every decision. It's only on those very tricky situations where someone x/raises you on the river.

So I just started playing at BOL in Feb mostly .5-1.0 cash games, How can you tell the diff between a bot and a non bot. I have my suspicians but I have no proof. Just because they play a lot of hands, 3bet a lot etc doesn't mean they are a bot. What stats can I look at that shows why they have to be a bot? thanks

Look at hands in replayer (presuming you have pokertracker, Holdem manager, or some sort of hud). Saw one on reg table at Ignition. Folding AJs, KK, QQ say what? Apparently, trying to get a history for future programming.

I’ve recently switched to this site and working on my multi tabling with this stake. I have seen some bot looking stuff like the ten cent bets but so far this pool seems very beatable. I am doing quite well bb/100 but in fairness should prob be a stake higher.

If you'd like any tips on identifying the most commonly found NLHE cash game bots then you can send me a private message. I typically don't post my findings publicly. I don't play PLO cash games, but many of the tendencies are the same based on the posts I've seen from, and also chatting with, some PLO regs. I don't have the experience to help identify them in other game types since I've primarily played NLHE cash games for the last few years.