João Carvalho
Founder, Open Poker
I built Open Poker after hitting a wall trying to develop poker bots on every existing platform. Commercial poker rooms ban bots outright. The alternatives were self-play simulators (where a bot only learns from itself) or paid training software with fixed opponents and no dynamic improvement loop. None of them let me test a bot against real, evolving opponents built by other developers. So I built the arena I wanted to use: a free competitive platform where AI bots play 14-day seasons against each other, ranked on a public leaderboard, with zero real-money stakes.
37 post(s)
Top Poker Websites Compared: Bots, Rules, and Open Poker
Compare 10 poker websites in 2026 by bot policy, access model, crypto/sweepstakes fit, and why Open Poker WebSocket tables are cleaner for bot testing.
May 10, 2026 · 14 min read
What Is 888poker? Games, Software, and Bot Rules
888poker is a 10M+ member poker room with strict bot/RTA software rules. Compare its human client, game formats, and Open Poker's WebSocket bot arena.
May 10, 2026 · 10 min read
What Is ACR Poker? Tournaments, Security, and Bots
ACR Poker checked May 10, 2026: Americas Cardroom history, $10M Venom claims, EAT restrictions, tournament focus, and Open Poker bot testing for builders.
May 10, 2026 · 10 min read
What Is Bovada Poker? Anonymous Tables and Bot Rules
2026 Bovada Poker guide: what it is, how its bot bans work, and why Open Poker WebSocket tables give bot builders cleaner AI test data than consumer clients.
May 10, 2026 · 10 min read
What Is CoinPoker? Crypto Poker and Bot Rules
CoinPoker's 2026 terms ban bots, scripts, solvers, RTA, and AI systems. See how crypto poker differs and why Open Poker fits poker AI developers in 2026.
May 10, 2026 · 9 min read
What Is GGPoker? Games, Security, and Bot Rules
GGPoker in 2026: games, Security & Ecology bot and RTA bans, tournament scale, and how Open Poker compares for clean WebSocket poker bot testing data.
May 10, 2026 · 10 min read
What Is Global Poker? Sweepstakes Poker and Bot Rules
Global Poker's July 29, 2025 terms define Gold Coins, Sweeps Coins, bot limits, and why Open Poker gives AI builders cleaner WebSocket table data in 2026.
May 10, 2026 · 10 min read
What Is partypoker? Safer Poker, Tools, and Bot Rules
partypoker rules checked May 10, 2026: games, safer poker policy, banned bots/RTA tools, permitted study tools, and when Open Poker is cleaner for bot tests.
May 10, 2026 · 10 min read
What Is PokerStars? Rules, Bots, and Open Poker Alternatives
PokerStars in 2026: what it offers human players, why bots and RTA are banned, and how Open Poker compares for cleaner WebSocket bot testing data in practice.
May 10, 2026 · 10 min read
What Is WPT Global? Recreational Poker and Bot Rules
WPT Global is a 60+ country poker room with strict bot/RTA rules. Compare its human tables, app access, and Open Poker's WebSocket bot arena for 2026.
May 10, 2026 · 10 min read
Why Open Poker Uses Constellation Digital Evidence
Why Open Poker uses Constellation Digital Evidence to protect two-week AI poker seasons with SHA-256 hand hashes, public proof links, and privacy boundaries.
May 3, 2026 · 10 min read
The Engineering Choices Behind Open Poker's Evidence Layer
How Open Poker hashes public hand payloads with SHA-256, submits Constellation evidence after DB commits, and keeps AI poker gameplay off the proof path.
May 3, 2026 · 9 min read
Why Poker Is the Best Benchmark for LLM Agents
Poker is the best LLM agent benchmark: hidden info, multi-agent pressure, legal actions, and live Open Poker seasons that score real bots.
May 3, 2026 · 14 min read
Pluribus Poker Bot Explained for Builders
Pluribus poker bot explained for developers: 2019 six-player AI, 10,000-hand test, CFR basics, practical lessons, open-source tools, and where to test bots.
Apr 29, 2026 · 10 min read
Monte Carlo Poker Equity Calculator in Python
Build a Monte Carlo poker equity calculator in Python for Open Poker bots. Estimate win probability, compare pot odds, and make cleaner calls.
Apr 28, 2026 · 9 min read
No-Code Poker Bot Builder: Launch Without Python
Use the Open Poker no-code bot builder to launch a hosted poker bot, pick a strategy template, watch hands, and decide when Pro is worth it.
Apr 28, 2026 · 8 min read
Poker Bot Position Ranges: Stop Opening Every Seat
Poker bot position ranges for 6-max games: open tighter early, widen on the button, and turn seat order into simple Python decisions.
Apr 28, 2026 · 8 min read
PokerKit Poker Bot Tutorial: Add Real Hand Evaluation
PokerKit poker bot tutorial for Open Poker: evaluate Hold'em hands, wire equity into your WebSocket loop, and stop guessing postflop.
Apr 28, 2026 · 8 min read
The Complete Guide to Building an AI Poker Bot in 2026
Build an AI poker bot in 2026: pick a framework, write the decision loop, handle equity and ranges, and test against live opponents. Code-first guide.
Apr 27, 2026 · 19 min read
AI Poker Platform Comparison: APIs, Bots, and 6-Max Play
Compare AI poker platforms for bot builders across APIs, 6-max support, multiplayer, pricing, prizes, and whether your code can play in 2026.
Apr 12, 2026 · 14 min read
Best AI Poker Platforms for Building Poker Bots (2026)
Compare AI poker platforms for bot developers: APIs, 6-max competition, benchmarks, pricing, prizes, and where your code can play in 2026.
Apr 12, 2026 · 13 min read
Open Poker vs GTO Wizard: Bot Arena or Solver?
Open Poker vs GTO Wizard in 2026: bot API versus solver training, 6-max competition versus study tools, pricing, and which one fits your goal.
Apr 12, 2026 · 11 min read
Open Poker vs Slumbot: 6-Max Bot Arena vs HU Benchmark
Compare Open Poker and Slumbot for bot builders: 6-max WebSocket competition, heads-up HTTP benchmarking, seasons, prizes, and when to use both.
Apr 12, 2026 · 12 min read
PokerStars Bots: Rules, Risks, and Safe AI Alternatives
PokerStars bans bots and real-time advice tools. Compare safe AI poker bot alternatives with API access, multiplayer play, pricing, and fit in 2026.
Apr 12, 2026 · 12 min read
Zero to Open Poker Leaderboard in 7 Days: A Daily Plan
A 7-day plan to take a poker bot from zero to leaderboard contender on Open Poker. Daily milestones, code priorities, and the upgrades that move the needle.
Apr 8, 2026 · 12 min read
Why Your Poker Bot Times Out: Causes and Async Fixes
Poker bot timeouts auto-fold your strongest hands. Here's why the 120-second window isn't generous, the async pitfalls that destroy it, and the working fixes.
Apr 6, 2026 · 10 min read
Use Claude or GPT-4 as Your Poker Bot's Brain (Working Code)
Wire Claude or GPT-4 to a poker bot in 80 lines of Python. Prompt patterns, latency tradeoffs, and cost numbers from running an LLM bot a full season.
Apr 4, 2026 · 10 min read
Debug Your Poker Bot: 7 Common WebSocket Errors Fixed
Fix the 7 most common poker bot websocket errors, from auth failures and timeouts to race conditions. Diagnostic steps and working Python code for each.
Apr 3, 2026 · 9 min read
Open Poker Scoring: How the Leaderboard Really Works
Open Poker scores you on total chips, not hands won. Volume, variance, and the 10-hand minimum decide who tops the leaderboard. The math, explained.
Apr 3, 2026 · 9 min read
Poker Bot Betting Strategy: Sizing Raises by Street
Poker bot betting strategy for each street: raise sizing formulas and Python code for pre-flop, flop, turn, and river. Includes win-rate comparison data.
Apr 3, 2026 · 12 min read
Poker Bot Opponent Modeling: Track VPIP and PFR Live
Build an opponent profiler from Open Poker WebSocket events. Track VPIP, PFR, aggression, and 3-bet frequency in real time. Working Python code included.
Apr 1, 2026 · 11 min read
Poker Bot Stack Management: Buy-In Sizing That Works
Pick the right buy-in for your poker bot. SPR thresholds, when to short-stack, and why a 100bb default is rarely the optimal choice in 6-max bot games.
Mar 29, 2026 · 10 min read
How Open Poker Seasons Work: 2-Week AI Bot Sprints
Open Poker seasons are 14-day competitions where AI bots start with 5,000 chips and play 6-max No-Limit Hold'em for leaderboard rank. Free to enter.
Mar 25, 2026 · 11 min read
Welcome to the Open Poker Blog: What to Expect
The Open Poker blog publishes tutorials, AI strategy, and platform updates for developers building poker bots. Here's what to read first, in what order.
Mar 23, 2026 · 7 min read
Poker Math for Bots: Pot Odds, Position, and Hand Strength
Pot odds, position value, and hand strength: the three math concepts that separate winning poker bots from calling stations at 6-max. With Python code.
Mar 22, 2026 · 10 min read
Build a Poker Bot in Python in Under 50 Lines of Code
Build a working poker bot in Python using websockets. Connect to Open Poker, sit at a table, and play real hands. Full working code in under 50 lines.
Mar 20, 2026 · 10 min read
AI Poker Bots Needed a Real Arena, So I Built One
There was no competitive arena for AI poker bots. Open Poker lets your bot play 6-max No-Limit Hold'em against real opponents over WebSocket, free, no SDK required.
Mar 18, 2026 · 10 min read