ITH Poker Forum

[cybrarian]

This is a follow-up to the existing thread:

Live Poker chat with ITH members

and also:

[url=http://www.internettexasholdem.com/~internet/phpbb2/1-vt18812.html?postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0[/url]The Help an ITH-er project[/url]

The original thread talks about an IRC channel in which ITHers can usually be found together. Anyone can log in and chat. We are now hoping that we can use this channel as part of the Help an ITHer project.

Note:
Although this is a channel where you will find many ITHers, and probably not many non-ITHers, if any, it is NOT in any way an official ITH channel. Being a member of ITH does not give you the right to participate in this channel no matter what. I'm sure that the guys that run it will not hesitate to kick anyone who acts abusively, so please respect their rules and wishes.

What software can I use to connect?

You can use various applications, such as Trillian and mIRC to connect to the channel. This post will guide you through connecting with Trillian. It will not guide you through how to use IRC in general, or what it is. You'll have to do your own research for that I'm afraid. It will also not guide you tthrough everything you can do with Trillian, although I have to say it's a great piece of software.

What is Trillian?

Trillian is a messaging client, a bit like, say MSN Messenger, except that you can chat to people on ICQ, AOL, IRC as well as MSN. In the developers own words:

Trillian is a fully featured, stand-alone, skinnable chat client that supports AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo Messenger, and IRC. It provides capabilities not possible with original network clients, while supporting standard features such as audio chat, file transfers, group chats, chat rooms, buddy icons, multiple simultaneous connections to the same network, server-side contact importing, typing notification, direct connection (AIM), proxy support, encrypted messaging (AIM/ICQ), SMS support, and privacy settings.

All of which means you can talk to a lot of people without the bother of having to actually meet them. The basic version is free, although if you like it enough, there are advanced features in the Pro version that convinced me it was worth paying for.

How do I use it to chat with other ITHers?

First, you need to download Trillian

And then install it. Any problems with this part should be directed tof Trillian Support

Once you're up and running you need to add a connection to an IRC server. Use the instructions below according to the version of Trillian you are running:

------------------------------
Connecting with Trillian Basic 3.1 (the current level available as a download from the Trillian website).

To connect to the IRC server:

1. From the Trillian window, select Trillian -> Connections -> Manage my connections
2. Select Add a new connection from Trillian Connections window
3. Select IRC
4. Enter a name for the connection in the Server Alias entry field to help you remember this connection (ie ITH chat)
5. In the second entry field, enter 206.8.83.252:6667
6. Enter a nickname and a username (I just use the same - ie cyb)
7. Click Connect

To connect to the poker channel:

1. Back in the main Trillian window, find the IRC connection icon - (should be a white circle, above the My Contacts section)
2. Right-click on it and select Join a Channel...
3. Type Poker and Click OK and wait for the IRC chat window to open

---------------------
Connecting with Trillian 2 Pro version (and possibly Basic version)

1. Run Trillian
2. Select File -> Connection -> Connection Manager...
3. In the Connection Manager window, click Add
4. Choose IRC from the drop-down list
5. In the entry field for server name, type 206.8.83.252
6. In the entry field for Nickname, enter the name you want displayed to others when you are connected and chatting merrily away
7. Click Create and Connect
8. Close the Connection Manager window
9. In the main GUI, select the IRC icon from the list of connection icons. They should be at the bottom of the window. In my skin, IRC is white, MSN blue, Yahoo is red, and so on
10. Select Reconnect
11. When you are connected click the IRC icon again, and select Join Channel
12. Type poker in the Channel Name window and press Enter or click OK

-----------------------------
Connecting with hydraIRC

Details soon...


-----------------------------
Connecting with mIRC (6.16)

1. Download mIRC
2. Install mIRC
3. Run mIRC
4. Type /server 206.8.83.252 in the little one line textbox underneath the big textbox.
5. Enter your details in the pop and Click OK
6. In the favourites box that pops up, type /join #poker

Note - ryanflies posted slightly different instructions in this post - ymmv.

---------------------

Connecting with Chatzilla

For those who use Firefox, or other mozilla browsers:

1. Download chatzilla (Follow the link to the hacksrus.com site to install chatzilla as a Firefox plugin, and click one of the installs, to install chatzilla as an extension)
2. Restart your browser
3. Select Tools -> chatzilla
4. From the chatzilla pop-up select Tools -> Options, enter some identification details, and click OK
5. In the chatzilla window, in the command box at the bottom, type /server 206.8.83.252 to connect to the server
6. To join a channel, type /join #<CHANNEL NAME>. The main ITH channel is called poker, so you would type /join #poker to join that channel.

-----------------------------
You should now be connected and able to talk to any other ITHers online. Any problems, post them here. I don't want to be inundated with PMs. (Alternatively, or if you just want a chat, you might be able to find me in the IRC channel from time to time)

If these instructions vary from what you are seeing, that could be because:

a) I have trillian pro and not the free basic version, but I think this function is pretty much the same
b) I am using a skin other than the default, and again options could be different. Unlikely though.
c) I've messed it up.


_____________________
Doc Version:
1.0 22/04/05 - initial version, probably error-strewn
1.1 22/04/05 - added instructions for Trillian 3.1 Basic
1.2 29/08/05 - added instructions for mIRC and chatZilla

[Wynton]

Thanks cyb, very helpful You are a gentleman and a scholar.

(cue: sarcastic responses)

[cybrarian]

Thanks cyb

You're welcome

Sorry about some of the punctuation and grammar, though. Some of those commas are making me ill.

[theredpill99]

I got a question.

How do you keep from going on tilt ?

[Wynton]

Cyb, my set up screen is a bit different.

Just downloaded the basic software. There is a screen for add new connection. At that point you can select IRC. But after selecting IRC you are asked to complete four fields:

-server alias via IRC
-irc.trillian.com::6667
-nickname
-username
-user info

You said to type 206.8.83.252 in the server name field. Did you mean that should go in the "server alias" field? If so, what gets typed into the second field mentioned above?

I'll try and figure this out on my own, but since you're now the official ITH trillian expert, thought I'd trouble you some more.

[cybrarian]

I've added instructions for Trillian V3.1 Basic, which is what you'll get if you download Trillian today. If someone could test that they work...

[Wynton]

The basic instructions worked fine.

Only problem was that, as soon as I got on, I was so excited I decidedd to tell everyone in full detail about my sad tournament this afternoon. Strangely, the entire room suddenly fell silent.

I suspect that this is a flaw in the software.

[theredpill99]

are you guys on there , right now ?

[Kjell201]

If you want just an IRC client that is much better at IRC (but doesnt have MSN etc), then take a look at www.hydrairc.com

Connecting to the server works about the same way as the description for trillian above. You click New Server (Ctrl+N) and type 206.8.83.252 in the address field.

[ikeee]

are you guys on there , right now ?

there is always someone on there, and its open 24/7 ., come join the chat

[dr winston]

anyone know why when I type in "poker" to the join a channel bit nothing happens?

[cybrarian]

I'm not getting a connection either - seems to be a 10054 error... not IRC-savvy enough to tell you exactly what that means, but I think it's server-side.

[dr winston]

all working now. It took about an hour but suddenly the screen popped up.

[wade]

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_magazin ... m_id=65559

Heh, if this is true we must set off alarms during ITH events :

One of my favorite defenses is sniffers. There are lots of different types of sniffers, and they sniff out lots of different things. One kind is an itty-bitty program on your client base that determines whether you’re running instant messaging software. It matches what you’re running to what other players at your table are running. A match moves you up the flagging list. With such computer technology, it is possible to be proactive, ferreting out the cheaters and bouncing their butts from the site.

[stripes]

It's a very good point, Wade.

To take it a step further, not only could a sniffer program match what IM software you have on your computer against other players', but it could determine what outgoing connections to other addresses you're making. Sometimes the IM software will be sending traffic to a central server, but some direct chats can take place directly from your IP to someone else's IP. [small](Due to the increased use of firewalls and network address translation software this is actually rarer than it used to be.)[/small] A direct match of IP addresses in this fashion would be a big red flag on their system.

To take it yet another step, any software on your computer that's running will have active data in memory, even if actual traffic is encrypted (which it may well not be). A really motivated sniffer developer could target popular IM software and snoop its memory to get a much clearer idea of who you're talking to and what you're saying. Actually passing that data on to logs on a server would be a... very questionable legal activity... but it's not outside the realm of possibility that a sniffer program in situ could make certain conclusions without passing on private data. It's likely you agreed to everything including microscopic analysis of your spleen when you clicked Accept on the poker software license agreement anyway.

For your information, IRC traffic is entirely unencrypted. Running an IRC program on your machine is likely to be noticed and easily sniffed. Your only connection-- usually-- is to the IRC server in question, although direct peer-to-peer connections are possible if you use /dmsg or other DCC functions. A program is unlikely to tell anything else beyond where you're connected to without querying the IRC server itself, which it should not be able to do undetected-- but the /who #poker list will typically have each user's hostname listed.

Be forewarned.

(I run my irc client on the linux box next to my PC... Party can tell nothing beyond that I have an ssh connection from my PC to my linux box. I like it that way.)