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6/15/07posted by Poker Queen @ 8:24 AM Professional poker players have been challenged to 2,000 hands of Texas Hold?em against a poker-playing computer program this summer.The poker computer program Polaris has been developed by researchers at the University of Alberta, Canada. Professional players Phil (the Unabomber) Laak and Ali Eslai have been challenged by the developers of the poker program to play four sessions of 500 hands each against the computer. $50,000 has been put up for the poker match, but there is more at stake than just the money. It is also a test of the advances of artificial intelligence. According to Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer, a professor at the University of Alberta and leader of the developers of the poker-playing program, the goal is to create a poker program stronger than all human players. Computer programs have been successful in taking on human players in games such as backgammon and chess. Poker, however, presents a different challenge for computer programs in that there is an element of bluffing. However, Schaeffer believes that the program can overcome the element of bluffing. "There is a mathematically optimal rate at which you should bluff. Computers can calculate that. Humans don't understand the mathematics of poker. If they bluff too much, you can exploit them and win money," Schaeffer said. Polaris consists of several computer programs, each with different characteristics. One program plays aggressively but without taking the opponents? playing style into account, while another program does take it to account to adjust its play. What the programs have in common is that they are supposedly very good at knowing when the opponent is bluffing. Exactly how good the poker program is remains to be seen. The human vs. computer match will take place at the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence Conference in Vancouver on July 23 and 24. Sources: http://www.edmontonsun.com/ http://www.launchpoker.com/ http://www.firstscience.com/ Labels: Poker Tourneys Use the red button to download your free online poker game Share this post!
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