Robots Vie for Poker Champ Title
July 22, 2005 — -- In this week's "Cybershake," we have some disturbing news for poker gamblers: the next great card shark might be a robot. Plus, we note that there's a Web site that brings a high-tech twist to figuring out if you're popular or not.
When it comes to the age-old rivalry between man and machines, humankind may be slowly losing ground. Powerful computers with clever programming have already beaten grand masters such as Gary Kasparov at chess. And various companies and research groups have built humanoid robots that proved more than capable of playing soccer at last week's international Robocup competition in Japan.
But in the latest arena of competition, computer programmers say their artificial creations may soon -- and literally -- deal humans a very humbling blow.
Last week in Las Vegas, six software engineers competed in the World Poker Robot Championship to prove how far their computer programs, or "bots," have come in playing Texas Hold 'em poker.
The six programs -- with names such as "Poki-X," developed by a team of computer scientists from the University of Alberta in Canada -- first played against each other for title of "world champ." The winner, Poker Probot, nabbed its creator, Hilton Givens, a cool $100,000.
More importantly, it gave Givens, a 37-year-old car salesman from Indiana, a chance to play against Phil Laak, a professional poker player and World Poker champ.
During the three-hour limited game, Given's Poker Probot initially took an early lead against the 33-year-old poker champ.
"It's nerve wracking," said Givens. "I mean, all you can do is sit and watch there and hope for the best."
But the computer program's success was short lived. After more than 300 hands, Laak bested the machine with a pair of aces over the Probot's pair of kings. Laak walked away from the exhibition game, winning just $100 (a side bet with Givens) and a hug from girlfriend, Jennifer Tilly, an actress who won more than $150,000 in a recent World Series of Poker event herself.
Laak admitted that it was a tough tournament and he believes that the software will eventually improve enough that it will beat the best human players eventually.
"There's no doubt in my mind," says Laak.
The bots pose no threat to established poker players who gamble at casinos since gaming halls bar high-tech, electronic aids. However, computer programmers say such bots could be surreptitiously used in online poker games and at Internet gambling sites typically located off-shore of the United States.
That's why many players and online casinos -- such as GoldenPalace.com, which sponsored the robot poker game -- are taking a hard look at the bots. Many programmers, such as Givens, say that within three to four years, poker bots could become unbeatable by human players.
And that, they say, is no bluff.
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