Pokerbot CHAMP by U of A's Darse Billings (et al)

[Darren Dirt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3fSc_gUNZk

http://www.poker-academy.com/poker-software/discover-features.php
http://www.poker-academy.com/poker-software/features.php

http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~darse/publications.html

Billings' famous primer is posted all over the 'Net. Good reading.

[Darren Dirt]

Yikes, U of A A.I. guys have been busy the last few weeks.

First the "Playing Perfect Checkers" news story. Now this:

Phil Laak and Ali Eslami vs. U of A computer (Limit holdem, 500 hands to cover variance)
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/26/business/poker.php

I for one one dissent against our future pokerbot overlords

[Darren Dirt]

U of A 'Polaris' vs. Laak and Eslami -- UofA CS results page
http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~games/poker/man-machine/Results/

Wow, Laak rocked the house (he actually mixed it up a lot, by the sound of it) whereas Eslami played too predictably and "Polaris" trampled his tightness...

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double-wow: this was covered by a lot of international press over the last few weeks:
http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~games/poker/man-machine/Press/

: : lol : :

[Darren Dirt]

Another human vs AI match, this time the results were quite different!

http://poker.cs.ualberta.ca/man-machine/

[July 2008] In dramatic fashion, Polaris wins the 2nd man-machine showdown with a record of 3-2-1. Polaris played against some of the best heads-up limit players in the world and came out on top with a decisive win against Matt "Hoss_TBF" Hawrilenko (left) and IJay "doughnutz" Palansky (right) in the final match. For more information on the match, please visit our man-machine page.

[June 2008] The CPRG is proud to announce that they are once again taking on some of the world's best poker players in a man-machine showdown. In a partnership with www.stoxpoker.com, the CPRG will face off against some of the world's best online pros. Nick "stoxtrader" Grudzien, Matt "Hoss_TBF" Hawrilenko, and IJay "doughnutz" Palansky are so far slated to play against Polaris at the 2008 Gaming Life Expo in Las Vegas, July 3-6. More details for the match can be found on stoxpoker's man machine webpage, and our own man-machine webpage.


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Take it from a guy who knows way too much about who are at the top of the game in online poker, the Stoxpoker pros are amazingly good. Well done, Polaris! O_O

http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~games/poker/man-machine/Press/PR-06-09-2008/
http://www.stoxpoker.com/man_vs_machine.html

2008 Man vs Machine Poker Championship Participants
The 2008 Man vs Machine Poker Championship consisted of 6 matches played by 7 elite professionals spread across 4 teams. Below is a short biography on each participant.

Nick Grudzien: Nick Grudzien left a lucrative Wall Street position in 2005 to pursue a career as a professional poker player full-time. He has since become one of the longest-lasting marquee players in online poker, with well over $1M in cash-game winnings in both limit and no-limit hold?em. In 2006 Nick founded stoxpoker.com, a website which provides economical poker coaching through access to instructional videos and recordings of real online play by some of the world?s top pros. 

Matt Hawrilenko: Matt Hawrilenko is one of the world?s most formidable heads-up limit hold?em players, having won well over $1M last year playing online poker. He can be frequently found waiting for challengers under his alias ?Hoss_TBF? at online poker?s largest cash games. Matt is very familiar with the mathematical and theoretical aspects of poker and advocates playing a balanced, difficult to exploit style.

IJay Palansky: IJay Palansky retired from a career as a litigator in a major law firm to pursue his career as a professional poker player. IJay specializes in limit hold?em, and has won over $1M playing short-handed online cash games. IJay is well known for his aggressive style , often driving his opponents to frustration by forcing them to continually play in unordinarily large pots.

Kyle Hendon: Kyle Hendon is a shorthanded no-limit hold?em specialist with well over $1M in lifetime cash-game winnings. While Kyle may be better known for his no-limit hold?em play he has strong roots in limit hold?em and can field a very competitive one on one game.

Mark Newhouse:  Mark Newhouse boasts over $1.7M in lifetime tournament winnings, including the 2006 Borgata Open WPT Championship Event.  In addition, Mark is a limit hold?em specialist who has spent a fair amount of time playing in online poker?s largest cash games.

Victor Acosta: Victor Acosta has been playing poker professionally for over six years, and is currently a specialist in high-stakes one on one limit hold?em cash games. In addition to his poker career he is also a 5th year grad student at UC Berkeley, studying atomic physics.

Richey McRoberts: Rich McRoberts graduated with a BS in finance in 2004 and moved straight to a career as a professional poker player. His poker career has become specialized in online one on one limit hold?em.

Bryce Paradis: Bryce Paradis is another heads-up limit hold?em specialist with over $2.5M in lifetime cash-game winnings. Bryce retired from poker at the age of 23 to pursue interests in real estate, but is still actively involved in the poker community through his coaching at stoxpoker.com and his work with the Computer Poker Research Group. As Bryce has been directly involved in the development of Polaris his match against the AI (which resulted in a tie) has been counted as an exhibition match.