What Does Artificial Intelligence Mean for Poker?

08:27
21 Jun

Artificial intelligence is, now more than ever, the talk of the town. Powerful conversational tools like OpenAi’s ChatGPT and generative intelligence websites like Midjourney have entered the mainstream with great fanfare. And for better or worse, this revolutionary technology is on the verge of transforming the poker sphere.

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Can artificial intelligence actually win at poker?

AI used to be a terrible poker player. Contrary to strategic games like Go and chess, which adhere to strictly predefined rules, poker is mostly about intuition and reading fellow opponents to make the right decision – or call the right bluff. Therefore, artificial intelligence systems like Libratus and Deepstack struggled for the longest time to keep up with human competitors, let alone defeat them. But in 2019, history was made as the AI program Pluribus managed to beat five other players in a six-player game of Texas Hold’em. Artificial intelligence seemingly mastered the art of poker.

Fast-forward to 2023, and AI systems have come an even longer way. Developed by Google research company DeepMind, an AI algorithm has gained the upper hand against expert players in one of the most complex board games around. More disconcerting still, the DeepNash tool now sits comfortably within the top three players of Stratego on specialist games platforms. Long story short, AI-powered systems can now strategize against humans in elaborate games that require long-term strategic thinking and managing imperfect information.

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A cause for concern among poker circles

With AI rapidly catching up with human players came controversy. The use of digital mathematics and analysis tools spread like wildfire online. Some of the most prominent names in the poker sphere were caught blatantly leveraging Real Time Assistance (RTA) software to make the most out of their hand. According to a recent study, 1 in 5 expert poker players rely on ChatGPT to win hands. And the use of poker bots did not help AI’s case, either.

The industry is fighting back, thus. The global network 888poker made headlines this year by waging war against artificial intelligence in poker. The online poker giant massively invested in technology and staff to detect fraudulent activity, going as far as refunding nearly $290,000 to users who deemed they had been cheated at the table.

Furthermore, AI in poker has been proven to be a double-edged sword. As per engineering researchers at the University of Southern California, playing poker with ChatGPT isn’t flawless. Their recent study found that large-scale language models have a hard time analyzing potential gains and losses. As they cannot think for themselves, these programs are prone to miscalculations and elementary mistakes, which often escalate into an irrational decision-making process.

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AI: is it friend or foe?

For all the controversies surrounding AI-powered bots and tools, there are more nuances to artificial intelligence in poker than meets the eye. While countless players actively resist anything AI related, just as many poker lovers back up this transformative technology. Several AI advocates claim that the technology pushes them to be better players, while some argue that artificial intelligence is great for learning. By collecting a large amount of data points, AI programs deliver invaluable insight to their user. Professional players such as World Series of Poker competitor Seth Davis have used AI-based tools like PioSOLVER to analyze their hands in hindsight. Developed by Polish online pro player Piotrek Lopusiewicz, this program aims at helping players rethink their approach to the game.

AI has also revolutionized the iGaming landscape. Many online gambling websites put it to good use to prevent fraud and provide a safer environment for their users. Applying machine learning algorithms, AI-powered payment gateways can also smoothen financial transactions between businesses and their customers. That’s why many fast payout casinos use this system. Offering a quick and easy way to withdraw winnings, fast payout websites are gaining traction in the online gaming ecosystem. Such websites differ from their same-day withdrawal counterparts, as they prioritize getting users their funds within minutes instead of hours. A range of withdrawal options may include wallets or bank accounts. Better still, players may cash in their winnings with a few clicks of the mouse or taps on their mobile.

Artificial intelligence raises many questions as to its ethical implications in the realm of poker. While many players claim AI is killing the soul of the game, others take the opposite stance. One thing’s for sure, though, AI is likely to remain a burning topic in poker for years to come.