Via NY Times:
The machines, called Texas Hold ‘Em Heads Up Poker, play the limit version of the popular game so well that they can be counted on to beat poker-playing customers of most any skill level. Gamblers might win a given hand out of sheer luck, but over an extended period, as the impact of luck evens out, they must overcome carefully trained neural nets that self-learned to play aggressively and unpredictably with the expertise of a skilled professional. Later this month, a new souped-up version of the game, endorsed by Phil Hellmuth, who has won more World Series of Poker tournaments than anyone, will have its debut at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. The machines will then be rolled out into casinos around the world.
Points:
- “The job involved using neural networks. Functioning much like an extremely focused, one-dimensional version of the human brain, these complex computer algorithms develop strategies that emerge through so many repetitive mathematical calculations that few humans could reproduce, much less endure them.”
- “A lot of people who play this are interested in live poker, but they are too intimidated to jump in there,” says Anthony Lucas, professor of casino management at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. “[This] gives them a chance to play without running the risk of being judged or embarrassed for making a bad move. This is private. Nobody criticizes your strategy.” In addition, he says, it’s perfect for a generation that likes to lose itself in Angry Birds: “If you prefer not to interact or socialize with people, you can play this game the same way you would watch TV or go online.”
- “Because a never-beatable game will not succeed in a casino, the machine was programmed to occasionally play in a weak, passive style, seeming to reduce the game’s edge and re-engaging casual players.”
