Humans Ace Computer in Poker Match

AI edged out, but programmers plan to up the ante
By Sam Biddle,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 25, 2007 5:03 PM CDT
Humans Ace Computer in Poker Match
Poker player Jerry Yang, of Temecula, Calif., poses with his prize money after winning the main event of the World Series of Poker at the Rio hotel-casino in Las Vegas, Wednesday, July 18, 2007. But the "Phantom Winnings" tax dictates that even with a net loss at the poker table, your "winnings" will...   (Associated Press)

Two top-rated professional poker players defeated the world's top poker computer after a tense John Henry-like showdown yesterday at an Artificial Intelligence Conference, CBC reports. The victory was determined by a tie-breaking round after both man and machine took one each; over 500 hands were ultimately dealt.

The lead scientist behind the card shark computer, dubbed Polaris, touted the tournament as a great milestone for artificial street smarts: "A few years ago, we had no chance against humans. Now, we're not better, but we're certainly competitive." And he plans on a rematch next year. "Within a few years it's clear that computers will be better than humans," he said. (More artificial intelligence stories.)

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