| Many gambling chats and news groups devoted to | | | | 10 years research work of a team of specialists. |
| poker more and more frequently anxiously | | | | "The strategy of the game is difficult and to sit |
| mention the so-called card-playing robots, known | | | | down and write a program that can beat a table |
| as "bots" in the nomenclature of the Web, that | | | | of experienced human players is no trivial task," |
| are being used on commercial gambling sites. | | | | Billings said. According to his the opinion, the |
| Many players are sure that a number of gambling | | | | biggest obstacles lie in the amount of information |
| portals prospers due to the use of the special | | | | unavailable to the player and the need for the |
| programs, able to beat an above-average player, | | | | program to be able to employ a variety of |
| not mentioning a beginner. In a traditional casino | | | | strategies at different times, such as bluffing and |
| you can always guess the weak sides of your | | | | laying traps for opponents, etc Exactly for this |
| competitor, figure out his strategy and etc, in a | | | | purpose artificial intelligence was added to the |
| virtual gaming house there is no telling your | | | | system, capable not only calculate probabilities but |
| competitor is a human, but not specially created | | | | also line up logic of game, model it's opponents |
| program, "substituted" for a real player. | | | | behavior, etc. |
| If it is true, then widespread of poker bots | | | | In the opinion of creators of "Vex Bot", its main |
| capable of beating an average player would pose | | | | advantage is that, as well as any other robot; |
| a significant problem for poker sector. Without | | | | they have no emotions, no fear and no shame |
| creation of a special system verifying the identity | | | | and can not be nervous. He will remain indifferent |
| and "humanity" of cards players in on-line casinos, | | | | even before the most aggressive player. |
| the business could be significantly undercut. This is | | | | Journalists, studying the problem of poker boats, |
| an opinion of players themselves, and gambling | | | | note that it is very difficult to get the real picture |
| figures, interested in further development of | | | | because of the unwillingness of many gambling |
| on-line game industry. | | | | operators to answer upon requests on this issue. |
| Some skeptics say that, considering the | | | | There are no high-quality programs, able to watch |
| complexity of the game and constantly changing | | | | suspicious poker sites with the unusual patterns of |
| strategies, creation of the program that can read | | | | game. |
| opponents' cards using special techniques of | | | | Representative of CryptoLogic Company, |
| screen scanning and respond in real time is many | | | | commenting this problem, mentioned that some |
| decades away at best. The supporters of this | | | | players, suspected to use of boats, have been |
| point of view point to the variety of commercial | | | | banned from the member sites. Sometimes it is |
| programs that purport to help players, but with | | | | just impossible to be sure who plays is a human |
| no actual effect. However there is a ready | | | | or robot, but a company, exposing all unusual |
| answer for all of these objections - in Canadian | | | | strategies, prefers to be reinsured and protect |
| University of Alberta a computer poker research | | | | itself from the possible socializing with a bot. |
| group has developed an artificially intelligent | | | | Professional players, speaking about the popularity |
| automaton known as "Vex Bot". This robot is | | | | of poker bots, mention how advantageous it can |
| capable of playing poker at master level in a | | | | be: if you have the program, able to play 25 |
| game with two players. The new system has | | | | casinos simultaneously, two tables apiece and |
| already been used to test the frontiers of artificial | | | | even if you are playing a minimum $10-20 on a |
| intelligence, as it will be the basis for commercial | | | | game, you earn $1000 an hour. The participants |
| poker tutorial program. As soon as the news | | | | of many gambling chats are distressed that the |
| about robot creation was published in media, the | | | | computer programs have already took the place |
| creators began to receive letters mentioning the | | | | of interactive poker. Skeptics are sure that poker |
| danger of system use for the purposes of illegal | | | | will continue to become more popular, in spite of |
| gambling business. | | | | all of threats from the side of programmers. In |
| Darse Billings who is lead designer of "Vex Bot" | | | | their opinion, it's only a matter of time before |
| considers that probability of the use of bots on | | | | more people want to create their own bots to be |
| commercial sites is approximately 50:50, but he is | | | | remembered, but all of these attempts are |
| also sure that all of the modern programs can | | | | doomed to failure. |
| unlikely match his creation, which is a result of a | | | | |