Men top machine in Texas Hold ‘em faceoff

PITTSBURGH — The humans won!

The question now, though, is how long can they hold off the computer?

The two-week long “Brains Vs. Artificial Intelligence” poker tournament at Rivers Casino on the North Side, closely watched around the world by poker and artificial intelligence enthusiasts, ended Friday.

Four of the world’s best Heads-Up, No-Limit, Texas Hold ‘em poker players came out on top, beating Claudico, the computer poker program designed over the last decade by a team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, by a combined $732,713 theoretical dollars or chips. (No real money was wagered.)

“It’s definitely been a good run,” said Bjorn Li, who finished with the biggest lead over Claudico, $529,033 ahead. That earned him $44,676 from the $100,000 prize pot that the casino and co-sponsor Microsoft put up for the players to divide based on the outcome of the tournament. Doug Polk, the world’s top-ranked online player, won $26,734, Dong Kyu Kim won $18,589, and Jason Les won $10,000.

Three of the four human players — all four ranked in the top 10 in the world in online, Heads-Up, No-Limit Texas Hold ‘em — won more than they lost against Claudico. The humans also won 10 of the 13 days of the tournament, with 80,000 hands of poker played in total.

Although the gap between the humans and Claudico seemed large, Tuomas Sandholm, the CMU computer science professor who has overseen Claudico’s development, said that when you consider the humans’ win rate, and the fact that the total amount wagered over the two weeks in theoretical dollars was $170 million, $730,000 is not that much.

“From a statistically significant perspective,” Sandholm said during a news conference this morning marking the end of the tournament, “it is still a statistical draw.”

Polk, who had the second highest lead on Claudico to Li — $213,671 — followed Sandholm to the microphone to respectfully disagree.

The humans’ win rate — 9.1 big blinds per 100 hands played — indicates “a fairly close match,” Polk said.

“But I wouldn’t say that’s a tie,” he said. “I’d say the humans have the edge.”

All sides — the players, CMU and Rivers Casino — are interested in having another tournament in the future to see if an improved Claudico can come out on top and settle the debate.

Sam Ganzfried, one of Sandholm’s Ph.D. students who helped design Claudico, said given everything they will learn from reviewing how the 80,000 hands were played: “I think we can have a new program that can beat the humans in a year.”

After two straight weeks of poker, all four players conceded they were tired from playing up to 12 hours a day, not including two to four hours of analysis work after that on some days.

Sandholm invited all four players to his home for dinner Friday, a kind gesture the players good-naturedly figured had another purpose.

“I think they really want to find out how they can improve the bot,” Li said with a smile. “But I don’t think there’s too much we can share with them because we might be coming back some day.”

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

A firefighter stands in silence before a panel bearing the names of L. John Regelbrugge and Kris Regelbrugge during the ten-year remembrance of the Oso landslide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Flood of emotions’ as Oso Landslide Memorial opens on 10th anniversary

Friends, family and first responders held a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m. at the new 2-acre memorial off Highway 530.

Julie Petersen poses for a photo with images of her sister Christina Jefferds and Jefferds’ grand daughter Sanoah Violet Huestis next to a memorial for Sanoah at her home on March 20, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. Peterson wears her sister’s favorite color and one of her bangles. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
‘It just all came down’: An oral history of the Oso mudslide

Ten years later, The Daily Herald spoke with dozens of people — first responders, family, survivors — touched by the deadliest slide in U.S. history.

Victims of the Oso mudslide on March 22, 2014. (Courtesy photos)
Remembering the 43 lives lost in the Oso mudslide

The slide wiped out a neighborhood along Highway 530 in 2014. “Even though you feel like you’re alone in your grief, you’re really not.”

Director Lucia Schmit, right, and Deputy Director Dara Salmon inside the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Oso slide changed local emergency response ‘on virtually every level’

“In a decade, we have just really, really advanced,” through hard-earned lessons applied to the pandemic, floods and opioids.

Ron and Gail Thompson at their home on Monday, March 4, 2024 in Oso, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In shadow of scarred Oso hillside, mudslide’s wounds still feel fresh

Locals reflected on living with grief and finding meaning in the wake of a catastrophe “nothing like you can ever imagine” in 2014.

Alan Dean, who is accused of the 1993 strangulation murder of 15-year-old Bothell girl Melissa Lee, appears in court during opening statements of his trial on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Guilty: Jury convicts Bothell man in long-unsolved 1993 killing

Even after police arrested Alan Dean in 2020, it was unclear if he would stand trial. He was convicted Thursday in the murder of Melissa Lee, 15.

Ariel Garcia, 4, was last seen Wednesday morning in an apartment in the 4800 block of Vesper Dr. (Photo provided by Everett Police)
Everett police searching for missing child, 4

Ariel Garcia was last seen Wednesday at an apartment in the 4800 block of Vesper Drive. The child was missing under “suspicious circumstances.”

The rezoned property, seen here from the Hillside Vista luxury development, is surrounded on two sides by modern neighborhoods Monday, March 25, 2024, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Despite petition, Lake Stevens OKs rezone for new 96-home development

The change faced resistance from some residents, who worried about the effects of more density in the neighborhood.

Rep. Suzan DelBene, left, introduces Xichitl Torres Small, center, Undersecretary for Rural Development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture during a talk at Thomas Family Farms on Monday, April 3, 2023, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Under new federal program, Washingtonians can file taxes for free

At a press conference Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene called the Direct File program safe, easy and secure.

Former Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy Jeremie Zeller appears in court for sentencing on multiple counts of misdemeanor theft Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ex-sheriff’s deputy sentenced to 1 week of jail time for hardware theft

Jeremie Zeller, 47, stole merchandise from Home Depot in south Everett, where he worked overtime as a security guard.

Everett
11 months later, Lake Stevens man charged in fatal Casino Road shooting

Malik Fulson is accused of shooting Joseph Haderlie to death in the parking lot at the Crystal Springs Apartments last April.

T.J. Peters testifies during the murder trial of Alan Dean at the Snohomish County Courthouse on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Bothell cold case trial now in jury’s hands

In court this week, the ex-boyfriend of Melissa Lee denied any role in her death. The defendant, Alan Dean, didn’t testify.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.