Editing Computer poker player (section)

== Historic contests ==

=== ICCM 2004 PokerBot competition ===
One of the earliest no-limit poker bot competitions was organized in 2004 by International Conference on Cognitive Modelling.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.lrdc.pitt.edu/Schunn/ICCM2004/index.html | title=Iccm 2004}}</ref> The tournament hosted five bots from various universities from around the world. The winner was Ace Gruber, from [[University of Toronto]].<ref>https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/bitstream/1842/2392/2/Carter%20RG%20thesis%2007.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>

=== ACM competitions ===
The [[Association for Computing Machinery|Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)]] used to host competitions where the competitors submit a piece of software capable of playing poker on their specific platform. The event hosts conducted the contests by operating the software and reporting the results.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}

=== The 2005 World Series of Poker Robots ===
In the summer 2005, the online poker room Golden Palace hosted a promotional tournament in Las Vegas, at the old Binions, with a $100k giveaway prize. It was billed as the 2005 World Series of Poker Robots.  The tournament was bots only with no entry fee.  The bot developers were computer scientists from six nationalities who traveled at their own expense.  The host platform was Poker Academy.  The event also featured a demonstration heads-up event with Phil Laak.

=== University of Alberta's Man V Machine experiments ===
In the summer 2007, the [[University of Alberta]] hosted a highly specialized heads-up tournament between humans and their Polaris bot, at the AAAI conference in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The host platform was written by the [[University of Alberta]]. There was a $50k maximum giveaway purse with special rules to motivate the humans to play well.  The humans paid no entry fee.  The unique tournament featured four duplicate style sessions of 500 hands each.  The humans won by a narrow margin.

In the summer of 2008, the [[University of Alberta]] and the poker coaching website Stoxpoker ran a second tournament during the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.  The tournament had six duplicate sessions of 500 hands each, and the human players were Heads-Up Limit specialists.  Polaris won the tournament with 3 wins, 2 losses and a draw.  The results of the tournament, including the hand histories from the matches, are available on the competition website.

=== The 2015 Brains vs AI competition by Rivers Casino, CMU and Microsoft ===
From April–May 2015, Carnegie Mellon University Sandholm's bot, [[Claudico]], faced off against four human opponents, in a series of no-limit Texas Hold'em matches.<ref>{{cite news|title=Brains vs. AI: Computer faces poker pros in no-limit Texas Hold'em|work=UPI|author=Marilyn Malara|date=April 25, 2015|url=http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2015/04/25/Brains-vs-AI-Computer-faces-poker-pros-in-no-limit-Texas-Holdem/6431429965877/|accessdate=April 26, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Rivers Casino's Brains vs AI|url=http://www.riverscasino.com/pittsburgh/BrainsVsAI/|access-date=2015-10-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203181010/http://www.riverscasino.com/pittsburgh/BrainsVsAI|archive-date=2016-02-03|url-status=dead}}</ref> Finally, after playing 80,000 hands, humans were up by a combined total of $732,713. But even though humans technically won, scientists considered the win as statistically insignificant (rather, a statistical tie) when that $732,713 is compared to the total betting amount of $170,000,000 ($170 million). However, some have determined this claim to be disingenuous.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|title = Brains Vs. AI {{!}} Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science|url = https://www.cs.cmu.edu/brains-vs-ai|website = www.cs.cmu.edu|access-date = 2016-02-10}}</ref> Statistically insignificant here means that the programmers of Claudico can not say with 95% confidence (a 95% confidence interval) that humans are better than the computer program. However, it is a statistically significant win on a 90% confidence interval. This means that the human players are somewhere between a 10 to 1 and 20 to 1 favorite.<ref name="auto"/>

The way the tournament was structured was in two sets of two players each. In each of the two sets, the players got the opposite cards. Meaning if the computer has As9c (Ace of Spades & Nine of Clubs) and the human has Jh8d on one computer, the other of the two players in the set will have As9c up against the computer's Jh8d. However, even with the human players winning more than the computer—not all of the players were positive in their head-to-head match ups.

The totals for each of the players winnings were as follows:
* Douglas Polk: +$213,671
* Dong Kim: +$70,491
* Bjorn Li: +$529,033
* Jason Les: -$80,482<ref>{{Cite web|title = Brains vs Artificial Intelligence|url = http://www.riverscasino.com/pittsburgh/BrainsVsAI/#sm.000hrle2c18s7du3zk31h7wk8qcc2|website = www.riverscasino.com|access-date = 2016-02-10|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160203181010/http://www.riverscasino.com/pittsburgh/BrainsVsAI#sm.000hrle2c18s7du3zk31h7wk8qcc2|archive-date = 2016-02-03|url-status = dead}}</ref>

=== The Annual Computer Poker Competition ===
From 2006 to 2018, the Annual Computer Poker Competition ran a series of competitions for poker programs.  Since 2010, three types of poker were played: Heads-Up Limit Texas Hold'em, Heads-Up No-Limit Texas Hold'em, and 3-player Limit Texas Hold'em.  Within each event, two winners are named: the agent that wins the most matches (Bankroll Instant Run-off), and the agent that wins the most money (Total Bankroll).  These winners are often not the same agent, as Bankroll Instant Run-off rewards robust players, and Total Bankroll rewards players that are good at exploiting the other agents' mistakes.  The competition was motivated by scientific research, and there was an emphasis on ensuring that all of the results are statistically significant by running millions of hands of poker. The 2012 competition had the same formats with more than 70 million hands played to eliminate luck factor.

Some researchers developed web application where people could play and assess quality of the AI. So as of December 2012 the following top groups and individual researchers’ agents could be found:
* Hyperborean (9 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze)
* Bluffbot (1 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals)
* Sartre (1 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze medals)
* Neo Poker Bot (1 gold, 5 bronze medals)

==== Results ====

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 70%; height=60px;"
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |  '''2010''' <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://poker.cs.ualberta.ca/news_2010.html|title=CPRG|website=poker.cs.ualberta.ca}}</ref>
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |  '''Heads-up Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|-  style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''PULPO (Marv Andersen, UK)''<br /> 2. ''Hyperborean-TBR (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 3. ''Sartre (University of Auckland, New Zealand)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''Rockhopper (David Lin, USA)''<br /> 2. ''GGValuta (Mihai Ciucu, Romania)''<br /> 3. ''Hyperborean-IRO (University of Alberta, Canada)''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''Heads Up No Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|- style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Tartanian4-TBR (Carnegie Mellon University, USA)''<br /> 2. ''PokerBotSLO (Universities of Maribor & Ljubljana, Slovenia)''<br /> 3. ''HyperboreanNL-TBR (University of Alberta, Canada)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''HyperboreanNL-IRO (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. ''SartreNL (University of Auckland, New Zealand)''<br /> 3. ''Tartanian4-IRO (Carnegie Mellon University, USA)''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''3-max Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|- style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Hyperborean3P-TBR (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. ''LittleRock (Rod Byrnes, Australia)''<br /> 3. ''Bender (Technical University Darmstadt, German)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''Hyperborean3P-IRO (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. ''dcu3pl-IRO (Dublin City University, Ireland)''<br /> 3. ''LittleRock (Rod Byrnes, Australia)''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |  '''2011''' <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://poker.cs.ualberta.ca/news.html|title = CPRG}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebestpokersitesonline.com/poker/poker-bots/|title=Poker Bots Evolution – from History to the Future|date=8 July 2020}}</ref>
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |  '''Heads-up Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|-  style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Calamari (Marv Andersen, UK)''<br /> 2. ''Sartre (University of Auckland, New Zealand)''<br /> 3. ''Hyperborean-2011-2p-limit-tbr (University of Alberta, Canada)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''Hyperborean-2011-2p-limit-iro (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. ''Slumbot (Eric Jackson, USA)''<br /> 3. ''Calamari (Marv Andersen, UK)''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''Heads Up No Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|- style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Lucky7 (Mikrospin d.o.o., Slovenia)''<br /> 2. ''SartreNL (University of Auckland, New Zealand)''<br /> 3. ''Hyperborean-2011-2p-nolimit-tbr (University of Alberta, Canada)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''Hyperborean-2011-2p-nolimit-iro (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. ''SartreNL (University of Auckland, New Zealand)''<br /> 3. ''Hugh (USA & Canada)''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''3-max Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|- style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Sartre3p (University of Auckland, New Zealand)''<br /> 2. ''Hyperborean-2011-3p-limit-tbr (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 3. ''AAIMontybot (Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic)''<br /> 3. ''LittleRock (Rod Byrnes, Australia)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''Hyperborean-2011-3p-limit-iro (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. ''Sartre3p (University of Auckland, New Zealand)''<br /> 3. ''LittleRock (Rod Byrnes, Australia)''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |  '''2012'''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |  '''Heads-up Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|-  style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Slumbot (Eric Jackson, USA)''<br /> 2. ''Little Rock (Rod Byrnes, Australia)''<br /> 2. ''Zbot (Ilkka Rajala, Finland)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''Slumbot (Eric Jackson, USA)''<br /> 2. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 3. ''Zbot (Ilkka Rajala, Finland)''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''Heads Up No Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|- style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Little Rock (Rod Byrnes, Australia)''<br /> 2. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 3. ''[[Tartanian]]5 (Carnegie Mellon University, USA)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. ''Tartanian5 (Carnegie Mellon University, USA)''<br /> 3. ''Neo Poker Bot (Alexander Lee, Spain)''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''3-max Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|- style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. ''Little Rock (Rod Byrnes, Australia)''<br /> 3. ''Neo Poker Bot (Alexander Lee, Spain)''<br /> 3. ''Sartre (University of Auckland, New Zealand)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. ''Little Rock (Rod Byrnes, Australia)''<br /> 3. ''Neo Poker Bot (Alexander Lee, Spain)''<br /> 3. ''Sartre (University of Auckland, New Zealand)''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |  '''2013'''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |  '''Heads-up Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|-  style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Marv (Marv Anderson, UK)''<br /> 2. ''Feste (François Pays, France)''<br /> 2. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''Neo Poker Bot (Alexander Lee, Spain)''<br /> 2. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 3. ''Zbot (Ilkka Rajala, Finland)''<br />3. ''Marv (Marv Anderson, UK)''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''Heads Up No Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|- style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Slumbot NL (Eric Jackson, USA)''<br /> 2. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 3. ''Tartanian6 (Carnegie Mellon University, USA)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. '' Slumbot NL (Eric Jackson, USA)''<br /> 3. '' Tartanian6 (Carnegie Mellon University, USA)''<br /> 3. '' Nyx (Charles University, Czech Republic)''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''3-max Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|- style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. ''Little Rock (Rod Byrnes, Australia)''<br /> 3. ''Neo Poker Bot (Alexander Lee, Spain)''|| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. ''Little Rock (Rod Byrnes, Australia)''<br /> 3. ''Neo Poker Bot (Alexander Lee, Spain)''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |  '''2014'''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |  '''Heads-up Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|-  style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Escabeche (Marv Andersen, UK)''<br /> 2. ''SmooCT (University College London, UK)''<br /> 3. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)'' <br /> 3. ''Feste (Francois Pays, France)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | '' ''<br /> '' ''<br />  '' ''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''Heads Up No Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|- style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Tartanian7 (Carnegie Mellon University, USA)''<br /> 2. ''Nyx  (Charles University, Czech Republic)''<br /> 2. ''Prelude (Unfold Poker, USA)'' <br /> 2. ''Slumbot (Eric Jackson, USA)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''Tartanian7 (Carnegie Mellon University, USA)''<br /> 2. ''Prelude (Unfold Poker, USA)''<br /> 2. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)'' <br /> 2. ''Slumbot (Eric Jackson, USA)''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''3-max Limit Texas Hold'em'''
|- style="text-align: center;"
| style="width:50%" | Total Bankroll || style="width:50%" | Bankroll Instant Run-off
|- style="padding-left: 10px"
| style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px"| 1. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. ''SmooCT (University College London, UK)''<br /> 3. ''KEmpfer (Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany)'' || style="width:50%; padding-left: 7px" | 1. ''Hyperborean (University of Alberta, Canada)''<br /> 2. ''SmooCT (University College London, UK)''<br /> 3. ''KEmpfer (Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany)''
|-
|}

=== Pluribus ===
The final poker contest was not public. When the [[Pluribus (poker bot)]] program consistently beat professionals at 6-hand no-limit Hold’em, the result was quietly announced on a Facebook post.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/poker-playing-ai-knows-when-hold-em-when-fold-em-180972643/|title=This Poker-Playing A.I. Knows When to Hold 'Em and When to Fold 'Em|first=Meilan|last=Solly|website=Smithsonian}}</ref>