Did You Know? AI Once Beat Humans At Poker

Over the course of 20 days, Libratus played 120,000 hands against four elite professional poker players

The Brains vs Artificial Intelligence competition at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh. Photo Credit: Carnegie Mellon University

Poker has long been seen as a skill-based, strategic, and human opponent-reading game. However, that notion was disproved in 2017 when an AI system named Libratus defeated some of the top poker players in the world in a high-stakes, no-limit Texas Hold’em event. This was more than just a victory; it was a turning point for AI.

Meet Libratus, the game-changer

Libratus was created by Carnegie Mellon University researchers to understand the unpredictability of poker. Since players in poker are unaware of their opponents’ hand combinations, bluffing and deceit are crucial components of the game, unlike in chess or go. This uncertainty was a problem for traditional AI, but Libratus changed the story.

Over the course of 20 days, Libratus played 120,000 hands against four elite professional poker players – Jason Les, Dong Kim, Daniel McAulay and Jimmy Chou. The outcome? AI won by a margin of more than $1.7 million in chips. The system was an unstoppable force because it could create nearly flawless betting strategies, adjust to human playstyles, and improve its techniques over night.

How Did Libratus Win?

Libratus employed reinforcement learning to continuously enhance its approach rather than learning chess moves by heart. It determined the best bets, assessed possibilities, and even learnt how to bluff, which was previously believed to be a skill only humans possessed.

However, its self-improvement algorithms were its true strength. Libratus never grew weary, tilted, or changed its games in real-time in response to fresh data, unlike human players who might exhibit patterns or weariness.

Beyond Poker: Why This Matters

Libratus’ success wasn’t just about poker. It demonstrated that AI could excel in decision-making under uncertainty, a skill applicable in real-world areas like finance, cybersecurity, negotiations, and military strategy. The ability to outthink human opponents in complex situations signalled a major leap in AI’s capabilities.

The Future of AI in Gaming

While Libratus retired from poker, its legacy continues. AI-driven bots are now commonplace in gaming, from chess to eSports. However, concerns remain about fairness and the ethical implications of AI outplaying humans in competitive environments.

However, the fact that AI defeated humans at poker was shown to be more than just a game-changer; it was also a sign of what was to come in the field of artificial intelligence.