What is technology teaching us about poker?

Playing poker involves dealing with imperfect or incomplete information, which can make the game very complex. Earlier this year, a computer system called Libratus demonstrated that computers can do this better than any human card player.

Surprised? You are not alone! Poker requires intelligence and emotional reasoning that has proven tricky for computers to replicate.

The poker-playing AI beat four human players in a marathon match lasting 20 days. One of the key areas for a poker player (human or AI) to focus on includes their ability to apply strategy and reasoning, which in turn will truly strengthen their game.

There has certainly been a seismic shift in poker over the last ten years or so. Many industry insiders cite technology as a key factor, with online poker websites having a considerable influence. These websites provide easy, flexible and convenient access to playing poker, allowing players to play at a time that is convenient for them from any location. This flexibility is encouraging men and women who have never played before to take up the game.

By nailing the essential skills in poker, you might end up being as successful as the likes of Daniel Negreanu!

Why is this way of playing proving to be so popular? The general consensus is that an online poker environment is one of the best ways to try out the game, and it is a less intimidating and slower-paced way to play than more traditional poker-playing environments.

It seems that online poker players are happily embracing the new way of playing poker and are generally more adept at embracing innovative technology.

Technological advances such as apps, high-performance smartphones and faster broadband have all contributed to the increase in the number of individuals choosing to play poker online.

There have also some been some interesting developments, such as ‘advanced number recognition’ technology, which is used to convert the real cards that you hold into digital information for playing online.

One of the newest advances in technology within the world of online poker is virtual reality, which could allow a typical online player to experience an authentic ‘real life’ poker environment from the comfort of their own home.

Even the likes of video channel ‘Twitch,’ an online gaming community video platform, demonstrates the strong influence of technology. It receives over 100 million unique viewers per month, which is phenomenal.

The internet and emerging technologies are changing how we play poker and are having a significant impact on the game itself. Did you know that there are now over 60 million poker players in America alone? This accounts for 10% of the adult population, which demonstrates how fast the online poker scene is growing. One has to question whether these stats would remain as impressive if individual players were forced to leave their homes and visit a traditional poker-playing environment.

So, what of the future? How can we expect technology to influence the world of poker? Well, based upon recent developments over the last decade, we can certainly expect a continued focus towards online poker playing across the world. And with the additional prospect of virtual reality, we are looking forward to some exciting developments when technology meets the world of poker!