Supercomputers & Poker: Why New AI Tech Won't Kill the Game

2.26 billion years worth of problem solving, complete in less than five minutes. This is Jiuzhang's achievement, China's latest quantum computer. It joins the ranks of countless others, each one equipped to process information faster than you can imagine. Quantum chemistry, complex math, machine learning—all completed at a scale and speed we've never seen before.

In 2025, multi-opponent Texas Hold'em poker isn't solved, but tech like Jiuzhang sure makes us wonder. It would be the smartest, fastest bot ever seen. If we faced off against quantum computers, would it lead to the end of online poker?

It's Not the First Time Poker Has Been Threatened..

"Online poker is dead" is not a new prediction. Our digital card games have faced threats before (and still do).

Threat #1: Poker Bots

Billionaire venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya estimated online poker only has a few years left, before AI learns to mimic us so adeptly it becomes undetectable. In quantum computing terms, such a task would be child's play. A few keystrokes, and whoever is at the helm would be as talented as a hundred Phil Iveys, but know how to feign humanity. A little delay here, a slight mistake there, and voila; a poker bot with human tendencies.

It's true that bots probably represent the single largest assault on fairness, and (most) poker rooms know this. Modern security and detection efforts are built up around this threat. The next threat to poker is slightly more human.

Threat #2: Real Time Assistance (RTA)

Real time assistance, or RTA, is exactly what it sounds like. This is when a player uses some form of help to increase their skill in games. Most commonly, players might open range charts or a solver during online games, which is forbidden by poker sites' rules. It's not just average Joes looking for a bit of assistance—even sponsored players get stuck with their hand in the RTA cookie jar. In a single month, Ebony Kenny and Nacho Barbero were caught during tournaments on their own poker room (ACR).

RTA has limitations. Whereas bots can affect games from start to finish, it's a bit more difficult to use RTA throughout a hand. You'd constantly need to adjust charts or input data into the solver, which gets a bit difficult.

Threat #3: Cheaters & Hackers

All hackers are cheaters, but not all cheaters are hackers. Let's break it down:

Cheaters break poker room rules for advantage, and they hope, profit. Cheating takes many forms, like collusion with other players, ghosting, or infiltrating the poker software to gain an edge.
Hackers infiltrate systems, exploit vulnerabilities, and gain unfair advantages through manipulating software. In a high-profile recent hack, a user named MoneyTaker69 found a way to exploit GGPoker. During hands, the user was able to view equity percentages and always make correct decisions.

Cheaters and hackers represent threats to poker, but are not as widespread as the other threats we've mentioned. Rooms usually act quickly to ban the accounts, freeze funds, and take further steps to correct the situation.

So Why Won't Supercomputers and AI Kill Online Poker?

When and if supercomputers are turned on our beloved game of poker, sites will pivot. We currently find non-human play through studying data, and that's how sites find out if a real person is playing. But, what if these supercomputers know how to emulate those patterns?

You know the answer, even if you haven't thought about this yet. Its all about the human element. Like many poker sites do now, we'll have to verify a human is playing, but in a slightly different way. Captcha codes used to be the gold standard, but obviously, they won't be forever. New weapons in this war will be needed, and many of them are ready.

Online poker can live a long life, but only if we have strict ways to verify a human is hitting that lucky one-outer on you—not a bot. So, if the human element becomes the only guarantee of fair play in poker, how do we verify that?

Lets look at five different way's to verify humans are calling, betting, raising, and hopefully, folding to your bluffs.

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5 Ways Future Poker Sites Will Find Poker Bots

All of the verification methods you're about to learn about already exist, but not on poker sites. Your client might use one or two, but surely not all of them.

Here are a few potential methods, each with upsides and downsides that we'll explain:

Option #1: Behavioral Biometrics

While you play poker in the future, behavioral biometrics may be measured.

This means everything from tracking mouse jitters to mapping your screen gestures on mobile devices. In theory, it would also include precise timing records for keystrokes, measurements for typical mouse paths, and even the pressure of your clicks. As you check-raise and make monster laydowns, it works in the background, making sure it's actually a human playing.

As keyboards and mice become more intelligent, it's likely that behavioral biometrics will have even more useful data to verify us.

Upsides of Behavioral Biometrics:	Downsides of Behavioral Biometrics:
Background process Allows you to focus on the game No webcam required Difficult for bots to recreate due to timing Constantly validates human play	May not function smoothly on certain mouse setups More challenging on mobile devices

Upsides of Behavioral Biometrics:

Downsides of Behavioral Biometrics:

Background process

Allows you to focus on the game

No webcam required

Difficult for bots to recreate due to timing

Constantly validates human play

May not function smoothly on certain mouse setups

More challenging on mobile devices

Option #2: Active Liveness Checks

Liveness checks aren't always convenient, but they could save poker players from cheaters.

When a program requests a liveness check, it's asking for exactly what you'd imagine; some proof being alive, or at least, human. How does it actually work? Well, using a futuristic poker site as an example, you'd be doing actions on command. In front of your webcam, you'd follow prompts for blinking, head turns, looking around, or even sticking out your tongue. In more passive liveness checks, a selfie might be all it takes. You might have already done one of these checks when signing up for a new app, like Tinder or Bumble.

This tech could also track eye movements, and prompt users to do things like, "Follow the animation on-screen with your eyes" or "Look through throwables to chuck at the player who successfully called your shove with bottom pair."

Upsides of Active Liveness:	Downsides of Active Liveness:
High degree of human verification Uses tech many users are familiar with already Each liveness check should take seconds, not minutes	Slightly more "invasive" than other methods Takes more time than other methods

Upsides of Active Liveness:

Downsides of Active Liveness:

High degree of human verification

Uses tech many users are familiar with already

Each liveness check should take seconds, not minutes

Slightly more "invasive" than other methods

Takes more time than other methods

Option #3: Hardware-Backed User Presence Checks

Hardware-backed user presence checks are similar to liveness checks, but without webcam use.

Imagine you're in an online poker cash game, and an opponent bets half pot. But, before you can call, a prompt pops up on screen. If your future poker site has user-presence checks, the prompt might ask for a biometric scan, a PIN, or a code from your authenticator. These prompts would probably appear more often in high-stakes games, and during games to provide some time pressure.

It's easy to imagine that some of those methods might be susceptible to bots, but probably not a biometric scan.

Upsides of User Presence Checks:	Downsides of User Presence Checks:
Easy for legitimate users to use Very low chance of misuse by legitimate users	Some verification methods could be easier to spoof Interrupts gameplay briefly

Upsides of User Presence Checks:

Downsides of User Presence Checks:

Easy for legitimate users to use

Very low chance of misuse by legitimate users

Some verification methods could be easier to spoof

Interrupts gameplay briefly

Option #4: Proof of Personhood (PoP)

Proof of personhood (PoP) is used on sign-up, to make sure a human sets up the account.

This method thwarts bot farms and large group of illegitimate players. When setting up an account, PoP ensures a real human is signing up, limiting one user to one account. This is a nightmare for large-scale bot operations, because they'll struggle to set up enough phony players to be profitable. How does it work? With credentials and identification, combined with local government verification, poker sites could ensure each account is owned by a real player.

After proof of personhood is confirmed, sites would need to use option 1, 2, or 3 to verify humans are actively playing after sign-up.

Upsides of Proof of Personhood:	Downsides of Proof of Personhood:
Only takes place once Doesn't affect gameplay Hampers large-scale bot organizations	More of a first step, not confirmation of "human right now" Needs to be combined with other protections

Upsides of Proof of Personhood:

Downsides of Proof of Personhood:

Only takes place once

Doesn't affect gameplay

Hampers large-scale bot organizations

More of a first step, not confirmation of "human right now"

Needs to be combined with other protections

Option #5: Trusted Input Paths

A trusted input path confirms a program is legitimate, unaltered, and approved.

If you've played PC games, you're familiar with anti-cheat programs. These piggyback off your main program and constantly check for any unwanted bugs or cheat programs. A trusted input path works the same. A poker site would use this to verify that as you play, no other programs are interacting with your client. If some future AI poker bot was trying to take the reigns and boost your win-rate, a trusted input path checker would flag it and shut down your game. All inputs and keystrokes must take the "trusted path" from you to the client. Any overlay or restricted inputs would cause a freeze of your poker game (and possibly your funds as well).

In the arms race of computer programming, these anti-cheats require lots of uptake, but are a valuable line of digital defense.

Upsides of Trusted Input Paths:	Downsides of Trusted Input Paths:
Background process that doesn't affect gameplay Constantly checks	Depending on permissions, could pose a privacy risk Requires constant updates from developers

Upsides of Trusted Input Paths:

Downsides of Trusted Input Paths:

Background process that doesn't affect gameplay

Constantly checks

Depending on permissions, could pose a privacy risk

Requires constant updates from developers

Online Poker Won't Die, but Times Are Changing

Nothing stays the same as the years go on. Playing poker in 2030 will never be the same as it was in the days of Planet Poker or Full Tilt.

However, humans are adaptive creatures. We clearly love this game, and will protect it in new and creative ways. Expect players to be concerned about privacy. Expect players to dislike having to verify in the middle of games. Expect players to say things like, "poker has changed."

Well, one day, it must change.

We can't all hit the casino for poker fix, because it isn't an option for everyone. Americans and Europeans might have cardrooms within driving distance, but for other nationalities, laws stand in the way. Offshore poker sites are the only option for players who live in many Asian countries, and even in legalized countries, casinos might be too far away. If the poker tables are an hour away, and an hour on the way back, will you drive there regularly? Probably not.

Some people think about online poker as a spinoff product, as if live poker is the main way to play—but its not. Rough estimates say there are 100 million online players spread around the world.

Poker companies will need to adapt to the changing landscape, to protect their business and players. And, they will, because it's going to preserve their profit.

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