About the Poker AI

Poker 1 on 1 with Vanessa Rousso has a custom made Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Virtual Vanessa

Each of the play styles Vanessa uses in the Lesson Games are different--and correspond to the game title. Some styles are more likely to bluff, others will bet bigger or smaller, some slow play a great hand more often.

When playing "Casual" or "Medium" levels in the quck-games, one of Vanessa's lesson-game styles of the appropriate skill will be chosen at random.

Vanessa's Professional AI is (by-far) the toughest player in the game. She will watch and keep track of your play and adjust her own strategies to counteract what you are doing. The goal was to (as closely as possible) make the computer play like the real Vanessa Rousso.

While no computer simulation can match the insight and subtlety of a real poker player--let alone a professional--the computerized Vanessa should offer a strong game and a challenge even for experienced poker players.

Does the AI player cheat or peek at the cards?

NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!
That wouldn't be any fun from either a playing or game programming standpoint.

How does the AI player work?

The computer runs many simulated hands based on the 'known' cards (its own cards plus board cards) to determine a baseline strength of its own hand. It then adjusts the baseline hand strength using many factors such as board texture, player aggression, and betting patterns. There is also a large degree of weighted randomization to make the AI player more difficult to 'read.' It knows how to buff, slow-play, continuation bet, protect its hand, recognize draw-heavy (scary) boards, recognize the player's betting tendencies, and more...