AI-Powered Fantasy Games Of Chance To Explode In 2018
A computer poker program called Libratus won the Best Use of AI Award in November last year. For players of games of chance online like myself, it was an exciting news that offered a sneak peek into this year. My gut says there will be some sensational, new fantasy games of chance this year, thanks to advancing technologies and evolving AI capabilities.
Libratus AI played over 120,000 hands and collected $1,776,250 in winnings in a Texas hold ’em poker tournament in February last year.
The creators of Libratus are both from Carnegie Mellon University in the U.S. They are Noam Brown, a Ph.D. student, and Tuomas Sandholm, a computer science professor.
In a statement after receiving their award, Brown said, “The best AI’s ability to do strategic reasoning with imperfect information has now surpassed that of the best humans.” It is a big deal in the tech community, as it opens doors to many possibilities, gaming options included.
Three clever and evidently powerful algorithms are at work on Libratus. Its smart system carefully analyzed the players’ history and predicted their behavioral choices during games. Its AI will continue to improve with each passing game as it continues to collect big data for a deeper analysis.
With a hyper-intelligent AI, Libratus poker becomes even more of a game of skill than a game of chance for the human players. Imagine playing with some AI who knows a lot about how you managed your cards from a dozen or more previous games.
You have to really up your game. You cannot simply depend on luck. Still, no one can completely remove the element of chance from the game.
How About One Thousand and One Nights?
I used to play a blackjack app that features popular fiction characters like Red Riding Hood and real-life legends like Blackbeard. It was amusing, so I got hooked. It eventually got boring, though. The graphics and narrative started to look old.
Today, I am thrilled at the prospect of one day playing a fantasy game of chance with stunning graphics and incredible bot opponent. I imagine playing blackjack and poker in a series of interwoven fantasy stories using apps or websites like saudicasinos.com. I would play as Shahryar and the AI would be Scheherazade, both from One Thousand and One Nights.
The AI’s game play would be based on the behaviors of the fiction characters in the Arabian Nights. It would be awesome to feel what it’s like to play with characters from old myths and legends.
I am positive that this year, we would see fantasy games of chance that would truly engage us for a long time.
Are poker and blackjack really games of chance or games of skill?
There has been an endless discussion on the nature of poker and blackjack. Are players merely relying on luck? Or, is there really skill involved to win these games?
Outside the digital space, where players face to face, I believe poker and blackjack are both skills games. Perhaps they are 20 percent games of chance. However, what we do as players with the hands we are dealt require skills, strategies, and careful timing.
In cyberspace where we humans can play card games with AI, the game becomes only 10 percent game of chance. Perhaps that just works for me. However, there is so much that we can pick up from eye expressions, unguarded gestures and even friendly banter arising from merely seeing someone.
Why 2018 is the Year of Fantasy Games of Chance
People are always looking for a great story. Players who get hooked on their video games get addicted because of how it feels to be in the story.
Now, with the advancements in technology, AIs could creatively move stories forward while playing with humans. Just thinking about is making me smile.
After Libratus success, game developers and website operators would be inspired to make things even better for us lovers of fantasy games of chance. There will be some new “human brains versus AI” titles that would captivate us. All we have to do now is wait.