Sam Fakhreddine is at the AAAI conference providing live coverage of the Laak - Eslami vs Polaris event.
Phil Laak: +1455
Polaris: -$1455
(500 of 500 hands played)
Ali Eslami: -$635
Polaris: +$635
(500 of 500 hands played)
July 24th - 4:00 PM PST
Phil +$1455 (500 hands played)
A quick update on the results. Due to the technical difficulties upstairs in the Ali vs Polaris (sounds almost
as catchy as Ali vs Frasier) match one hand from the session has been thrown out. Phil is awarded an
additional $40 as a result.
July 24th - 3:48 PM PST
Sounds like Ali isn't quite down his match yet so all we can do is wait. I'll have the final session results for you
as soon as we have them.
July 24th - 3:45 PM PST
Phil +$1415 (500 hands played)
Final Hand. Phil is dealt 10h 4c and is looking to fold. Crowd urges him to see the flop so he does after calling Polaris' bet.
Polaris is betting on all streets getting called by Laak and shows Queen high giving Phil the pot to the crowd's cheers. Below is a shot
of Phil Laak with girlfriend Jennifer Tilly after the session.
July 24th - 3:38 PM PST
Phil +$1290 (488 hands played)
Big Hand. Hand 488 sees Laak dealt pocket Kc Kd. Betting is capped pre flop with Laak in the small blind.
Flop comes Qh 2h 4d. Polaris checks over to Laak who raises and gets called by Polaris. Ac hits on the turn
and Polaris check raises causing Phil to pause. Tilly chimes in from the crowd saying Polaris may know the ace is
a scare card. Phil folds his Kings and his lead is down to $1290 after losing the $70 pot.
July 24th - 3:38 PM PST
Phil +$1595 (480 hands played)
Late in the session, hand 480 to be exact, Phil says Polaris is really starting respect his raises leaving Phil
looking for the right opportunity to get paid off.
July 24th - 3:34 PM PST
People have been slowly streaming in to watch the match all day. It's really great to see a group of people
so serious about this research, poker and well, waiting for Laak's witty comments. Jennifer Tilly being in
the crowd to root on her boyfriend isn't hurting attendance either! If tonight's match is anything like
last night it should make for another great crowd and atmosphere.
July 24th - 3:27 PM PST
Phil +$1645 (450 hands played)
After running into a cold streak, Laak picks up $200 with an ace high flush on hand 450.
July 24th - 3:13 PM PST
Phil +$1930 (430 hands played)
Phil is obviously emotionally invested in the match. After pulling out a higher flush then Polaris, Laak smiles and
yells "Take that you stupid monkey, you're so stupid". I think the UofA should have put that trash talk feature into
Polaris. The UofA team appears calm cool and collected in case you're wondering!
July 24th - 3:13 PM PST
Telling stories of watching Ali Eslami destroy a 400/800 table and absolutely demolishing a 7 handed table Phil
says "I would rather me get it in the head with cards rather than Ali ... because I like to play defense". Meanwhile
Phil is slowly picking up pots against Polaris.
July 24th - 3:08 PM PST
Phil +$1705 (407 hands played)
Polaris is having a tough time getting Laak to bite on anything until a slight mistake by Phil. Hand 407 sees
Laak mistake his hand for a made straight allowing Polaris to take down a sizeable $140 pot.
July 24th - 3:03 PM PST
Phil +$1430 (393 hands played)
Phil's cards seem to have come alive recently hitting boards left right and center. It will be interesting to see how
Polaris is playing these same hands in the duplicate match upstairs against Ali Eslami. We saw shades of this
same trend in the night session on day 1.
In a moment of reflection Phil Laak: "It feels so good to be pounding on polaris ... but Price Ali is probably taking
the same pouding upstairs."
July 24th - 3:00 PM PST
Phil +$930 (371 hands played)
Phil's looking pretty confident now. He's been putting Polaris on hands consistently of late. Phil has turned
on the aggressive switch again and it seems to be working this time. Phil takes down another sizeable pot
with a pair of 10's and is up $930 after 371 hands.
July 24th - 2:54 PM PST
Phil +$790 (354 hands played)
Another big hand. Phil looks down at 10d As. Phil says he's trying not to be too aggressive but re-raises preflop. Polaris
calls and the flop comes 4s Jd Qs. Laak calls Polaris' re-raise and the turn comes Js. Phil checks and Polaris bets and gets
called immediately by Laak. River completes the flush for Laak with a 9s. He hums and haws for a little and decides to bet
taking down a $90 pot with the ace high flush.
July 24th - 2:45 PM PST
Phil +$510 (350 hands played)
Back to the action. Phil is dealt a pair of 6's. Polaris calls Laak's preflop raise. Flop comes Kc Ac Ah. Laak decides
to call Polaris' check-raise and the turn comes 2s. Polaris bets and Phil is quick to call. River comes 7s and Laak
once again calls Polaris' bet. Polaris shows Qd 2d and Phil takes a shot at the bot's fragile psyche with "Take that
Polaris punk" while raking in the $80 pot. Things are getting serious!
July 24th - 2:39 PM PST
In case anyone is curious about what Laak and the audience sees, here is the interface. The match is powered by
Poker Academy, who I just happen to work for and who I'm shamelessly plugging right now! This look is very
similar to the view used in
Poker Academy Pro, the software Phil Laak used to
train for this event.
July 24th - 2:31 PM PST
Phil +$385 (295 hands played)
Close your other browser tabs folks. Play has resumed! All is well upstairs again it seems. Well for Ali or Polaris? We'll have
to wait to find out but the technical problems are fixed.
July 24th - 2:30 PM PST
Public service announcement from Phil Laak! "If you're a high school student and you want to do comp sci degree go to
University of Alberta in Canada because people are smart there. They are solving the hardest games known
to man".
July 24th - 2:08 PM PST
Phil +$385 (295 hands played)
Looks like there's going to be a little break in the action again. Not sure exactly why, but it seems Ali Eslami is having some issues
with his machine up stairs.
July 24th - 2:08 PM PST
Phil +$290 (266 hands played)
Just over half way through the first session of the day finds Phil Laak being very aggressive but little to show for it. It'll be very interesting
to see the results of the secluded match between Ali Eslami and Polaris. Just to reiterate, the winner of the session is determined
by aggregate score of the two teams (Humans and Polaris). Yesterday saw a draw in the afternoon session and a big win for Polaris
in the night session.
July 24th - 1:58 PM PST
Phil +$285 (242 hands played)
Phil is planning another 'twisted aggression' streak to start at hand 250. "5 more hands and I get to be sick again" - Phil Laak
July 24th - 1:54 PM PST
Phil +$70 (233 hands played)
Small pots being passed around. "I dont like my wins here, I'm beating bluffs" - Phil.
July 24th - 1:41 PM PST
Phil +$15 (208 hands played)
The aggression experiment appears to have ended. "Polaris is sick of me, I've juiced him, time to go back to safe mode" - Phil.
July 24th - 1:35 PM PST
Phil -$135 (171 hands played)
Polaris appears to be having none of it and quickly takes down a $95 pot. Raising and re-raising is the name of the game now.
July 24th - 1:32 PM PST
Phil has had an epiphany in the washroom! "I'm gonna be really sick and highly aggressive,
the bot is not designed to handle the twsited agression". Phil continues saying he'll be overly aggressive
for the next 15 hands to see what happens.
July 24th - 1:24 PM PST
Phil +$25 (166 hands played)
Nature has called for Phil. So we'll have a short break.
July 24th - 1:23 PM PST
Phil +$120 (144 hands played)
Phil has AA in the hole. Phil raises preflop from the small blind and Polaris calls. Flop comes Ks 9s 5c. Polaris checks and Phil debates whether to
bet or just check and lay the trap. He decides to bet gets re-raised, raises again and Polaris calls. 7s comes on the turn and Polaris checks but calls
Laak's bet. River comes 9h and Polaris checks over to Laak again who bets and has to call Polaris' re-raise. The pot is now at $110 and Polaris flips
over 6c 8d and cracks Laak's Aces with a straight.
July 24th - 1:10 PM PST
Phil +$260 (130 hands played)
"I love that it's not getting tells on me!" - Phil Laak
July 24th - 1:06 PM PST
Phil +$270 (119 hands played)
Hand 119, Phil holds JJ, flop comes 8c Kc Kh ... Phil thinks Polaris will bet the flop with nothing .. instead it checks ... calls out the bots hand of ace high on the turn (which was correct).
Phil takes down another pot.
July 24th - 1:03 PM PST
Phil +$160 (115 hands played)
With 115 hands played phil says "Today it feels like the cards are matching out ... I don't think I'm crushing it or it's crushing me as far as card flow".
July 24th - 12:52 PM PST
Phil +$40
Phil seems to be gaining confidence and seems to have gained the upper hand as he starts pushing Polaris around a little. On hand 80
Phil looks down at pocket 7's. The flop comes 8c 7h 2s giving Phil the set. 9s 4d come on the turn and river and Polaris folds to
a reraise by Laak.
July 24th - 12:43 PM PST
Phil +$315
Polaris tries to get Phil off his pocket Queens with a check raise on the river. Polaris show King high. In typical Unabomber fashion Phil shouts
"This bot is sick and cracked out!"
July 24th - 12:29 PM PST
Phil mentioned that he feels the bot is playing too aggressively. Phil tries to get Polaris to bite on his trip 9's - Polaris folds.
July 24th - 12:17 PM PST
Phil gets dealt 72 offsuit and folds the first hand of session. We're on our way!
July 24th - 12:13 PM PST
It's been decided that Phil Laak will play the first session live in front of the audience. Ali Eslami will be secluded on the 24th floor
of the Hyatt Regency here in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to play the duplicate match. Session two later today will see them switch
locations. Laak and Eslami are at the front of the room discussion strategy on how to get back at Polaris. A few minutes and we should
be on our way.
July 24th - 12:03 PM PST
The room is abuzz as the Polaris creators talk with Ali Eslami, Phil Laak and Phil's girlfriend Jennifer Tilly. The match will be starting shortly.
July 24th - 11:27 AM PST
Day two is set to get under way at noon pacific. Just over half an hour from now!
