The PokerAI.org computer poker AI Awards are awarded anually in five categories.
On this page you can find information about the nomination and selection processes as well as the list of past winners.

The Best Poker Paper Award

2008: Michael Bradley Johanson (MBJ) - "Robust Strategies and Counter-Strategies: Building a Champion Level Computer Poker Player, Michael Johanson, M.Sc. thesis, October 2007."
2009: Aaron Davidson (none) - "Opponent Modeling in Poker: Learning and Acting in a Hostile and Uncertain Environment, Aaron Davidson, 2002"

This prize is awarded to the best poker paper (that had not win in this category in the past).

Nominations are implicit. Abstract has to be posted on PokerAI Poker Papers forum. There are no requirements for the time of publishing of the paper. The winner is determiend by the voting in the best poker paper thread in the Poker Papers forum. Prize for the winners still has to be determined and the long run we would like to have this as a monetary award. Please contact us if you know one that is willing to sponsour such initiative.

The Best Bot-detection Idea Award

2008: casey999
2009: aiaiai

This prize is awarded for the most innovative and brilliant idea on how to detect pokerbots, for the purpose of not allowing them to play for real money.

With more and more topics getting mature and well studied, there is hardly anything that can surprise us. The information in out forums about how to detect bots playing in online games, as well as possible ways to counter attack that is a factor of x10 of what exists anywhere else on the net. With our current team, there is hardly any problem which we cannot (and often have not) solved. Which means - we have little motivation to accept additional members in our private research forums. Winning the best bot-detection idea award might come up as your only chance to get access to this information, and become part of these teams.
Nominations: It is a self nomination. Send a private message with your idea to Indiana, or , and Indiana will repost it for private discussion in the Anti-Detection sub-forum. The rule to determine the winner is voting by the members of the Anti-Detection forum. Prize for the winner is entry in the Anti-Detection forum.

The Best PokerAI Thread/Post Award

2008: ok|select - HU Limit Preflop Equilibrium
2009: loudion - The secret of building small LUTs

This prize is awarded for the most significant thread or post on PokerAI forums for the year 2008. Nominations are normally 3-5, selected by Indiana, until December 1st. The rules to determine the winner is voting by all Level1 members. Prize for the winner has still to be determined. For the time being, it is just a little glory, and when we introduce one in the future we will award that retrospectively.

The Best Bot Award

2008: Not awarded for 2008.
2009: Not awarded for 2009.

The most exploitive real money bot (determined by average big blinds won per 100 hands). The size of the blind does not matter, as long as it is real money. At least 100,000 hands has to be played. This prize was not awarded for 2008, and we are reconsidering how to make this happen going forward.

The Most Profitable Bot Award

2008: Not awarded for 2008.
2009: Not awarded for 2009.

The most profitable real money bot (determined by average $US won per 100 hands). The size of the blind does not matter, and at least 100,000 hands has to be played. This prize was not awarded for 2008, and we are reconsidering how to make this happen going forward.

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