Legendary chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov is in the New York Review of Books saying (via the NY Times ideasblog) it\’s time for computer programmers who make chess-related AI to learn a thing or two from the people (bots?) playing programmable poker.
Consider it a backhanded compliment:
Perhaps chess is the wrong game for the times. Poker is now everywhere, as amateurs dream of winning millions and being on television for playing a card game whose complexities can be detailed on a single piece of paper. But while chess is a 100 percent information game—both players are aware of all the data all the time—and therefore directly susceptible to computing power, poker has hidden cards and variable stakes, creating critical roles for chance, bluffing, and risk management.