Humans Ace Computer in Poker Match

Two top-rated professional poker players defeated the world's top poker computer after a tense John Henry-like showdown yesterday at an Artificial Intelligence Conference, CBC reports. The victory was determined by a tie-breaking round after both man and machine took one each; over 500 hands were ultimately dealt.

The lead scientist behind the card shark computer, dubbed Polaris, touted the tournament as a great milestone for artificial street smarts: "A few years ago, we had no chance against humans. Now, we're not better, but we're certainly competitive." And he plans on a rematch next year. "Within a few years it's clear that computers will be better than humans," he said. (More artificial intelligence stories.)