LA Pokerbots

LA Pokerbots is a one-week computerized poker tournament held at UCLA. Teams of 1–4 program a completely autonomous pokerbot in Python, C++, or Java that competes against other bots across 500K+ simulated hands. This free-to-enter competition is meant to engage students in strategic AI — game theory, probability, and code — with the opportunity to win cash prizes!

The competition is open to everyone; no poker experience is required, and starter bots plus workshops are provided. Competitors get kickoff night on Jan 10, nightly scrimmages through Jan 15, a qualifier round robin on Jan 16, and a live top-eight finals bracket on Jan 17 — alongside recruiting attention from our sponsors, which include leading quantitative trading firms.