FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What exactly do I build?+

Your team builds a fully autonomous poker bot in Python, C++, or Java. You program how it makes decisions, and the competition engine plays the hands automatically against other teams' bots.

Do students actually play poker?+

No. This is a programming competition, not a live poker tournament for participants. You write and improve your bot; the bots are the ones that play each other.

How much coding experience do I need?+

All experience levels are welcome. Prior programming experience helps, but the event is designed so motivated students can learn quickly during the sprint.

How many people can be on a team?+

Teams may have 1–4 members.

What is the tournament format?+

Bots compete over 500,000+ hands to reduce variance. The top 8 teams from the qualifier advance to a live finals bracket.

When is LA Pokerbots?+

Kickoff is January 10, 2027. Teams build and scrimmage January 10–15, qualifiers are January 16, and live finals are January 17.