Billings and his colleagues have yet to produce software capable of beating Ferguson, who is seen as a particular challenge because he is unfazed by an opponent who gives away no physical clues. But they relish the challenge of besting a world champion who holds a doctorate in artificial intelligence and game theory. For now, though, just about any top human player can outplay the robots. In a pair of exhibition matches concluding the World Poker Robot championships, the big-name professional Phil "Unabomber" Laak was recruited to play the machines. As a partisan crowd chanted "Hu-mans! Hu-mans!" he swiftly disposed of both the Alberta program and the newly minted world champion, a program called PokerPro. Nobody was surprised.