Players feeling stuck in certain situations now have a chance for some advice from a poker savant at GGPoker. Perhaps there are some cash game spots that seem confusing? Maybe your short stack tournament game needs some work?
GG recently launched the new “Ask Fedor” feature to offer players a look at how to tweak their strategy in situations like these. The new offering features artificial intelligence (AI) with insight from poker pro and site ambassador Fedor Holz.
The company and Holz recently offered PokerScout some insight on how the new training tool came about and what went into adding it to the platform.
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How GGPoker’s ‘Ask Fedor’ feature works
Online poker players in need of some fine tuning can now get insight from one of the best players in the game. The company describes the tool as an innovative deep-learning system, designed around the powerful Prometheus AI system.
Players using the tool receive feedback on their play with a rating from one to five. The advice also includes a recommendation on better choices the player could have made during the hand.
The goal is to then see improvement over a long period of time after getting some recommendations.
All GG players are given five free “Asks” to use when they log in to the site. There are also a few subscription plans players can use as well to gain even more help.
Adding to the poker training environment
Bringing in players and allowing them the opportunity to reduce the learning curve has become key for online poker operators.
GG sees “Ask Fedor” as a way for players to add to their knowledge base and help close the gap with other more experienced players.
“We all know there are solvers out there and many professional and semi-professional players, the so-called ‘regs’, make use of them to analyze their play and improve,” GG spokesman Paul Burke says.
“We thought it would be great if we can use this technology to coach all GGPoker players and lessen the skill gap between recreational players – ‘recs’ – and regs. Providing easy access to powerful feedback facilitates greater learning opportunities for all GGPoker recs.”
Fine tuning the product
The GG team has spent the last year working on the project, perfecting the tool and smoothing out bugs. Handling scalability was one of the major technical challenges the team faced.
“We needed an AI solution that could handle the large number of players at GGPoker, and we needed that AI to revert with analysis and suggestions as quickly as possible,” Burke says. “We are working on improvements to make this turnaround even faster, as many GGPoker players have embraced Ask Fedor already and usage is going up.”
Company officials are pleased with the results so far, but say there are still ways to improve the platform. GG wants to provide feedback for more game types beyond Texas Hold’em. The goal is also to expand Ask Fedor into an even more powerful learning platform.
“GGPoker always works to make the game fun and fair for all, and Ask Fedor furthers our work in leveling the playing field that was begun by our introduction of PokerCraft and offering many what was previously only available to a select few,” Burke says. “Having a fully integrated and friendly user experience within the GGPoker platform helps with accessibility and adoption as well.”
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Holz plays major role in the project
Many poker fans already know Fedor Holz. He has won two World Series of Poker bracelets and has $32.7 million in live tournament winnings. Holz tells PokerScout that he was heavily involved in designing the Ask Fedor feature.
“I’m part of the Prometheus team that developed and supplies the AI that powers the Ask Fedor feature,” he says. “We worked closely together with GGPoker to create the best possible integration and user experience.
“I gave feedback within the development process of the AI that powers Ask Fedor, so you can say that my spirit is built into it.”
One of the key bullet points for the tool, Holz notes, is simply the depth of advice and knowledge players can gain. He believes Ask Fedor can be a critical piece of technology for players looking to add to their toolbox of skills.
“Ask Fedor is an incredibly valuable tool that will provide a very high-quality answer if you are unsure about how you played a hand,” he says. “This allows for better play in the future of course.
“Having this capacity at your fingertips is something professional players pay tens of thousands of dollars for, and we made an even more powerful and responsive solution available for much less. Ultimately, we want players of all levels to be able to level up their game.”