A poker-playing computer program developed at the University of Alberta will battle against a pair of poker kings in a ,000 contest this summer.

Polaris, the reigning world champion computer poker program, will challenge two of the sharpest poker players in the world, professionals Phil "The Unabomber" Laak and Ali Eslami. The two-day event will happen in conjunction with the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence's annual conference, held this year on July 23 and 24 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver B.C.

"This is a world first, and, I hope, the beginning of something that will grow and become an annual event," said Dr.