Poker bots are becoming more popular as people try and gain an edge on the game. The bots have been around for years but haven’t really been taken seriously until recently. Most of what’s out there is still garbage and require you do a ton of your own programming to get them up and running. But they have been improving since they first showed up on the scene, and some observers were beginning to think that they were better than live players.

That theory was put to the test last July when pro poker players Phil Laak and Ali Eslami took on the bot in a battle of abilities. After 500 hands, the players beat the bot by $570. That result was similar to tests done earlier, showing that the bot is not quite up to human ability yet. If it can’t beat Phil Laak, it’s not gonna make you a lot of money.