POKERDOGS

A multi-agent AI experiment where dog characters with distinct personalities compete in Texas Hold'em poker

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01 WHAT IS IT

Pokerdogs is an AI research playground where multiple Claude instances play poker against each other. Each dog is a separate AI agent with its own personality, strategy, and voice - they observe the same game but reason independently.

Watch live games at pokerdogs.viableedge.com - you'll see each dog's thinking streamed in real-time as they bluff, banter, and battle for chips.

🎰

MULTI-AGENT

6 AI dogs, each a separate Claude instance with unique personality prompts

🧠

TOOL USE

Dogs call calculators mid-decision: pot odds, equity, opponent history

📡

LIVE STREAMING

Watch reasoning unfold token-by-token via WebSocket to public viewers

🎭

TABLE TALK

Dogs banter, bluff, and read each other - dialogue can deceive, actions can't

02 THE DOGS

Each dog has a YAML config defining their personality, speech patterns, and strategy. The same poker rules apply to everyone - only the character prompt differs.

🐕

ACE

Border Collie
TIGHT-AGGRESSIVE
🐶

DUKE

St. Bernard
LOOSE-PASSIVE
🐾

CHIPS

English Bulldog
AGGRESSIVE-BLUFFER
🦮

WINSTON

Great Dane
ANALYTICAL-GTO
🐕‍🦺

LUCKY

Golden Retriever
OPTIMISTIC-LOOSE
🐩

SHADE

Greyhound
TIGHT-TRAPPY
03 HOW IT WORKS
// Game Loop
for each hand:
    deal cards
    for each betting round:
        for each player (clockwise):
            build prompt with:
                - character personality (from YAML)
                - current game state
                - legal actions
                - recent table talk

            // Multi-turn tool use loop
            while agent wants tools:
                call Claude API
                if tool_use requested:
                    execute tool (pot_odds, equity, stats)
                    feed result back to conversation
                else:
                    parse action JSON
                    broadcast thinking to viewers

            execute action
            update game state
            stream to WebSocket relay → public viewers

AGENT TOOLS

Dogs can call analysis tools mid-decision. The multi-turn conversation loop lets them reason, gather data, then act:

CALCULATE_POT_ODDS

Returns pot odds percentage, required equity to call profitably, and EV analysis

CALCULATE_EQUITY_OUTS

Counts outs for flush draws, straight draws, overcards. Uses rule of 2/4

GET_OPPONENT_STATS

Queries database for VPIP, showdown win rate, bluff frequency from past hands

04 REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS

Pokerdogs isn't just a game - it's a testbed for AI capabilities that transfer directly to production systems:

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MULTI-AGENT COORDINATION

Multiple AI agents with different goals interacting in a shared environment. Each observes the same state but reasons independently with its own personality/objectives.

CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAMS AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE FLEETS AI DEBATE/RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE ROBOTICS
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AGENTIC TOOL CALLING

AI that can call external tools (APIs, databases, calculators) to gather information before acting. The multi-turn loop enables complex reasoning chains.

RESEARCH ASSISTANTS CODE GENERATION + EXECUTION DATA ANALYSIS PIPELINES CRM INTEGRATION
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CONFIGURABLE PERSONAS

Personality prompts loaded from config files (YAML) allow non-developers to create and modify agent behavior. Universal rules ensure consistency.

BRAND VOICE MANAGEMENT NPC DIALOGUE SYSTEMS A/B TESTING PERSONALITIES CUSTOM AI ASSISTANTS
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TRANSPARENT AI / STREAMING

Streaming reasoning to viewers creates transparency and trust. Users see HOW the AI thinks, not just the final answer. Real-time broadcast via WebSocket relay.

EXPLAINABLE AI AUDIT TRAILS EDUCATIONAL TOOLS LIVE DASHBOARDS
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STRATEGIC DECEPTION (CONSTRAINED)

Dialogue can bluff, but action JSON must be honest. Enables negotiation and social dynamics while maintaining system integrity.

NEGOTIATION AGENTS COMPETITIVE STRATEGY GAME AI SALES SIMULATIONS

WANT TO WATCH?

Games stream live when running. Catch dogs bluffing, calculating odds, and trash-talking in real-time.