Oleg Ostroumov: How I Created and Sold the World's First Poker Solver

Oleg Ostroumov, known in online poker as Laegoose, created a program that calculates the Nash equilibrium for No-Limit Holdem poker. This program used the Monte-Carlo Counterfactual Regret Minimization algorithm, which allowed it to evolve and improve its strategy over time.

Ostroumov decided to sell his poker solver program to a small number of professional players at a high price. He initially considered prices ranging from $500 to $50,000, but ultimately settled on a price that allowed him to earn $500,000 in the first year.

Ostroumov's decision to sell his program to a select group of professionals was strategic. He understood that keeping the existence of the program a secret would be beneficial, as opponents would be less likely to play against him if they knew he was using an optimal strategy. This approach allowed him to maintain an element of surprise and capitalize on the uniqueness of his product.