ESPN's use of a new "AI tells detection" tool during its broadcast of the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event has sparked debate within the poker community. The overlay, which displays live metrics on players' movements alongside a "hand strength model" predicting what type of hand they might hold, raises questions about whether it offers genuine insight or is simply an unproven novelty being grafted onto a traditionally human skill.

The tool was built by Luke Geel, an AI engineer for the US Air Force, using footage from cameras covering just three tables throughout the tournament, which drew over 9,000 entries. It tracks inputs such as eye movements, blink rate, posture and chip-handling to estimate the likelihood a player holds a strong hand, a drawing hand or a bluff. Poker professionals, including final-table player Michael Gagliano, are sceptical of its accuracy, arguing the training data is too limited and player screen time too infrequent for the system to build a reliable picture, even after reviewing broadcast footage extensively themselves.