Computers have outplayed humans in chess and Go for decades. But poker was long considered unhackable. The game requires not just crunching numbers, but creativity and complex strategy. That only started to change about 10 years ago, when a new generation of unbeatable poker bots began to appear online. 

The makers of the technology remained in the shadows, so Bloomberg’s Kit Chellel set out to find them. On today’s Big Take podcast, he joins David Gura to share the story of how a group of Russian students invented the world’s best online poker bots and what that means for the multi-billion-dollar industry.

Read more: The Russian Bot Army That Conquered Online Poker

Computers have outplayed humans in chess and Go for decades. But poker was long considered unhackable. The game requires not just crunching numbers, but creativity and complex strategy. That only started to change about 10 years ago, when a new generation of unbeatable poker bots began to appear online.  The makers of the technology remained in the shadows, so Bloomberg’s Kit Chellel set out to find them. On today’s Big Take podcast, he joins David Gura to share the story of how a group of Russian students invented the world’s best online poker bots and what that means for the multi-billion-dollar industry.
Read more: <a href="The%20Russian%20Bot%20Army%20That%20Conquered%20Online%20Poker">The Russian Bot Army That Conquered Online Poker</a>

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

The Genius Minds Behind the World’s Best Poker Bots

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/fb6b7192-2bdd-405a-99bc-b1f10116df2d/transcript

Diana looks into the town’s newest arrivals: What’s their deal — and who are their friends?

Today on The Big Take: Chapter 2 of Our Town, a limited-run series from Bloomberg and The Big Take, hosted by Meribah Knight with Bloomberg’s Susan Berfield.

Our Town tells the story of a battle over identity fought on one small town’s soil, where acreage, heritage, and what it means to be an American are all up for grabs.

New episodes of Our Town publish on Mondays, but you can listen early on Fridays right here in The Big Take feed. We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer. 

Hosted by Meribah Knight with Susan Berfield Produced by: Rebecca Laks with Julia Weaver and David Fox and help from Laura Newcombe Edited by: Ken Armstrong with Rebecca Laks Original Score and Mixing by: Alex Sugiura Fact-checking by: Annika Robbins Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer

Diana looks into the town&rsquo;s newest arrivals: What&rsquo;s their deal &mdash; and who are their friends? Today on The Big Take: Chapter 2 of Our Town, a limited-run series from Bloomberg and The Big Take, hosted by Meribah Knight with Bloomberg&rsquo;s Susan Berfield.
Our Town tells the story of a battle over identity fought on one small town&rsquo;s soil, where acreage, heritage, and what it means to be an American are all up for grabs.
New episodes of Our Town publish on Mondays, but you can listen early on Fridays right here in The Big Take feed. We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts"> Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>&nbsp;
Hosted by Meribah Knight with Susan Berfield Produced by: Rebecca Laks with Julia Weaver and David Fox and help from Laura Newcombe Edited by: Ken Armstrong with Rebecca Laks Original Score and Mixing by: Alex Sugiura Fact-checking by: Annika Robbins Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer

Our Town Chapter 2: This Dangerous Venture of Yours

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/010a12b1-29de-43b2-a9b1-b4a5015f21e7/transcript

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake that devastated Colombia this week was also an immediate test for the country’s new Trump-aligned president. Abelardo de la Espriella, who campaigned on slashing Colombia's deficit and cracking down on armed rebel groups, now faces the prospect of  stalling coffee shipments and a costly relief effort, in his first week in office.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura talks to Bloomberg’s Oscar Medina in Bogotá, Colombia, and Travis Waldron in Brasília, Brazil, about what this moment could mean for a divided Colombia — and for Latin America’s tilt to the right.

Read more: 
‘Waiting for Any Sign of Life’: Colombia Reels After Quake
Colombia Quake Toll Tops 260, Prompting Economic Emergency
Colombia Earthquake Pressures President Right From the Get-Go

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Victor Swezey; Reported by Travis Waldron and Oscar Medina; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott. Fact-checking by Laura Newcombe and Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Emma Munger. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake that devastated Colombia this week was also an immediate test for the country&rsquo;s new Trump-aligned president. Abelardo de la Espriella, who campaigned on slashing Colombia's deficit and cracking down on armed rebel groups, now faces the prospect of&nbsp; stalling coffee shipments and a costly relief effort, in his first week in office.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, host David Gura talks to Bloomberg&rsquo;s Oscar Medina in Bogot&aacute;, Colombia, and Travis Waldron in Bras&iacute;lia, Brazil, about what this moment could mean for a divided Colombia &mdash; and for Latin America&rsquo;s tilt to the right.
Read more:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-11/-waiting-for-any-sign-of-life-colombia-reels-after-earthquake">&lsquo;Waiting for Any Sign of Life&rsquo;: Colombia Reels After Quake</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-12/colombia-quake-death-toll-tops-200-as-foreign-aid-arrives">Colombia Quake Toll Tops 260, Prompting Economic Emergency</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-08-11/colombia-earthquake-pressures-president-right-from-the-get-go">Colombia Earthquake Pressures President Right From the Get-Go</a></li>
</ul>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>
Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Victor Swezey; Reported by Travis Waldron and Oscar Medina; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott. Fact-checking by Laura Newcombe and Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Emma Munger. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

A Major Earthquake Challenges Colombia’s New Right-Wing President

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/21de274e-239f-4247-8118-b4a501607c2f/transcript

The launch of Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3 model has taken the tech world — and Washington — by storm, raising urgent questions about how a Chinese startup can suddenly rival the world's most powerful AI systems.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Mark Anderson about the distillation method behind Moonshot’s breakthrough and what it means for the high-stakes AI race between the US and China.

Read more: Moonshot Plans IPO in Six Months After China AI Breakthrough

The launch of Moonshot AI&rsquo;s Kimi K3 model has taken the tech world &mdash; and Washington &mdash; by storm, raising urgent questions about how a Chinese startup can suddenly rival the world's most powerful AI systems.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take Asia podcast, host Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg&rsquo;s Mark Anderson about the distillation method behind Moonshot&rsquo;s breakthrough and what it means for the high-stakes AI race between the US and China.
Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-19/china-s-moonshot-plans-ipo-in-six-months-after-ai-breakthrough">Moonshot Plans IPO in Six Months After China AI Breakthrough</a>

The Chinese AI Model Rattling Silicon Valley and Washington

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b394d917-ac7d-46f8-8513-b4a4014f7a44/transcript

The Genius Minds Behind the World’s Best Poker Bots

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