The future of casino poker rooms...

WAY more info here than at pokerpro's website:

PokerTek Inc. - Nasdaq: PTEK - POKERPRO® > THE AUTOMATED POKER ROOM

Not sure this item as been posted before, but it is in VERY few casinos this far. You can see locations here, it's not even in Vegas yet (click on locations):

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Anyway, I was at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City a couple months ago. We'd heard about the brand spanking new poker room, and they had just began free demos there, for no money. The place was empty, so me & my boyfriend sat down & played each other. This one was tournament style, but since it was a demo, people were allowed to join in anytime. And once folk walked in, saw us play and watched how the software worked, they were anxious to try it.

Bottom line, no dealer, so the casinos cut down on employees (salaries/benefits), and you don't have to tip the dealer. They hands move faster (more rakes for the house), and less worry about dealer mistakes for the player. These machines cannot be cheap (I'd LOVE to know). I just wonder how good an investment this would be for a huge poker room like the Borgata - like how long would it take to pay for itself.

Curious if anyone can think of any reason that casinos might not do this? Nostalgia? Tradition? Old money uncomfortable with anything techy?

All I can say is that it was really easy, and lots of fun. You just cup your hand over the cards, they appear - lift your hand, disappears in a nanosecond.

P.S. My best guestimate was that there were 20 of these new tables. They had completely replaced the humanoid dealer.

Dealer-less games have been tried by casinos before (blackjack, roulette, etc.) and have always failed. I suspect that this will remain at more of a "good for the rec room" type level of acceptance.

I just don't see it replacing live dealers.

Never live, but I have seen these on Youtube YouTube - PokerPro.


I have only played online, and been working up my nerve to sit at a live table. At first I thought this would be pretty cool, and a way to make it a little easier to get into playing a live game.

But you know what? I think I would rather have a dealer and real chips.

That opinion doesn't hold much weight from someone who has never sat down at a live table, I know. Just going by instinct, I guess.

Pretty cool machine though.

They have them here in melbourne (crown) and i have played on them quite a few times.
They have about 5-6 tables with .50/1 and 1/2 nlhe limits.
I guess there ok but when you go to casino you want to play with real chips and real cards.
Thats my view on it anyway, thought they would have been more popular in the states.

When i first played in a casino i started on those tables and i guess it does help players ease into playing live from online. Although i much prefer playing with chips n all.

They are very popular on cruise ships. Would probably work real well at small local slot parlors that want to cash in on the current poker craze.

When they first legalized poker in Atlantic City (mid 90's maybe), the only game was stud, and and they had $.25/.50 games, which I played freely. For some reason, I am now intimated by even the (minimum) $1/$2 tables. But there was something about the 'machine thing', that made it less intimidating for me. Even though it was a demo, I could see myself sitting down for real money easier. Go figure.

These would work very well in small casino poker rooms, or where they already work well, cruise ships.

I dont see them replacing live dealers/chips/cards anytime soon though, thats the reason people go to play live poker.... IMO.

I would hate to play at a casino without the dealer because then it would be like playing online, but worse.

You'll see them used to offer lower limit games that the casino can't afford to pay a dealer for but I really think that's where their use will end. I don't think they'll ever replace dealers.

i would love to play on these machines. i get tired of dealers and locals chatting about personal stuff hows the kids where did you go on vacation. who's gonna win there favorite college team ballgame. i know this may be trivial but i came there to play cards. i love to sit at a table with a dealer. like someone said its a good transition from online to dealer table.

well i really dont mind this. i kinda like the casino sometimes. if you have a bad day at poker why not try a few spins at the casino with the same account. it gives you more options.

I'm wondering if it could qualify as an electronic machine in order to be featured at Philly Park or Harrah's Chester. They have the electronic blackjack and roulette there.

I'll let you know how it is, there is 1 table of these on a cruise i am going to (San Diego to Cabo San Lucas) in September. I am really looking forward to it (maybe i can get a pic too)

No thanks. I prefer the old fashioned dealer in live and tourney play.

I only go with computer generated hands on my laptop when I can't get out to play live.

I will never play at one of these. It would be way too much like playing online poker and I'd end up like I play at home online.

The reality is that nobody wants to see an irate naked man screaming obscenities at a monitor while playing poker at a casino.

Oh, you're still playing with other folks at the same table. Only the dealer is missing. They make it look like a cheering section at every table, but I'd imagine the atmosphere would be more subdued than a real dealer table, 'sanitary' if you will.

They have these at a poker room in my area:

WhyPlayPokerPro

Lots of people were pissed when they first put them in, but they've had them for over a year. I guess they've been doing OK with them. Remains to be seen if their customers are regulars or just the curious. I haven't been there, but I might go try 'em since I'm curious.

I'd imagine they have poker slots too, as the do in Atlantic City. I think this machine is a little different, as you're still betting against other live bodies sitting at the table. But who knows. Hey, I wish they would. There's a bus right at the corner that gets me to Philadelphia Park in a 1/2 hour. Gotta get there some day just to see. With AC being a free 1 & 1/2 hr bus trip, why go anywhere else.

At the rate of automation, soon you'll be able to just call the casino, give them you credit card #, they'll tell you if you've won or not, and they will charge the losses to your card. See, five minutes and you're done...no travel required.

I was gonna bring up Crown as well - they've had them for at least two or three years, and they've not really made a dent in the live dealer games.

The only time you really see more than one or two tables of PokerPro going is when they're running a specific Poker Pro tournament. Otherwise, they've got dozens of the tables and most of them sit empty.

Any way to avoid the dealer chips is a good thing to me. I hate to leave a casino down $20 and realize that I had given more than that to a dealer.

I played one on a cruise ship and loved it. The biggest problem is that with one machine, you are stuck with what that machine offers. If there were many so you could choose a specific game and limit, would be great.

You have the same problem with live dealer tables, FWIW.

I've just worked out the other major problem with these tables too:

Typically, you have to register and get yourself a special PokerPro swipe card to be able to play them. I know it's one of the reasons I've never bothered, and having to fiddle about doing that would likely turn a few casual or tourist payers away as well.

Casuals and tourists are the ones you want on your table. Something that discourages them, like having to sign up for some swipe card that they may only use once (but may receive a lifetime of casino junk mail as a result of) could be a major discouragement.

As a supporter of labor unions and the working man in gerneral, I HATE this idea. I want a live dealer or i'll stay home and play online. I know most people could give a damn but dealers have families and mortgages too and I would hate to see someone lose a job. All the nonesense complaining I hear about how these poker sites "rig" the hands, the casino could do the same thing if you believe this crap. A live dealer makes the atmospere of live poker for me. I am old of course and not used to doing everything virtually. Machines will replace people and no one will have money to play poker with.

Really hate this. If I want to play looking at a computer screen to play poker, I would've stayed home and not wasted my money...horrible idea.

Well, there were maybe 15 - 20 of these machines in the room. Albeit this is a huge Atlantic City casino, not a cruise ship. And while each machine is surely capable of any game, stakes, or limit, each table is more than likely set by the house, just as they do in a 'normal' poker room. A simple matter of supply & demand, so you'll probably see a lot of low - mid stakes holdem. I'm guessing they will not frequently fill up, especially mid-week. You could probably ask the pit boss for your own omaha table.

I don't think it will replace live dealers but I do see it catching on in places that don't have live play .
in hot springs (ark) they have slots and now have the blackjack ones but no poker as of yet . the players are at the same table so you could get some reads and I think it would be better than online poker. I'm for it