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Poker News:
Electronic Poker TablesBy PokerPages
Electronic poker tables are appearing in more Casinos and Cruise ships. Have you seen one yet?
There is a large screen in the center of the table for board cards and betting graphics. Then around the edge of the table there are smaller screens for each player that show hole cards and chip stacks. The smaller screens are built so they can be seen only by the person sitting directly in front of the screen, and not by anyone to the side.
A North Carolina company, PokerTek, has been manufacturing these tables, named PokerPro [tm], for the past two years. The tables now deal Texas Holdem. And they plan to launch Omaha in the near future.
The tables are noted for their fast dealing and rate of play. Lou White, CEO of PokerTek, claims that 50-60% more Texas Holdem hands can be played per hour at one of these tables than at a manual table. This is more in line with the number of hands per hour played online. More hands per hour equal more income for Casinos, on top of not having to pay for dealers. That is good news for poker, since many Casinos in the past had often decided to replace poker tables with slot machines based on the return per square foot per hour.
The tables are also noted for their accuracy. No more misread hands or accidentally flipped or mucked cards. Pots, even side pots, are quickly and precisely calculated.
Players have had mixed reactions. Some players point out it is better than playing online because they like being with other players for detecting tells and for socializing. But some they say they miss holding their cards and moving around physical chips.
Antonio Esfandiari raved about his experience with the table when he won an exhibition single table tournament with Mike Sexton, Clonie Gowen and Scott Fishman while he was at the Crown Casino in Melbourne for the Aussie Millions. He said he didn?t feel he was playing on a computer at all. And he definitely liked the idea of not having to tip dealers, thereby increasing his overall income.
So will these electronic poker tables fill Casinos and Cruise Ships? Will they replace live dealers and the sound of chips clattering and cards sliding across each other as they are dealt?
Top tournament director Matt Savage thinks the electronic tables will catch on, but that the change may not all be for the best. "Yes, [electronic poker tables] are definitely viable, which is unfortunate for those that work in the poker industry like dealers and floor men. However, they take away much of the skill in poker in my opinion. Chip tells and betting patterns are a big part of the game at the highest levels and I do not want to see that change."
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