Online Poker on a PDA?

[Lost Wages]

With PDA's now sporting built-in cell phones, how long will it be before one of the online poker rooms writes the software so we can play on the go? This would be a great opportunity for one of the smaller rooms to beat the big boys to the punch.

Lost Wages

[DrSavage]

I really hope that doesn't happen. They would all be on sucky connections and every table would have 4 people timing out now and then. That would slow the game to the crawl.
On a side note i would LOVE pockertracker to work on PDA so i can analyze my hands while riding train.

[slavic]

writing an interface would be easy for the pokertracker database on a CE style device. Unfotunatly your database would be huge and likely not as easy to transfer.

[SamJack]

Many Cellfones and Wireless enabled PDAs are starting to have Java VMs on them. So certainly the technology is there to make this happen.

There are some hurdles that probably need to be overcome:

1. Screen real estate. A real problem with cellfones.
2. Security of cellular internet transactions.
3. Critical mass of potential users. I think at least in the U.S. There aren't a huge # of people walking around with cellular enabled PDAs.
4. As mentioned by another poster, reliability of connection.
5. Cost. Cellular internet access is still prohibitably expensive.

I think though, if it does become available, I would be one of the first to jump in. Especially, if it becomes available as a front end to an existing (and large) site like Party.

Sam

[SamJack]

Cool, I'm an 'enthusiast' /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[DrSavage]

It's not huge, just big. Several hundred megabytes are not that big a deal. Right now i carry database with me in MP3 player so i can upload it to work computer and do some analyzing.
I wouldn't think Pat would ever get to doing it though and I don't have motivation to do it myself /images/graemlins/frown.gif.

[Chris Parsley]

Guts Poker, before they folded into Tiger Poker, did have a PDA version of their cardroom...

So it has been tried

[Cyndie]

one of the major cellphone carriers has DSL speed internet access...Or at least almost DSL speed.

I used it briefly when travelling. It was unlimited access for $99.95 per month, but that was in addition to the cell phone bill itself.

You could turn the service on and off, and only pay for the month that you wanted...not sure if they would go for on and off more frequently than once a month.

The other problem was only limited areas were covered...However, Phoenix and Las Vegas were both covered.

I hooked mine up to my laptop, but a PDA hookup should be available soon, if not yet.

From what I have heard Java, for poker sites is not a great way to go for security...not sure if there are other choices that would work for a PDA, but I am sure there will be.

[Lost Wages]

1. Screen real estate. A real problem with cellfones.

Yea, PDA's only but they should work fine.

2. Security of cellular internet transactions.

I don't know anything about this but as long as the data is encrypted I don't see an issue.

3. Critical mass of potential users. I think at least in the U.S. There aren't a huge # of people walking around with cellular enabled PDAs.

If a site like Party were to write an app I think a lot of their regular players would consider buying one.

4. As mentioned by another poster, reliability of connection.

Could be a problem, at least for now.

5. Cost. Cellular internet access is still prohibitably expensive.

Should drop rapidly.


I just realized that your avatar is a fishfinder. /images/graemlins/grin.gif
Lost Wages

[Deadbuddha]

definitely the bigger bumps are security and connection reliability.

since its wireless, you are broadcasting your signal, anyone can access it with the right equipment, and break it with the right attitude and brains.
all i'm saying is it better be extremely good encryption

[Robbe]

You might want to check out VNC (a freeware CarbonCopy et al work-alike). I am pretty sure they have some PDA versions (although it might just be browser/Java). Doesn't bring the sound, tho.