Electronic Texas Holdem - cardless tables

[Slacker13]

The Hard Rock in Hollywood Fl now has cardless texas holdem tables. Each seat has a mini tv monitor that displays your cards electronically. It will be a cold day in hell before I sit at one of these tables.
Anyone seen this elsewhere? It's a first for me but I am not exactly a world travler either.

[Scorpion]

There is talk they will be putting these tables at Foxwoods.

[Chaos81]

Well, my inital thought was, "no way in hell". But now that I've thought it through, it's really not much different then playing online. Well, besides the obvious reasons.

I was thinking, why would I ever leave a computer up to something like that. Then I realized, oh, wait, I already do. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

How do these things work anyways? Is it just like an online game? A computer shuffles, deals and makes the flop? Or does a dealer actually do it, but from some place else? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Fishwhenican]

OK, I hate the idea. I like to hold on to the cards and the whole "Live" thing.
BUT, let me play Devil's Advocate for a second:
No worries about dealer problems, no tipping necessary, no shuffling and therefore faster play with less cost to the player.
I would think the rake might be less as well. Kind of like internet poker but you can see and talk to your opponents. Of course the downside would be no multi-tabling!

[CripAces]

Do you still use chips? I mean at that point couldn't you just make the pots electronic also? It seems like a strange idea. On one had I love it. much faster table, and more hands. On the other it seems as though a lot of the mystique of playing live would seem to have been lost with this.

[TStoneMBD]

if you ask me, this is the dumbest thing a casino could do to their poker room. they are practically advertising online poker, which will take away from their live customers. not only is it retarded to play in front of computer screens at a live casino, it will ruin their business. yes it will probably create a quick boost of guests at their casinos, as customers will be interested in trying out these machines, but imo, it has long term negative effects. its not like this was a brilliant idea or anything either, because ive thought of this a long time ago, but realized that its just a dumb idea that should never be put to use. i suppose that a desperate casino trying to steal some customers from competition could find this tactic useful, but thats all its good for.

[tylerdurden]

Now you can bitch about online AND live poker being rigged AT THE SAME TIME!

[toots]

Heck, might just as well stay home.

I mean, as others have noted, we already have that online, and with a heck of a lot less driving involved.

When I go to the casino, I want to have that whole human experience, including the banter with a real (human) dealer, and getting to play with those "stacks and stacks of cheques so high you can't see over them."

I wouldn't distrust such an electronic system. In fact, I'd figure it'd make fewer mistakes than a human dealer. It's just that it's not the sort of experience I want to have if I'm actually leaving the house.

[RydenStoompala]

Why I don't like it:
1) another mechanical problem that could go wrong if there's a computer problem. Automatic shufflers are a minor nuisance when they go down. When this system has a hissy fit, how do you resolve problems?
2) It removes a key ingredient of the live game, namely handling the cards.
3) It's an expense that will have to be recovered via rake and therefore will cost me money.
4) I go to live games because I am trying to get away from LCD screens. It will seem too much like work.

Why I might try it:

1) Fish will love it. It removes a key form of etiquette and leaves them less vulnerable to making mistakes.
2) See #1 above.

I would imagine there are more variations to come. With the explosion in NL Hold'em I would guess we will see some rule variations and all kinds of super jackpots, bad beat pools, KENO-like promotions and other extras designed to make cardrooms unique.

[Slow Play Ray]

Yuck. If I want to play on a computer screen (which I often do), I will save the time and gas money and sit at my own computer. I go to Foxwoods for a completely different experience.

That being said, it doesn't matter anyway - there's no way these electronic live games could ever completely replace real live games with cards and chips. Imagine the uproar! If anything, they will just be a simpler, quicker, cheaper (rake- and tip-wise) complement to the real game for those who want such a thing...

No worries.