PokerTek. While this blogger detests "reviews" that are thinly disguised promotional pieces, there's enough meat on the conceptual bones of PokerTek's new tables to visit the topic here.
Yes, these tables are already in place at a handful of locations worldwide, including casinos in Florida and Oklahoma here in the States. Kinda cool, to be sure. So take a moment to check that PokerTek link, watch the promo video, get a feel for what's coming down the pike. I'll wait.
... da-dum-dum-da-dee-dum... da-dum-dum-dee...
Ahh, thanks for indulging. So whaddya think? Cool? Even way cool? Here's the skinny from this prognisticator: These tables, or something similar, are indeed the wave of the future. From the casinos' point of view, an innovation like this attacks and improves the cost/benefits ratio that's so dear to their bottom line --- more hands played, less labor and training, and so on. And players, for the most part, will adapt. I'm old enough to remember when video slots (and video poker) appeared, and I remember the reactionary backlash in that the arm-pulling of the "one-armed bandit" was a vital part of that particular gaming experience.
That particular myth didn't take too long to be debunked, of course. The electronic slots all still have pull-arms, and those arms do work... but no one uses them.
That said, I'd wait a bit before rushing out and loading up on that PokerTek stock (even assuming it's publicly held). These tables might be catching on and play well, but the security of each player's individual screens is something that's likely to be modified over time. Check that promotional video closely, and what you won't find are specific screen grabs for the individual players. It's obvious that player-to-player security is an overriding concern, and while the PokerTek site doesn't offer detail, it's a safe bet that the individual player screens are highly polarized or utilize twist technology that makes the screen content hard to view from anywhere but directly in front --- meaning that player's screen.
Hard, I said, but not impossible... and that's where the current table's weakness lies. Down cards need to be down --- that's a poker absolute. So, unless each player who sits at one of these tables receives a complimentary supply of index cards and duck tape, they'll be worrying more about shielding their hands from prying eyes than anything else. I doubt the laughing, good-natured players in the promo accurately mirror that wily old vet who'll drop his lucky lighter on the floor then accidentally bump his neighbor's shoulder (and peek over it) as he retrieves it.
Heh. Therefore, expect PokerPro v2, which features not 11 monitors, but 21. The extra 10 would an additional set of mini-monitors (one for each player), solely for the display of hole cards, and each would covered by a cheap-but-durable-and-stylishly-colored plastic lid that pivots up, with collapsing side guards to prevent prying eyes from tuning in. Voila, kiddies... your hole cards are now secure.
As for PokerTek, they don't need to send me a check for product-concept services. They just need, in poker terms, to plug a hole in their game. Oh, yeah, and redo that hokey promo video.
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