Live Poker Dealers Fret About The Rise of the Machines…
‘PokerPro’ Automated Poker Tables expected to hit casinos soon
Friday 30th November 2007
Back when Doyle was winning his first World Series and Daniel Negreanu really was a kid, casinos didn’t mind the fact that poker wasn’t the biggest earner for their business. The thought was – as many top poker pros at the time demonstrated – that the money won at the poker would seen be redistributed amongst the masses, whether it was by Blackjack, Roulette or Craps. Nowadays things are different.
With poker being all over the television and the internet, brick and mortar casinos have struggled to keep up with the demand. A new electronic poker table might well help casinos increase their revenues through poker.
A company in North Carolina will soon be providing electronic poker tables called ‘PokerPros’. Live dealers aren’t needed at the table, and they are expected to be hitting cardrooms and casinos shortly.
The PokerPro table can deal around 40 hands an hour, whilst most live dealers would be dealing between 25 to 30. The tables will also have side bets available to players, giving the casino bets they can lay at better returns.
Dealers along the Strip in Las Vegas have started to worry, and have gathered together under the Transport Workers Union. It is anticipated by the major casinos that, should the PokerPro become the norm, unions will seek maximum compensation for live dealers.
