is this what poker is coming to?

[chipdynamite]

would you play on these in a casino? i just dont see the point of these. i mean, if youre going to play on one of these, why not just play on the internet? if youre a dealer, do these machines make you nervous? found this on cardplayer.

PokerTek Signs Contract with Carnival Cruises
PokerTek, the company that makes the world’s only fully automated poker table, has signed a three-year contract to provide its tables to Carnival cruise ships.

The cruise ship arena is a targeted market segment for PokerTek, as cruise ships generally feature entertainment and casino activities. Carnival Cruise Lines operates 21 ships, with three more on order.

PokerTek’s PokerPro table allows poker players to play cash and tournament games around a real poker table, but it doesn’t require cards, chips, or dealers. Players view their hole cards, chip stacks, and flops, as well as control their actions, on touch-screen monitors that sit in front of each player. A flat-screen television that sits in the middle of the table also shows flops, where the button is, and shows who the action is on.

The initial installation of a PokerPro table for Carnival occurred on April 23, on Carnival Cruise Lines’ 2,758-passenger Carnival Victory. Based on the successful performance of the product, further installations will take place on various Carnival cruise ships as ordered by Carnival and as scheduling allows.

The company announced in June that Hollywood Park Casino in Southern California has agreed to take six PokerPro tables for a 90-day trial. It’s the first location in southern California to sport the new tables.

The tables can also be found at the Seminole Hard Rock casinos in Tampa Bay and Hollywood, Florida. The three Winstar Casinos in Oklahoma also sport the tables.