Repost: Hollywood Park ePoker Room Shut Down

[po-Jay-to]

As the former ePoker Room Manager, I can confirm that the ePoker Room is officially closed. Hollywood Park Casino (HPC) has chosed to keep 2 of the 10-seat tables running in the main poker room. The Heads-up tables have been removed completely.
I'm not sure exactly how HPC will staff/support the 2 tables but I agree with previous posts that it will take some additional effort to keep the 2 tables going. They don't run themselves but it doesn't take much training to get the existing staff to take on the additional responsibilities.

As the for future of ePoker, I believe that it is the future of small stakes poker. I'm not sure when, but it is a net win/win for the player and casino. For everyone who says they like to "touch cards and shuffle chips", I really believe what they are saying is that they prefer to play Poker in a manner that they are currently familiar-- and are reluctant to change. It is the same game, which combines the benefits of on-line poker (speed, accuracy, etc.) with the face-to-face play of live play. Since no one is a fan of dealer error or 25 hands/hr., I can only imagine that people prefer to keep the status quo which is well within their comfort zone.

If you keep the thousands of dollars per day in dealer tokes on the table and deal over twice as many hands per hours with out a single misdeal or player acting out-of-turn, a benefit to both player and casino, it's hard to imagine that this can't eventually appeal to both sides of the poker game (player and casino).
It will take time for acceptance and I believe one day, some players will be able to "pay extra" for a nostalgic live game of poker instead of the "computer tables" and find that if making money is the objective of poker, then live poker makes achieving less achievable.

Go ahead and post your abuse regarding my post. In my newly acquired spare time, I will try to defend my position (it will be my new hobby).
Go for it.

[rgold79]

[ QUOTE ]
As the former ePoker Room Manager, I can confirm that the ePoker Room is officially closed. Hollywood Park Casino (HPC) has chosed to keep 2 of the 10-seat tables running in the main poker room. The Heads-up tables have been removed completely.
I'm not sure exactly how HPC will staff/support the 2 tables but I agree with previous posts that it will take some additional effort to keep the 2 tables going. They don't run themselves but it doesn't take much training to get the existing staff to take on the additional responsibilities.

As the for future of ePoker, I believe that it is the future of small stakes poker. I'm not sure when, but it is a net win/win for the player and casino. For everyone who says they like to "touch cards and shuffle chips", I really believe what they are saying is that they prefer to play Poker in a manner that they are currently familiar-- and are reluctant to change. It is the same game, which combines the benefits of on-line poker (speed, accuracy, etc.) with the face-to-face play of live play. Since no one is a fan of dealer error or 25 hands/hr., I can only imagine that people prefer to keep the status quo which is well within their comfort zone.

If you keep the thousands of dollars per day in dealer tokes on the table and deal over twice as many hands per hours with out a single misdeal or player acting out-of-turn, a benefit to both player and casino, it's hard to imagine that this can't eventually appeal to both sides of the poker game (player and casino).
It will take time for acceptance and I believe one day, some players will be able to "pay extra" for a nostalgic live game of poker instead of the "computer tables" and find that if making money is the objective of poker, then live poker makes achieving less achievable.

Go ahead and post your abuse regarding my post. In my newly acquired spare time, I will try to defend my position (it will be my new hobby).
Go for it.

[/ QUOTE ]

You definitely make some very compelling and I won't disagree with you.

But having played quite a bit of poker at HPC myself, can you honestly imagine some of the people who play low limit poker there using the ePoker tables? I don't mean to come off as snobby or elitist, but some of the people who play there can barely lift their heads up by virtue of intoxication, etc.. The tables take a basic minimum of techonological savvy to be used and many people just don't have that.

[po-Jay-to]

Rgold-
The initial motivation for HPC to open the ePoker Room was to have something new that was a draw for new people to come to HPC and play poker. Everyone thought that the tables would create a new market for the B&M casinos. HPC was not interested in having any existing live game players transfer over to ePoker (they did want to attract the tourney players who just left the casino after they were knocked out). They wanted new players-- this "draw" did not occur and consequently the room never took off.

We agree on the liklihood of the existing low limit player at HPC embracing ePoker. Perhaps other locales will not have this same issue.
Thanks for the feedback.

[pfapfap]

Way to come off as combative. Interesting how the first post says it's so live players can make more, yet second post says it's to attract new players.

I think electronic tables are the future, and much sooner than anyone things. It takes less than a generation for the "status quo" to become a relic of the old.

[ QUOTE ]
appeal to both sides of the poker game (player and casino)

[/ QUOTE ]
Some dealers would disagree with your categorization.

[Paul Levy]

[ QUOTE ]
Go ahead and post your abuse regarding my post. In my newly acquired spare time, I will try to defend my position (it will be my new hobby). Go for it.

[/ QUOTE ]

This forum is very well behaved so why expect abuse. I concur with you, and I believe it might be the future of mom-and-pops nickel-and-dime poker.

However I doubt it will ever be accepted in half-serious games (Say, 5-10 and above), I for one would rather stop playing altogether than travel to a casino to stare at a pc screen.

[DWarrior]

is this in any way comparable to the old slot machines with the cranks switching to an LCD screen and a "bet" button?

[rgold79]

[ QUOTE ]
is this in any way comparable to the old slot machines with the cranks switching to an LCD screen and a "bet" button?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not really. Video slots require one button to tell you how many credits you can bet, something most people are conceptually aware of, and another button with 'SPIN' in large letters. They also leave the handle on for people to pull if they so desire.

ePoker tables require someone to be able to check their hole cards correctly, follow action as it moves around the table, input their own desire to fold, call or raise correctly including bet amounts where necessary, all while their opponents around the table attempt to deceive them. There is considerably more sensory focus necessary to play ePoker than there is to mechanically spin a slot machine. Same as the live game.

[po-Jay-to]

One interesting note on the Slot Machine's evolution in technology is that the slot machine player initially rejected the video screen when computer slots were introduced. The manufacturers then replaced the screens with electromechanical reels that were controlled by a random number generator, but appeared to be physical reels that stop randomly like all the previous slots did. It has just been recently that slot players accept the new fully electronic slots (many years for acceptance) and have even let go of the notion that a slot machine must have an arm even if we only use the button to initiate action. Note that the arm on today's machines still have a mechanical feel to them even though they are only connected to a switch.

[Mr Rick]

I would think you should introduce these ePoker tables in split pot games - the slowness there drives me crazy - and my guess is that most regulars would appresciate it. Also, for Omaha where it takes players real time to fold their cards, at least the computer can do it instantaneously for them when they have lost (I am assuming these machines are like on-line poker where on the river the machines decide the winning hand(s) after all betting is complete).

[Tuff_Fish]

I wish I could have made it up there, I was interested to see how the game felt.

What games are going to be running on the 2 remaining e-poker tables?

Best of luck in your new endeavors.

Tuff
.