Legal B&M Cardrooms spreading online-style poker

[Some Pig]

Would it be viable and profitable for brick and mortar cardrooms to spread online style poker?

What I mean is that a legal cardroom, like the Commerce or the Venetian, put up thousands of computers and people walk in and play games (Heads up SNGs, .25-.50 nl cash games) or in a manner (multitabling) that they are acustomed to as online players. They can afford to spread these games because these games are run by pokerstars-like software, not by real dealers with real cards dealing in real tables - therefore, no b&m cardroom overhead.

To avoid cheating and collusion no one has a nickname. And players use different names at different tables if they are multitabling. No cellphones and laptops allowed inside the poker area.

In other words, it is just like online poker but it is played in a brick and mortar casino. Plus, it is spread as a network that goes beyond the walls of just one cardroom. This insures there are lots of players. Taj Mahal, Commerce, Mirage, Morongo, Foxwoods players play against each other without even knowing where a guy sitting across from him is playing at. Plus, the program is created in such a way that you are seated at the seat at the bottom of your screen.

Obviously, there are probably a lot of holes in this idea since to my knowledge it is the first time someone has gone public with it. But this post can be taken as a starting point.

The point is there are just so many people that have developed online-specific competencies. And they represent a big market inside the US. Too bad for the underage players. They'll have to wait till they turn 21. There will be fewer Jeff Madsen's.

[Lego05]

A nice idea although I am sure there will tons of problems trying to implement it. Plus the fact that i don't much care cause there is no casino near enough to me for me to care.

[CORed]

This is an interesting idea. Actually, I think it would be easier to prevent collusion than with online poker. The playing terminals would have no ability to run IM or email and it could be against the rules to use cell phones while playing. Security camera and a few floor people could enforce this. One disadvantage for players would be that you would lose the convenience of being able to play at home. It would be lower overhead than live poker, and therefore, one would hope, lower rake, which would allow microlimit games to be spread. You would have the speed of online poker and the ability to multitable. Heck even Colrado $5 limit games would be bearable (and more profitable) if you could multitable. I think possibly casinos would use this model for lower limits and still keep live games available for higher limits, where the overhead of paying dealers would be less of a factor. Casinos could also make hand histories available to the players. They could email them, or, for a nominal fee, burn them to CD.

[PokerSlut]

I think it could happen in Vegas (they already have video poker, after all), but not at Commerce. California cardrooms are under strict regulations as to the types of games they are allowed to offer, and electronic games like video poker and slots are not allowed.

[booger]

they could put us in stalls so we could play in our undies or naked and give us something to smash for the bad beats. maybe a funnel to piss in so we don't have to miss any hands trying to find the nearest restroom.....

[DeNutza]

Check out a company called PokerTek (PTEK).
I just bought 300 shares yesterday when this was
announced.

They're owned by WPT people...and mainly are promoting
a dealerless poker table to casinos worldwide. They're
putting 2-4 tables at Hollywood Park Casino this
month (one example of many).

[RakebackStore]

A friend of mine called me today and said I think it was Hollywood Park is adding this in October.

From my understanding this is how it works:

No dealer.
Sit at a live table.
Automated random deal like online - cards come to a view box in front of you. (Not sure how you shield them from other's view.)
Otherwise normal betting with real casino chips.

Of course the benefits of online - playing multiple tables, searching for games etc is not available with this.

Just speeds up the game and no tipping required.

[kls834]

[ QUOTE ]
Automated random deal like online - cards come to a view box in front of you. (Not sure how you shield them from other's view.)

[/ QUOTE ]
In the system I saw at WSOP, each player has a touchscreen. You cup a hand in front of your "cards" to show them.

[ QUOTE ]
Otherwise normal betting with real casino chips.

[/ QUOTE ]
The system I saw used virtual chips. Players have money on account and swipe a card at the table to sign in, same sort of system as slots or video poker. Betting real chips would require a human dealer to keep the pots right.

[Some Pig]

A possible downside for this idea is that dealers would totally oppose it. In fact, they might just unionize or start a national guild. But this is a small downside.

Computers don't take tips but people do. It's worth it. Plus, the softwares are already out there. Stars, Tilt, Party, Room and many others can be paid royalties for the use of their software to run this thing.

[Vuron00]

It's a nice idea for the poker players, but I'm not sure how the casinos would make a profit. You talk about having no overhead, but in order to install machines like this, something much more profitable would have to be removed. The only way to make money off a system like this is through rake, and the way you descibe it, the rake would somehow have to be distributed among all the casinos involved.

As for the electronic tables... meh. They have some scattered around some casinos and have some on cruise ships. They simply make it easier for people to sit down and play without needing a dealer, chips, or support people. It doesn't have the speed or advantages or online play and doesn't have the atmosphere of live.. somewhere in between both.