Repost: Hollywood Park ePoker Room Shut Down

[crashjr]

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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.

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In comparison to playing online, how easy is it to fall victim to a misclick?

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Close to impossible. You need to make your bet, then confirm your bet. It is a two step process, so misclicks really should not happen.

[Bulbarainey]

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If you were to play a rather serious game, like 10/20 with $10k behind, would you be indifferent on whether it's traditional or epoker? I never tried epoker but I am instinctively averse to it and I wouldn't consider it unless I'm guranteed to played with the most moronic fools in town.

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that was the problem with it when i played, but only 3/6 and 2/3NL... it was a bunch of sharky 2+2 types who were interested to play it, i bet it was probably tougher than regular games 10x the stakes in the casino, i did love the format though. i think epoker will only work if people are forced to play it, but i dont think that will happen anytime soon.

[Rottersod]

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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.

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In comparison to playing online, how easy is it to fall victim to a misclick?

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In the NL games you have to confirm every bet but in the limit games you don't. Some players liked to raise all in and then press the clear chips button - kind of like doing a Mike Matasuw move - but that becomes old after a while. Interesting thing is that for a live game there is a lot less eye contact as many plays routinely look down at the monitor all the time. You also have to be careful about protecting your cards (electrons?) when looking at them as I've watched some of the old timers there lean back in their chairs and then look over to their right just as that player was looking at his cards.

[Bulbarainey]

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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.

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In comparison to playing online, how easy is it to fall victim to a misclick?

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it didnt seem as easy to happen, i kinda had to push on it a little bit to get it to go, at least much more than a mouse

[Rick Nebiolo]

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Thanks Rick. I feel I did the best I could considering the circumstances. I do feel bad that it didn't work out on a larger scale since I like to play on the tables and I was hoping that SNG & Multi-table tournaments would be frequently played on PokerPro tables.

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Having worked at HP in the late nineties, I understand how difficult and frustrating circumstances can be.

Although I may have been the HP eRoom's primary critic on 2+2, I enjoyed most of my play there (mostly at night after you left for the day). I agree with you that ePoker has a future, or at least a strong niche. But the ePoker people need to understand that cardroom related policies need to be done right. It simply wasn't at Hollywood Park as discussed in the various threads linked to in this post (and I want to repeat that my guess is you had limited power to fix things).

Good luck with your future endeavors.

Regards,

Rick

[mediaslut]

when e-poker ran, was it just low-limit 2/4?

[Rottersod]

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when e-poker ran, was it just low-limit 2/4?

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No. There was a regular 1/2 $50-$100 NL game. There were limit games from 2/4-3/6. O8 was spread although I rarely saw it played and there was a standing PLO 2/2 $100 and up buyin game but that rarely went even though the drop was only $1. There were also $40 and $60 SnG's.

But the only game that I ever saw played reguraly was the 1/2 $50-$100 NL game.

[VORP]

Po-jay-to, why do you think e-poker will catch on when nearly every other casino game has tried an e-version, with little success? It seems an electronic blackjack table would have the same advantages (more hands, no dealer errors) but nobody plays on them.

[Rottersod]

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Po-jay-to, why do you think e-poker will catch on when nearly every other casino game has tried an e-version, with little success? It seems an electronic blackjack table would have the same advantages (more hands, no dealer errors) but nobody plays on them.

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What Jay is saying is that it will catch on when casino's present it as the only option for a particular game. At that point more people will use them and see the benefits. I happen to agree but I also hope that day never comes.

[Rick Nebiolo]

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Po-jay-to, why do you think e-poker will catch on when nearly every other casino game has tried an e-version, with little success? It seems an electronic blackjack table would have the same advantages (more hands, no dealer errors) but nobody plays on them.

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What Jay is saying is that it will catch on when casino's present it as the only option for a particular game. At that point more people will use them and see the benefits. I happen to agree but I also hope that day never comes.

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I think it could work in a big room with other dealer dealt games provided the eRoom area is run well.

The linked to threads have more detail but some of the big problems were:

- A drop that was far too high (e.g. $4 plus $1 jackpot taken on any flop in a 1/2 blind NL game). During the first few weeks I saw many players question why the drop was the same as on the main floor * when the tables got at least 50% more hands per hour and the house doesn't have to pay a dealer. The standard response from eRoom management that "you save on dealers tips" didn't cut it from my observation. (* also note that Hollywood Park was already taking a one dollar or more higher drop than other clubs in the super small NL games)

- Poor/improper use of props. The eRoom had a VIP program paying 35 cents per hand but these VIPs were essentially props (I called them quasi-props in the linked posts) and moved around. Often they were spread out to start new games OF THE SAME TYPE AND LIMIT leaving existing games very short. At low blinds/limits regular customers simply won't play short and for good reason.

- Poor behavior of props. It wasn't hard to figure out who the props were. Some were OK/nice but a few didn't have a clue how to behave in a poker game. If you are going to have props you need well behaved ones.

Note that with electronics you don't have to pay 35 cents per hand dealt in. You can pay a smaller base per hand with bonuses for action. In other words an action prop should make more than a tight nitty prop.

As an aside, very few people had problems with the interface; it's easier than dialing a cell phone IMO. I also thought the social interaction was as good or better than a game with a dealer.

~ Rick