On my three trips to Las Vegas, I have spent a fair amount of time in poker rooms.I have discovered I enjoy playing poker much more tan blackjack and roulette, which I played a bunch my first two trips.
Part of the reason is that I feel I have more of a chance at winning with poker. I feel a little more in control of things unlike most other card games. The other reason is that the interaction with the other people at the table makes it much more enjoyable.
Well, that may come to an end for many players, at least if you play at MGM Mirage properties in Vegas. Excalibur will replace all of its poker tables later this month with electronic tables.
That story on David Matthews’ outstanding blog says that this is a test from MGM Mirage. That means if the all-electronic tables make more money than ones with human dealers, you could see this spread to MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, even Mandalay Bay.
I don’t like it at all.
The creator of these electronic tables is PokerTek Inc. I am sure they fill a nice little niche in the market, but I don’t know about bringing these machines to Vegas. They have filled rooms in other casinos and just got into Atlantic City so this is something that has been building.
Rapid Roulette has helped casinos make more money off roulette, but I think it also has increased interaction. The dealers don’t have to worry about different colored chips and people are chatting while sitting at their terminals.
I think the opposite will happen with electronic poker. A good dealer can liven up a table, and people have to interact with each other when they have real cards and chips in front of them. I like playing poker online, but I go to Vegas for the real experience, not to look at a touch screen.
But the biggest thing I worry about is how this will relate to the douchebag factor. The explosion of poker means more and more people think they are auditioning for a spot in the World Series of Poker. Dealers and a chatty, interactive table can help control this phenomenon. A computer can’t.
I know the growth of electronic games is nothing new. Venetian has unveiled hand held games in its high-limit area. I usually don’t complain when gadgets proliferate, but removing an entire set of tables just seems a little rash.
But in the land of 6:5 blackjack and horrific video poker play tables, nothing should surprise me.
Good point that I totally spaced on.
It’s all about union-busting.