Las Vegas now has an all digital poker room. The Excalibur Resort has opened it’s 12 table, sans dealers, poker room filled with PokerPro digital tables. I was at the initial introduction of the dealer-less tables some years ago at the Imperial Palace when poker industry and media people got their first look at what was touted to be the future of poker. Of course, this was before UEIGA made Internet poker a fond memory and pricked the poker popularity bubble.
I have to admit I have little experience with the new tables; but my stop by the Excalibur last night left me with some impressions. The poker players were seated around a large center table embedded flat screen and each seat had its own small screen that allowed players to bet, check, fold, or raise. The first thing I noticed was the room didn’t look much different from the dozens of other Vegas poker rooms with dealers, the difference being one less seat (for a dealer).
The most striking difference for me was the library-like silence of the room even with a number of full tables going. Amazing how much noise is generated in a traditional room with poker players constantly shuffling their chips. Maybe someone will produce an audio track of poker room sounds that could provide us traditionalist with the familiar poker room background noise we require to be comfortable.
For those wondering if they must learn a whole new set of skills the answer is no, you can learn the system in about two minutes or less. Another point of seeing the new room in action is the close association with a traditional poker room rather than an Internet poker room, after all, you’re there with other real live players instead of tiny abstract avatars so the skill of reading players is in full force. Some of the ‘traditional vs digital’ poker room differences will be considered an advantage by many players. More hands per hour, no mistakes reading hands or pushing pots, and you keep the dealer toke money.
Next trip to Las Vegas remember you now have another option to play live poker so make it a point to visit the Excalibur’s new all digital poker room. For more information about the details of the PokerPro system visit their website.