Automated Poker Tables: Good Idea or Bad Deal?

by Bodog Poker | Nov 25 2008

You may have noticed that over the last few years the robots have started taking another step towards their eventual enslavement of humanity. And this time it’s in the sacred world of poker. Automated poker tables have been creeping into poker rooms around North America since PokerTek came out with its PokerPro automated tables.

These automated tables require no dealers, cards or chips. They have a main screen in the center of the table that shows chip stacks, what the betting order is and what the board cards are. Each player also has their own screen which displays their pocket cards and some other relevant info. The automated poker tables take care of everything much in the same way that the software runs an online poker game with players being prompted when it's their turn to bet.

Also, similar to online poker, the obvious benefits include that the poker room doesn’t have to pay for a dealer. There are never any mistakes made by the software and the time it takes to play a cycle is significantly reduced.

PokerTek has stated that their tables allow for 40 to 45 hands per hour and compares this to 20 to 24 hands per hour at normal tables.

But if these machines are so great why aren’t they in all poker rooms across North America? Well, many casinos have actually already opted for going automated.

In August 2007, Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo went exclusively automated with the installation of 19 automated poker tables. More recently French Lick Resort and Casino in Indiana announced its foray into using automated poker tables. Fortunately, no dealers were injured in the making of this automated poker room, as they were all moved to deal in an expanded live table area.

PokerTek has also opened a 20-plus table room in Montreal and 12-table poker rooms in Michigan, Atlantic City and the Excalibur Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas as well as various on cruise ships.

Legendary poker author and professional player David Sklansky has put his name behind the movement by signing on to advise PokerTek. While this definitely helps to lend credibility to the brand and the technology it looks like there will always be some holdouts on committing fully to the automation of live poker.

Veteran poker players have tended to shy away from the automated tables stating that they reduce some of the strategy and skill of reading opponents. Concerning the growing numbers of automated poker tables being found in casinos, WPT host and poker pro Mike Sexton said in an August interview with Casino City Times that it's the "wave of the future, at least as far as low-stakes games are concerned."

Sexton is probably right and the poker rooms of the future will probably be a mix of automated and traditional poker tables with the automated poker tables being primarily used for the low-stakes games. So expect to see more of these tables in the near future but don’t worry if it’s not your style – there will always be a need for live dealers.

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