Pokercrat
The news and politics of poker
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2008-01-04 19:39:52
Computerized, Automated Poker Tables Roll Out, World Yawns
So check this out. It seems that a company called Lightning Poker is rolling out a completely automated poker table with touch screens and a computer instead of cards, chips, and a dealer. It's even got realistic sound effects for shuffling and moving chips. The attraction for your average card room is that they won't have to pay a dealer.
Somehow, I don't see this getting big. There's a certain mystique in the riffle of cards and the clink of chips that the seasoned player will be loathe to give up. If you want an automated poker game, you can just play online. Perhaps newer players will go for it, but once the novelty wears off, I think people will want actual cards in their hands.