Automated Poker Withdrawn from Las Vegas Casino
PokerTek, a developer of electronic poker tables for land casinos, announced Tuesday that it is removing its twelve automated dealer tables from the Excalibur Casino. The casino's operators had decided not to renew the agreement between themselves and PokerTek.
Experiments with automated dealers and electronic poker tables have had at best mixed results. While some California casinos have had success with the PokerPro application of PokerTek games, Trump casinos in Atlantic City also tried to introduce the games.
As at the Excalibur, initial curiosity led to customer indifference, with many electronic tables sitting empty while live dealer tables filled. Patrons seemed to prefer the feel of having an actual human dealing, and to see and hold real cards.
"I don't care how many more hands a robot deals, I come to a casino because I want the total experience of the game, green felt, cigar smoke, and dealer included," says Bill Torrance, visiting the Excalibur from Nebraska.
Casino operators were anxious to see if the electronic games would catch on, as they save money on staff while generating more hands per hour, increasing revenue.
The Excalibur experiment was part of a field test, terminated as part of Excalibur's option to remove the games after giving them four months to draw crowds. While PokerTek says the decision will have no impact on its revenue, the implications of rejection may be far more serious for the company's future direction than admitted.
