There's More Than One Way to Skin a Cat
Have you ever heard that expression? I don't know why anyone would ever want to skin a cat, but it is true that there often is more than one way to accomplish an objective. On Friday, October 13 (are you superstitious?), President Bush signed into law the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement (UIGE) Act, effectively banning online poker in the U.S.A.
Millions of people have been enjoying playing online. There is a variety of reasons why many prefer it over playing in a brick-and-mortar casino. For example, the elimination of human errors by the dealer. These can be so exasperating and really slow down the game, especially if you have folded and are anxious for the hand to be completed so you can get to the next deal. And, of course, the game is so much faster than dealer-operated games - perhaps 40 to 50 percent faster. That gives us more chances to be dealt pocket aces! Further, since there is no human dealer involved in online games, we don't have the expense of tipping the dealer; that could make the difference between a winning and losing session.
Well, the UIGE Act may discourage online poker, but we can still get these benefits in a brick-and-mortar casino. . . Last October 12 (coincidentally, just the day before President Bush signed the Act into the law of the land), I attended the opening of the ePoker Room at Hollywood Park Casino in Inglewood, Calif. PokerPro electronic tables, developed by PokerTek, Inc., are used. The players are seated just like at a regular oval-shaped poker table. But here's the thing: There's no dealer at the table! Each player has a touch screen in front of him, clearly displaying his virtual chips, his hole cards, the board, and actions during the play of the hand. As a player, you select the action with a touch of the screen in front of you. It's designed so that only you can see your hole cards.
Advantages over online poker. So, even if our Congress and President won't allow online poker, we can get some of those benefits using ePoker. What's more, it offers a real advantage over online poker: We can actually see our opponents! I like that. We can observe their reactions and expressions, their "tells" and more. And we have the benefit of social interaction with real live human beings who are seated at the table with us - just like in a casino. Don't underrate that aspect. Whether or not you realize it, we are social "animals," requiring interaction with other human beings.
Since it opened on October 12, the ePoker Room at Hollywood Park Casino has been growing in player acceptance. Recently two more electronic tables were added. Other casinos are bound to follow suit.
I spoke to Allan, a long-time poker player who regularly plays hold'em at the Hollywood Park Casino. The first time he tried ePoker, he was given a short tutorial. It's really quite easy to play, he told me. He observed that it is a "clean environment" - no handling of actual chips and cards. (In these days when colds and flu threaten us, that's a real plus.) He found the transition quite easy, he said. And the fact that he has won 2/3rds of his ePoker sessions makes it all the more satisfying.
Yes, ePoker may offer us some of the best features of playing online - and then some - and we can play it in a brick-andmortar casino.
So, readers, what's YOUR opinion?
