No cards ... only computers in Pokerroom at the Excalibur

20.08.2008, Lesen Sie hier den Bericht über «No cards ... only computers in Pokerroom at the Excalibur».

by Howard Stutz By the Las Vegas Gaming Wire

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Can you play poker with no cards, no chips and no dealers?

Poker players at Excalibur are about to find out. When they wander in the casino's poker room on Friday, they will find a fully automated poker room.

Resort officials have decided to equip the casino's poker room with electronic poker tables to boost interest in the game. North Carolina-based PokerTek is providing 12 of its PokerPro tables to the Excalibur for a six-month trial run.

PokerTek received approval from Nevada gaming regulators last week to field test the system. The company placed 12 games in the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City in June and has more than 230 machines worldwide. The company's largest automated poker room is at the Casino du Montreal, which has 25 tables.

PokerTek Chief Executive Officer Chris Halligan called the deal with Excalibur a "major milestone" because it gave the company its first Strip location. The Strip resort's poker room closed at midnight Sunday so remodeling could start for the new automated system.

Excalibur Vice President of Casino Operations Todd DeRemer said the automated poker tables would attract customers back to the poker room.

"In the past three years, interest in poker has declined significantly at the Excalibur," DeRemer said Monday. "We have tried to figure out how to make the room successful and to fit our customer. We've never run high-limit games. We don't have the clientele with that type of interest."

But the change has cost more than 40 Excalibur poker dealers their jobs. DeRemer said some of the poker dealers were transferred to other casinos operated by MGM Mirage, which runs the Excalibur. Some of the dealers were offered different dealing positions within the Excalibur.

"A majority have been placed, and we're working diligently with everyone else," DeRemer said.

One poker player, who plays regularly at the Excalibur, said many of the dealers had been at the casino since it opened in 1990. Dealers were given notice of the change earlier in the month. The player, who asked not to be named, said much of the discussion during a recent game was about the automated system.

"I realize times are tough in Las Vegas, but I don't think that is a reasonable solution," she said. "Several people that were in the same poker game I was playing in said they stayed at the Excalibur because of the ambience in the poker room but will no longer do so."

DeRemer said that the games are cashless and that several casino employees are being trained to help customers if they have questions. The change is being made, he said, because novice poker players can be intimidated by a live poker room.

He and other Excalibur executives played on the automated tables at a casino in California before deciding to make the change.

"It's not intimidating, and we think that aspect will help bring back the customers," DeRemer said.

The 10-person poker table has individual touch screens for each player and a 40-inch flat screen in the middle to display community cards, players' table stakes and the pot.

The individual screens show each player their hole cards. Like live poker, the casino does not know the hole cards nor does the player have to show them after folding. The electronic machines keep a record of the action that could be used to settle disputes about collusion or other allegations.

DeRemer said the machines will allow customers to play Texas hold 'em, seven card stud and Omaha. The betting limits will remain low.

PokerTek officials said the tables lower costs to a casino by replacing dealers. The tables also speed play, which can increase the rake for the house. The change also means players don't have to tip a dealer.

DeRemer said cost savings were not a reason behind the change.

"We like the appeal of the technology," he said. "We think that will be a draw for our casino."

----More about this topic----

Excalibur makes the move to electronic poker tables
By Gary Trask

The days of live dealers and real poker chips at the Excalibur's poker room have come to an abrupt end.

The casino shut down its poker room Sunday night at midnight and is in the process on installing 12 PokerPro electronic poker tables from PokerTek. When the room re-opens Friday at 6 p.m., it will become the first in Las Vegas to host a poker room with exclusively electronic tables.

According to Excalibur's Vice President of Gaming Operations Todd DeRemer, the property went electronic in an effort to provide a jolt to a poker room that has been "on the decline from a customer base (standpoint)" for the last three years.

"In 2005, poker was going gangbusters and everybody added rooms," DeRemer explained. "A small supply of players got spread out between multiple rooms. From our point of view, bringing in the PokerPro tables gives us an opportunity to pique the interest of a different kind of player."

And that kind of player, according to DeRemer, is one who was born during the online poker boom or one who simply isn't comfortable sitting at a live poker table.

"We think there's a segment of people out there who like to play online poker, but would like the option of playing with real stakes and have human interaction," he said. "This provides our customers a chance to play poker and not be intimidated."

Excalibur is one of 11 casinos in Las Vegas that is operated by MGM Mirage. Scott Ghertner, MGM's senior vice president, said that the poker room transition at Excalibur is "not a trend throughout the company."

"It's a great fit for Excalibur," he said. "The Excalibur is a low-end kind of room, as far as stakes are concerned. We think this product fits that group of players."

DeRemer said that he visited Fantasy Springs Resort-Casino in California this past winter to see a PokerPro poker room in action and was impressed with the atmosphere in the room.

"It's the kind of client-base I would expect to see at Excalibur," he said.

The staff at the Excalibur before Sunday's shutdown was around 50 people -- 40 of them dealers. The new electronic poker room will be staffed by just 18 "poker hosts."

The majority people that lost their jobs at the poker room have been shifted to other positions within the organization, DeRemer said.

Excalibur will continue to offer low stakes games in the range of $2-$4. During off-peak hours there will even be games as low as 50 cents-$1. DeRemer said that in order to generate interest in the new format, the casino will also offer "free rolls" with $250 going to the winner.

Texas Hold'em, Omaha and Seven-Card Stud will be offered. In addition, the rake in the poker room will drop from $4 per player, per hour to $3.

Earlier this month, PokerTek installed its PokerPro tables at the new Horseshoe Casino Chicagoland in Indiana. It has also opened poker rooms in Montreal, Michigan, Connecticut and Atlantic City. Overall, the company has installed 230 PokerPro tables worldwide. PokerTek CEO Chris Halligan said that he is "delighted beyond words that an operator of Excalibur's quality is opening a 100% PokerPro poker room on the strip."

"It is commentary on how far PokerTek and automated poker have come in such a short time," said Halligan. "The acceptance of the game has grown substantially in the last year and continues to grow as our footprint expands."

"I've run poker rooms for 20 years, and I can't wait for players to see what Excalibur and PokerPro will offer them," added Vito Casucci, PokerTek's Western Regional Director and former poker room manager. "We're going to have a great daily tournament schedule, tremendous player promotions and, more than that, we'll be laying down games that manual rooms just can't. For example, our Pot Limit Omaha games will be getting out 30 hands per hour. That is unheard of for a game as popular as PLO, and only PokerPro can offer that kind of speed."

Über Excalibur Hotel and Casino:

Das Excalibur ist ein Hotel und Casino in Las Vegas Nevada und wurde am 19. Juni 1990 eröffnet. Das Hotel ist durch die Hochbahn Mandalay Bay-Excalibur Tram mit dem Luxor Hotel und dem Hotel Mandalay Bay verbunden.

Das Hotelgebäude ist im Stil einer mittelalterlichen Burg erbaut und nach dem Schwert Excalibur von König Arthur benannt. Das über 4'000 Zimmer grosse Hotel bietet, neben einem Casino, mehreren Restaurants und zwei Swimmingpools, täglich Ritterspiele.

Jeden Abend findet zweimal die Show Tournament of Kings sowie ein ritterliches Abendmahl im Stil der Tafelrunde von König Arthur statt.

Das Casino ist rund 9'300 m2 gross und bietet alle bekannten Tischspiele und Spielautomaten an. Ebenfalls ein Pokerraum steht den Spielern zur Verfügung.

--- Ende Artikel / Pressemitteilung No cards ... only computers in Pokerroom at the Excalibur ---


Weitere Informationen und Links:

Weitere Nachrichten der Gaming-Branche