3. Electronic Betting On Live Table Games
Date: Thu May 31, 2007 8:30 pm ((PDT))Has anyone seen any of these machines on table games? I am curious in
knowing how they would work, especially a game like craps unless it is
done similar to the new video roulette games with live wheels and
spins - guess that answers my question
I've seen the video roulette. Haven't played, but looks like real roulette but with an electronic wheel.
Casino advantage - no wheel bias for players to track, if you believe that sort of thing occurs (I believe it used to, don't know if it still does).
I agree that craps would not be the same; the ambience is a big part of what players seek, and actually handling the dice, as I understand it from a non-player's perspective.
Certainly sports books could function quite well without humans to dispense the betting tickets - perhaps one attendant to explain the machines and some of the bets to those who are less experienced.
I've read articles about the video live poker tables -- apparently you buy in like a slot machine (put bills or a ticket into the reader), have a screen where your cards are displayed to you (only when you shield the screen with your hands like looking at real cards, apparently), indicate your actions on your screen, and of course, cards are dealt more rapidly, pots are awarded without errors (including split pots and side pots). I assume you get ticket out to cash at the cashier.
Advantage for players is no dealer errors / nomisdeals / faster dealing / no waits for dealers to check their chip tray with each dealer change / no dealer change delay at all / no chip tray "fills". I don't know if rakes will be cheaper or whether the technology is just as costly for the casino as a live dealer -- but even if rakes are the same, in no-limit games with a time rake, the player will get more hands per hour and therefore more hands per time rake.
I would assume that there would be virtually no need for calling "floor" to resolve disputes, as there would be little doubt as to whether a player made a string bet, called, played out of turn, and many of the other player disputes that occur in live games.
I've heard that one will get "on the list" for games at a kiosk; don't know how they will make determinations as to when to start a new game, whether players going to a new game will break up an existing game, etc. -- or what they would do in mid-hand if there's a malfunction!
Or what they do when someone is "called" for a game and wants to be "rolled" on the list, doesn't come in time, etc. etc. -- things that are currently handled / fixed by humans.
Disadvantages are that the game becomes a little more like online poker and a little less like live poker, as there will likely be less joking around, less human interaction, not only due to the absence of a human dealer with whom to talk, but also due to the more rapid pace of the game. For most, these will be seen as disadvantages.
For tournaments, I would think the play would be much more efficient -- right now, tournament play seems (to me, in most casinos) to be pretty inefficient - lots of delays, etc. And dealers don't usually like tournaments, as it's my understanding they don't earn as much in tips from tournament dealing as from dealing the "ring games". Of course, on the flip side, the dealers won't be too happy about not having dealers, I guess!
Right now, there is anonymity when playing too -- no one knows who you are (including the casino, unless you ASK to have your play rated), and when you cash out in a live game with chips, unless it hits the cash-reporting threshhold, no one knows what you cashed for. Of course, everyone reports their wins / losses anyway, so being able to use the casino record of your play to document this will be helpful 
--BG
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