Will Dealerless Tables Become the Next Big Thing in Poker?
Ever since the introduction of online gambling, the world of poker has been in flux. The game was no longer a game played in smoky back rooms in casinos or gentlemen’s clubs around the world. Instead, it became a digital phenomenon that people globally were flocking to take part in. However, when something as big as the online poker revolution happens, it can seem like there’s nothing left to change.
Enter the dealerless table, one of the latest developments in poker that looks ready to shake the industry to its core. Technology continues to be rolled out across the world, and it could usher in a whole new era of poker. Is this a new age or just another fad, and is poker ready for such a seismic shift that removes part of the human touch of the game?
Dealerless Machines Not a Poker-Specific Development
While dealerless machines are perhaps new to poker, it’s not to say that they’re new across the board. In fact, the online casino has seen dealerless games becoming something of a standard. Before the introduction of live dealer games, every game on a casino site was essentially dealerless, powered by random number generators rather than dealers.
Poker rooms online are not dealt by a real person, with the cards meted out based on RNG technology. It’s also worth noting that video poker, while more aligned with slot-style gaming, is another example of how poker has become a dealerless game in some sense. It shows how versatile it can be as a game, which bodes well for dealerless tables.
However, it does seem to remove some of the human touch from classic poker. There’s a reason World Series of Poker events are still huge draws, even just for viewers. The dealer plays a part in managing the atmosphere, ramping up the tension by keeping the game moving and acting as the focal point for all players sitting around the table.
How Will Dealerless Tables Work in the Future of Poker?
The latest news on the dealerless tables is that the Vault Gaming Lounge in Jamaica is the latest venue to agree to install the latest in dealerless tables. It is just the latest venue to do so as the developer of the tech looks to expand globally, bringing the units to every continent and introducing cutting-edge poker technology to new audiences.
It functions much the same as a standard poker table. However, it uses a television screen and forgoes the use of physical cards. Players can sit around the table and easily buy in using the touchscreen. The game is entirely digital in how it is played, but the mentality and strategy remain with the player. The decision to fold, bluff, or raise is the same as ever.
In many respects, these are much the same as the roulette tables that have become a staple of land-based venues around the world. They still allow people to take part in a standard game of roulette in a physical venue, but there is no physical wheel that is spun by a dealer in the building. They will either be RNG video tech or automated machines streamed to the table.
Could This Be a Huge Chapter in the History of the Game?
Poker is a game as popular as ever. The ease of access that the internet has given to players has meant that more people than ever are trying their hand at one of the longest-living card games. Dealerless tables seem more like the next logical step rather than something that will fundamentally shake the foundations of the industry.
Instead, it’s more likely that we will see digital poker tables becoming common in physical poker venues, perhaps even with some online functionality to allow for remote play. That would likely just see us watch the game evolve as it has always done.