• Jackpot Blitz dealer-less poker table allow for more hands and give players something to do while not involved in the action
• These electronic tables could be a great solution for smaller casinos that can’t afford to maintain a full-scale live poker room

One of the things people hate the most about playing live poker, even if they really love the game, is how slow it can get at times.

There are usually players taking way too long to act even when they have no decision to make, and then there is the time required to shuffle the cards, put out the chips, rake them inside the pot, distribute them back to winners and so on.

While there isn’t much that can be done about tanking save for radical measures of introducing shot clocks like the ones we’ve seen in a few major tournaments recently, Vancouver-based company Jackpot Digital may have come up with the solution to the second part of the problem with its dealer-less electronic poker tables.

More hands, more action, more fun

The new product developed by the Canadian company is called Jackpot Blitz poker and it is essentially a fully electronic poker table that gets rid of the human dealer, physical cards, and even chips.

Everything happens via modern touch screens where players can see their cards and make their decisions. Once the hand is over, the pot is automatically awarded to the winner, much like in online poker, and the new hand is ready to start.

In addition to making poker action faster, these new electronic tables also offer some extra fun for those who fold early on in the form of mini side games like blackjack and craps, or they can opt to place a few wagers on the upcoming sporting events.

Good solution for smaller venues

According to CEO of Jackpot Digital Jake Kalpakian, these tables represent a great solution for smaller casinos that aren’t able to maintain a live poker room but still want to offer the game to their customers. The tables accept bills or casino tickets just like slot machines, so they can pretty much operate unattended.

Some casinos in Las Vegas and in other places were forced to shut down their poker operations because they simply were no longer feasible. With Jackpot Blitz tables, they’d be able to still continue offering poker at much lower costs.

Other side of the coin

In many of their aspects, these electronic poker tables represent an excellent alternative. They are faster, the possibility of human error is removed, players are offered some side action when not involved in the hands, and they don’t have to tip. It’s fair to also presume that these tables could also feature lower rake due to lower maintenance costs.

However, many live players enjoy tangible aspects of the game, such as shuffling chips, playing with your cards, raking in big pots, and stacking those chip towers. While these may seem not as relevant, it is very important for players to enjoy their experience, and electronic tables may be lacking in this regard.

So, as Kalpakian explains, this is probably a solution that will be welcomed by smaller rooms, but it remains to be seen whether live poker will be taken over by this invention. For some, there is no real substitute for stacking those chips after winning a big hand, and adding more numbers to your screen just doesn’t have the same feel to it.