Poll : 27 August - 09 September 2014

Analysis

We confess that we don't actually recall what it was that prompted us to think of running this survey, but it yielded some really interesting feedback -- of which casinos could/should take note -- so thanks to all of you who wrote in to share experiences and preferences. Here's some of that feedback:

• "It might be a different answer if the e-gaming solution offered better odds to compensate for the lack of cost the casino was experiencing, but since the odds are the same (and often worse) it really looks more like a cash grab than an 'offering'. Excalibur experimented with dealerless poker a year or two ago then removed the machines a few weeks later. It would be interesting to find out just how poorly it was received."
  
  
• "If I want to play on a machine, I’ll go for slots or video poker. I go to the tables for some human interaction as much as the games themselves. Maybe even a bit more. Besides, I think it’s kind of creepy to see the virtual dealers on the screen, smiling and following you with their eyes as you walk by. It reminds me of Minority Report." [Ed: Yes. And yikes! Personally, I'm already super creeped-out by the self-checkout at the supermarket talking to me in that bored, patronizing tone and telling me to remove my item from the bagging area!
  
  
• "The only thing I like about them is you can play a buck or two instead of $10/15 a hand."
  
  
• "I prefer live (as opposed to dead) dealers because a good one can enhance the experience. The preset answers seem to indicate that live dealers are a pain. Actually I've found most of them to be a lot of fun. When I do run into a 'jerk', I simply switch tables."
  
  
• "I don't trust video dealers. I feel like "it" is programed to pay out like a slot machine. No possibility of a lucky streak like with real cards. (Ever try card counting on a video dealt blackjack game and have it work, ever?)(Hey another QOD, would card counting work on a video blackjack game and why not? I'm sure the answer is NO! LOL.)" [Ed: I will forward this to our gambling experts for their consideration. Right now, they're out making football bets and drinking margaritas, but they'll come home when I ring the cowbell haha!]
  
  
• "I like them both. 95% of the time I play at a live table. But bartop BJ machines are fun when others want to play video poker and get 'free' drinks. I feel that sometimes the electronic dealers are better because I do not have to sit at a $25-or-higher table to avoid players who play recklessly. I can play lower denominations, get 'free' beer and all mistakes that are made are because of me."
  
  
• "I enjoy playing the electronic crap games -- I'm talking about the one with the big dice in the bubble, where you push the button and toss them up in the air. I think it's a lot of fun, great for beginners, slow enough to place a bet and easy to enjoy with friends who are sitting at the other positions. I don't trust the virtual blackjack games. I don't even like playing the black jack game at the video poker machines. I have never tried the electronic roulette but to me that takes the fun out of watching and studying how the dealer spins the ball on the roulette wheel."
  
  
• "They can have my favorite blackjack dealer when they pry her from my cold, dead fingers..." [Ed: Yikes! We're taking this as a sign of your undying esteem for the lady, although we're wondering if we should call the authorities... Nah, we've just seen too many episodes of "CSI," right?!]
  
  
• "I have played roulette on the video screen, but you still have a live person spinning the wheel. That I can live with. The problem I have seen with the virtual blackjack is that you cannot do all of the things you can do at a live table, such as splitting followed by double-down. So, the odds are much more in the house's favor. I witnessed someone seated next to me on my last trip. I was playing vp while they were playing video blackjack. They lost in a hurry because they could not execute the moves you can make live."
  
  
• "Many Vegas casinos do not give reward credits when the dealerless games are played. These are basically a slot machine and play should be rewarded as such. Most casinos don't even rate them as table play. Many machines have too-small bet size, too."
  
  
• "No machine, however snazzy, can replace the element of social interaction between players, which is part of what makes me willing to play negative-expectation games like roulette and craps in the first place. I can play machine versions on my computer at home - for free!"
  
  
• "I MUCH Prefer Live dealers. Causual talk with them, joke with them and even include conversations with other players, not to mention advice. Otherwise might as well gamble on the computer, where possible. The whole thing is part of my casino experience."
  
  
• "Roulette is the only game where we occasionally will play the electronic roulette wheel. I can't stand playing live roulette where I have to jostle and be jostled by other players to place my bets. As for craps and blackjack, we still prefer human dealers."
  
  
• "I hate virtual dealers. I go to Vegas by myself every year and part of the fun is MEETING people at the Blackjack tables including the dealers, just a little casual conversation. Many dealers are from other countries and have immigrated here to a better way of life. Vegas is a wonderful place and such stories are part of it. I dislike silent deadpan dealers as well, but they are still not as bad as the machines. Also, who do I hand my LVA Member Rewards coupon to? Sometimes matchplay takes me to a casino I would never go to otherwise and it is interesting playing a few hands with the local crowd, including the dealers. I am looking forward to my yearly trip and especially the Party Pits at the Stratosphere and the 'Go Go' Golden Gate." [Ed: That would be the Go-Ga, huh?!}