Poker has become a worldwide phenomenon. Such is the popularity of the game that it has found its way into the amusement market in a non-payout format. Jenni Shuttleworth looks at the popularity of the game, the opportunities it can provide operators and how it has made the move from casinos to the amusement market

Poker has always been a popular card game. But now, thanks to the media coverage surrounding it with events such as the World Series of Poker, it has become more attractive and fuelled the imagination of a wider range of players and spectators. The association that it has with the corporate world, including global tournaments with lavish prizes, contributes towards something that, until recently, was not easily accessible to the public.

"Poker has always arguably been the most popular card game in the world, but playing poker was never socially accepted or publically embraced until the explosion of the World Series of Poker," said Zack Luttrell from PokerTek, manufacturer of PokerPro, a 10-player automated poker table for the casino market and Heads-Up Challenge, an electronic poker table designed for pubs and restaurants.

"The introduction of the hole card camera made the game more interesting to watch on television. That, coupled with the fact that anyone can enter to play - amateurs or professionals - and have the opportunity to win millions of dollars, made the game sexy and marketable for the first time."

Whether it is at a live table in a casino, online, or more recently in an electronic format in a gaming hall or amusement location, nowadays poker can be played in a number of formats thanks to the increased interest surrounding the game. Due to the demand and popularity of poker, the move from casinos into the amusement market comes as no surprise.

"Poker is a very social game. To win money is not the only incentive for people to play it. A lot of people just love to visit their favourite pub and play poker with their friends, so the move from casinos to the amusement sector was sort of preprogrammed," said Siegfried Dattl, Jnr, managing director of TAB-Austria.

TAB manufactures multigame table Fun4Four with Texas Hold’em, Knock Off Poker and more games. The company believes that it is this mixture of luck and skill that makes poker so popular to watch and play. "In addition, digital poker is a great way to either spend some time with friends or play with other people around the world to test their skill. Digital poker is a very social game that is fascinating millions of people all over the world," said Dattl.

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Nova Productions is a UK-based company that manufactures PokerKard Amusement and Casino, a multi-touchscreen game for up to four players. PokerKard is the only table where players can keep a record of their achievements on a personal card. The company made its digital poker table move, perhaps unusually, from amusement into casinos.

Director Peter Robinson explains what it is about poker that makes it work so well in an amusement game: "Poker is a game that has been around for such a long time and although it is generally thought of as a gambling game, it contains elements that make it extremely entertaining.

"There are more online players playing for fun chips than there are playing to win money. This alone establishes that poker must have a strong element of amusement without gaining monetary prizes or else why why would so many people play fun poker? Playing games is a natural part of the human psyche."

Robinson believes that although a cash prize can be an important element to a game, it is not the be all and end all and this is proven by the number of poker players online who play for fun.

Digital poker tables remove many of the obstacles that the game can present, especially for new players, and this attracts a wider range of players because even the most inexperienced has a chance to win at any given hand.

New players are attracted to the structure of digital poker tables as they enable them to learn the game quickly and have more immediate success. The tables are far less intimidating for them than manual tables; there are no mistakes to be made, the players cannot bet out of turn or bet incorrect amounts. The betting actions are clear and do not require the player to fully understand any terminology to be able to play.

Experienced players are attracted to the speed of the game, the different game offerings, tournaments and ring games as well as the ability to save money and see more hands per hour. Digital poker tables omit the need to tip the dealer too, which saves players money over the course of their play, another attractive factor.

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Cosmic Video distributes Heads Up Challenge, the only product endorsed and licensed by the World Series of Poker. John Farrington from the company told InterGame: "The bleed into digital offerings is bred out of technology and convenience for the casual player. You don’t need a dealer, you can play on a whim as you don’t need to organise multiplayers and arrange dates. It’s just there for your convenience and also encourages the casual player to dabble without having to be embarrassed by not knowing game sequence and terminology. It allows them to practice the poker art of play."

Farrington continued: "I don’t think digital poker tables will ever be a threat to the adult gaming centres in the UK or pure video FECs, but they are ideal for anywhere that seeks to entertain an adult customer by encouraging them to spend their dwell time in that location, giving them a reason to return."

Digital poker tables can now be found in pubs, bars, bowling centres, hotels and more recently bingo halls, offering operators the opportunity to open new site doors, increased revenue on a multiplayer game and a new contract on an established and increasingly popular game.

"Because of the current economic conditions poker room operators have continued to search for a way to bring poker to their guests while making it profitable for their business," PokerTek’s Luttrell told InterGame. Digital poker can enable them to do this by reducing some of the overhead costs associated with running a poker room, while maintaining the game offering that attracts players and keeps them playing. Once players fully understand how they benefit from playing on a digital poker table, they become loyal automated table players.

There have been many changes to the game in recent years and there are a number of things that are likely to change in the years to come, but one of the main things that it seems will continue to change is the growing trend to digital and video poker.