Its safe to say that this world moves fast. Technology advances in leaps and bounds, and you have to keep up or get left behind. Several years ago the online poker boom came, and since then has managed to stick around and burrow into its own little niche segment of society. So what changes will this see? Here’s a few predictions…
Poker on the hand held device. Iphones, blackberry’s and devices that allow us to be forever plugged into the system (and big brother), are also very capable platforms for us to extend our favorite game to. While poker phone games and similar apps have been around for quite some time, now with 3g and all the other networks we have access to constantly, it is likely you will see your favorite online poker rooms make the cross over to incorporate new gaming platforms into their mix and allow players to log on and play from their pocket computer.
As the tech wave washes over, stats and poker *accounting* will be sure to be swept up in the wake. Currently at live tournaments the world over, their is always a detailed display of information floating around, expect this to continue, to the point where chip counts become automated at each table.
Poker regulation and tax – its a big one at the moment with multiple actions going on in the US. The latest arguments come with the collapse of the economy, in that as governments look for more sin taxes to augment the coffers and other sin taxes, gambling and poker is a prime candidate…
What are your thoughts for the future of poker? Id love to hear them. $5 in your player account for the best response. Dont forget to post using your player name.
Tags: Poker Pop Culture, Updates
In the future poker will no longer be a skill game. I say this because in the future poker will no longer be played by humans, but by our robot slave masters that will surely have taken power by this time.(See Matrix) The computer programs that play poker vs eachother will simply always play the correct odds and it will become a game of pure luck in which any one bot or cybernetic organism may get lucky in the long run. As you said technology moves fast….too fast! STOP TECHNOLOGY NOW!
~Froliche
I can see where you’re coming from – technology is surging ahead and there will be more and more advanced ways of playing. But I think there may well be another spin-off effect. Online poker has been great but in the long term it may just whet the appetite to play more face-to-face. There is nothing quite like sitting down at a real table, being dealt real cards and seeing your opponent squirm when you make a move on him. So I would predict a boom in people returning to their local poker rooms and casinos and getting a taste of live action. This won’t be at the expense of online/mobile phone poker, but more as a complement to it. After all, it’s a social game and ‘people reading’ skills have always been important.
Did i win yet!? anxiously awaiting that $5!
~Froliche
I disagree with froelich. I think we will see poker become recognized as a skill game. Look at every other competitive sport on the planet. There is ALWAYS some degree of luck. Randy Johnson sure knows what I speak of. He after all while pitching a fast ball he hit a bird in mid-air. I have played on one of these new futuristic tables. While the novelty is nice i dont see casinos running for the shops to buy 100 of these any time soon. Its the cards and the shuffling of the chips and the chill down your spine you get when someone raises your pocket aces.
I dont like chips and rebuys at live games,it slows the game to much.
Would love to see virtual chips in live games, that will happen eventualy.
In the future, I will have a pokerbot that explains why he calls, or folds. I will have my handheld poker device plugged into my ear. This device while looking like an ipod, will give me winning percentages from each spot. This will include multi player odds, and configure calculated risk vrs. return. Stack counts and players risk of pushing all in on a future step will be functions of stack counts and pressure indicators involving betting structures and the calculable risks of bluffing. This will have within it’s abilities to predict your opponents ability to have the better hand, and through all the percentage that he’s bluffing. This device will also keep running stats on every player seated and collect information on such things as, their overall play structure, i.e. Aggressive, Loose. Also will note the weakness’ of the table players from the different seats to the button. Structuring such that like the bots that play such games as chess, you will be the most knowledgeable player at the table.
I play for real.
the1steve