On the forthcoming Friday players at Excalibur casino on Las Vegas Strip will be able to try the new fully automated poker room. 12 electronic poker tables are provided by the manufacturer for a six-month trial run.

Since 2005, interest in poker has been constantly declining in Excalibur, which has never been offering high-limit games.  Its authorities cherish hope that automated poker tables would turn poker players back to the casino.

The 10-person poker table has individual touch screens for each player and a 40-inch flat screen in the middle to display community cards, players' table stakes and the pot. The machines will allow customers to play Texas hold 'em, Omaha and seven card stud. The betting limits will be kept low. The tables have a speed play feature, which can increase the rake for the house. The change also means players don't have to tip a dealer.

The individual screens show each player their hole cards. Like live poker, the casino does not know the hole cards nor does the player have to show them after folding. The electronic machines keep a record of the action that could be used to settle disputes about collusion or other allegations.

At the same time, the change of poker policy in Excalibur resulted in jobs lost for over 40 poker dealers of the casino. Some of the dealers were offered different dealing positions within the Excalibur, and some dealers were transferred to other casinos, which, like Excalibur, are operated by MGM Mirage.

PokerTek, the manufacturer of the automated tables, has already installed 12 tables at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City two months ago, and all together it has 230 machines operating worldwide.