Buckle up for a nice little conversation here...
I had conference call this morning with a group I am doing some consulting with. This is a poker related company and are based out of... well, they're global. For this conversation I will only post suppositions, and not reveal any names of products or companies or individuals. I will tell you however that what I am about to discuss is real... and serious. About as serious as dick cancer.
The implications, ramifications, and consequences if you will, shall be far greater than what your initial reaction might be, or maybe they won't. In fact, I want you to be cognizant of your initial reaction and then think more deeply of what may happen.
What I am talking about relates to online poker and a technology, although not ground breaking, but is finally getting closer to becoming a reality. Very close.
ready? Here it is....
The technology has finally been achieved to be able to offer live streaming video and audio of YOU playing online poker. Instead of seeing a Gecko, Pirate, or Monkey, you will be able to see your opponent live, watching him smash his buttons, give you the finger, or curse the idiot who cold called a 5 bet with TJo. You will also be able to hear him, and they you. You will be able to chat with him using verbal language instead of typing.
The technology that has made this possible has to do with the amount of bandwidth and being able to make it real time. I've been informed that has, or is close to being perfected. There are many many steps yet to be taken to actually implement yet, legal issues, regulation, etc... so I won't state that you'll be able to see Waffles rub one out tonight in the Mookie, but the technology is there...
Now, let's pretend that I've been mislead, or misinformed... For this discussion, it doesn't matter. What do you think? What will result in something like this? Obviously it will be up to the player to even have the ability to use it; webcams, etc., but most will be able to use it.
Do you think most will?
Does on-line poker die, and it now becomes Live poker online?
How prevalent will cheating become? wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, sit your doberman in front of the camera licking his nuts while you play?
How about the WSOP Online main event? Imagine the prize pool in that one? Any different than if the technology didn't exist?
How do they regulate it? protect others from watching some dude rubbing money on his titties, or worse? (BLING BLANG BLAU)
what type of scams? where does online go from here?
Is it something you would do? Does the concept gain traction?
Do the porn sites now go crazy with chics in bikinis, or nothing for that matter, take over a whole table with signs in the background showing their url address? and even moreso... being able to transfer FT/ Poker stars points for a 30 minutes session of three chics and a bucket.
Censored tables, women only tables, etc...
There are so many more directions this could go. Of course it could be like anything else and gain zero traction from the public.
Imagine the possibilities, the issues, the advantages, the failings...
* yes this is true. don't ask me how, who or when. I won't divulge until it is allowed to be. I will post updates as I get them. I will tell you that this most likely is not the only product of its kind being developed. It just so happens that this product is the first to break the technological barriers that have held the concept back so far.
discuss
24 comments:
Wireless mouse + wireless keyboard + 2yo son sitting in the seat = some confused tablemates.
or
Voyeurism extreme.....doggystyle while checkraising dbags on the river! "Coming" to you on Full Tilt!
First off I do not think there have been technological barriers.. I mean you have Skype for ever.. as well as other online video able realtime platforms. So it is just a matter of someone deciding to use the existing technologies and infrastructures.
I think a lot of people will have privacy issues with this kind of thing. It is one thing if your losing and calling people dickheads as the Gecko it is a whole other thing if people can see you.
Cheating angle was kind of interesting. I think people are better off cheating behind the scenes using AOL instead of in front of a camera for various reasons. I do not think this will increase peoples cheating except MAYBE angle shooting in some way but I am not very familiar.
Can you imagine though losing a hand to some chick then getting up and putting your ass to the camera and mooning her? Or spanking one out? or any of the other possible issues you get by combining video and being in your own home.
I do not think a lot of online players know much about live tells so I do not think they will necessarily be excited about the additional information. Some live tells are missing here too like splashing chips and things of that nature...
Interesting concept not sure if it will change things much.
That's going to be a lot of penis on the screen.
There's a fairly simple feature that could be implemented to control some of this though. A block option for any video/audio, that has the effect of also blocking them from seeing your feed. Goes the other way too - if you don't want someone to see you, you can't see them.
This will effectively neuter the obscene users who actually want to use the feature. No audience, and they lose any advantage gained from seeing a live player.
Regardless, I doubt I'd use it outside of blogger games.
I feel compelled to comment here but I'm not really sure what to say.
My thought is, until it becomes completely mainstream and becomes part of the poker software I doubt it will gain any traction.
People are lazy and cheap. They don't want to have to go out and install this and buy that just so they can see the other person make faces. The tells will be minimal, if not more of distraction than anything else.
However, that should result in more donkey type plays and the game more lucrative in the long run.
I normally don't play using the laptop which has a camera.
Would I rush out to buy one for the desktop so that somebody might get a read? Would I straighten up the area behind me so I don't look like the slob I am?
Same answer for both questions.
I would never use this.
Never.
Is this really a good idea? Is the poker world ready for views of overweight guys in their tighty whiteys eating Cheetos, clicking a mouse?
Seriously tho, outside of the ability to play poker without travel and such online poker offers two advantages. The first is that there are no visual tells. A person with no control over their features can be a great poker player online because e gives nothing away. Second, and more important, is the ability to multi table. Sending a feed to one table is a lot of bandwidth, to 2 even more so and so on and so forth. More than 2 tables and there really isn't even time to observe visuals at any one table for any length of time. The serious multi tabler most likely uses the minimize feature to squeeze as many tables on the screen as possible. They worry about the cards, not the avatars.
So, while it might be popular among the casual player and maybe for special events will the serious online player embrace it? Will a site push it knowing that if a new player embraces it they may never embrace the fact that they can multi table hence less rake and income for the site? Will players, and sites, give up the two advantages online poker has for what is basically a gimmick? But then again, I'm a donkey, what the hell do I know.
I'm with gadzooks on this one. Unless the tables became giant fish tanks... I'll go where the $$ is I guess, but I like my anonymity.
Actually... blogger tourneys and friends, that would be it.
A site would have to have camera only tables to get enough people to use this feature. And be quick about banning reported abuses.
The question is really, why? What is my incentive? what does it buy me? On the surface, I don't see any reason why I would want to do this.
Only for fun tournaments with friends I know, and that's about it.
I don't think I would like it, because I would not be able to play as many tables, I'd be a bit distracted by the video feeds (which could turn into an even shadier version of chatroulette), I wouldn't want to be giving anything away information-wise, and while the servers *could* handle it, my computer probably could not.
To sum up - meh.
12 tabling might be a little onerous. I never use icons anyway why would i use real faces?
On the plus side, Rush poker tournaments would double as 9-way chat roulette.
No video here, not even for blogger tournaments. I don't want to see Daddy take a dump on camera just to "spice up the pot".
I dont know how familiar you are with xbox live, but it sounds like it would be similar to that. They introduced the camera for games like Uno etc etc, and they already had voice chat with headsets.
I dont know if i'd do it, because like others had said the privacy is nice, but i dont think people will be as against it as one might think.
I agree it would be fun for private tourneys. I would be up for trying it, but judging by all the crap that goes into the chat box, I can only imagine what would show up on video/audio.
No Thanks ! What is it about this concept that's supposed to be so appealing ? Web cams have been around for what, 20 yrs ? The novelty of this concept went out the door with the idea that everyone MUST have aol. Like a previous poster stated, I don't enjoy using avatars, why muddy the waters with a streaming video of a live person ?
So basically chatroulette meets poker tables - not a good idea. I personally will avoid anything like that.
Sounds like it would be hard to moderate...it just may be perfect for inviting busty babes to play poker against though!!
Having see the Cisco Live Presence meeting rooms this is obviously technically possible.
Real question would be why I would want to have visual tells, even when playing at table with 8-9 players on webcams?
hahaha Nice try, but the man tricked me into think videophones and flying cars were on the horizon when I was a teenager...I will NOT be fooled again!
And when are you going to GET ON TWITTER?? You'd have 250 comments by now!
Bayne is right, I see no real reason why I'd ever want to use this (which is not to say that I wouldn't love to have more information at *my* disposal, but that's some hypocrisy for you. Online poker is just a different game than live poker as far as playing conditions.
-PL
If the technology allows us to see Waffles rub one out then I'm in!
What's going on with the Survivor Donky Island? THAT looks like some fun shit right there...but it also looks like it's been cast aside.
I'm not on your blog roll you know.
I can see this being useful for a couple of things:
1. Private, "home game" type situations where friends play together for fun and want to see each other.
2. "Virtual" tourneys that allow big-name pros, celebrities, etc. to play each other and/or amateurs with visuals for special events without traveling. It might have a bit more draw to entrants if they know they can *see* Daniel Negreanu or Vanessa Rousso at the virtual table with them instead of an avatar which, let's face it, could really be anyone playing.
DOA. I can see limited use, but not wide acceptance. Like others, I don't even view avatars. Seeing the idiot isn't going to make me feel any better when he calls me down and catches his 2-outer on the river.
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