Computers and the Internet probably is the most fast-growing field of technology, so, in the nature of things, the casinos and poker-rooms try to ride the ground-swell and use new technologies that became available recently wherever it is possible.
The first online casinos have been made in simple HTML, but since the advent of Java language as well as with spread of flash technology online casinos started to use these technologies. In the course of time, offline casinos have improved graphics and sound and have added new games. Advent of online casinos had become the first considerate achievement in online gambling together with development of broadband access. In these casinos one plays not against computer dealer but against real dealers playing on the real equipment and the player may receive the video record of the course of this game. Roulette had become the first online game as it is easily broadcasted online and any number of players can parlay on one table because there is no need to make any decisions.
The stakes are placed on a virtual table and after that the real spin is made; all gamblers receive one final number and payments corresponding to their bets. By the way, if there are a lot of gamblers in one casino it becomes unprofitable and almost impossible for the latter to swindle and that increases the attractiveness of game. Soon baccarat had become online too: the player does not make any decisions in the course of game and the cards dealing is made on a standard pattern. But in case of another popular game – blackjack had appeared some difficulties. Many players cannot simultaneously play at one table because they decide to take or not to take the card and these decisions may be different so the dealer cannot simultaneously execute them. That’s why online blackjack, as well as real, is played by one dealer against only a few players simultaneously. As a result this game usually has quite high bets.
Nowadays, there are a lot of online casinos offering three abovementioned games (for example, such games are usually offered in casinos with Playtech software), but at present there is no video poker, although there is talk on its promotion. There is an idea to propose players to use their web-cams: each player will film himself during game and transmit the data to a server which will distribute this data among other players. As a result one can see the opponent’s face during the game and that will add new options, especially for players’ psychology experts. Of course, these proposals are not realized nowadays but when they will be realized the Internet-poker will become quite similar to offline poker.
Another latest thing that is used in gambling is 3D graphics. Some years ago Intercasino had announced the advent of new version of software – “the first 3D casino”, although, in fact there were a few static 3D portraits of players. Since that time quite many casinos and some poker-rooms had produced so-called 3D software; usually there were completely static, pre-rendered pictures of people and table which had little in common with “real 3D”. But, in general, tridimensionality in casino is not very interesting – 3D table or even a dealer will not be a revolution, though 3D effect of poker had become quite revolutionary. PKR had become the first real 3D poker-room: it had been opened just on a year ago and during this short term it had become among the leaders on visiting statistics (more than 5000 players at a time, although some of them play for love), even despite of absence of Americans and option of one table game.
PKR offers the option to look at the table from different views as well as to pick the unique appearance of player, and this is the case: there are a lot of types of faces, hair styles, hair colors, clothes, footwear and accessories, so it is almost impossible to meet two similar players not just at one table but in all room. Appearance and standard clothes are possible to obtain free of charge, though expensive suit or accessories are to be purchased for points (which are collected easily and quickly), and the player can digitize his own face so that his poker avatar is his perfect copy! The players do not sit still – they really move dibs, look at cards (your cards are not shown all the time, it is necessary to press the special button and the player will look at them), express emotions (some standard emotions – from pleasure up to teasing), to play tricks with dibs (a few tricks are free of charge and other are to be purchased for points), pronounce their actions and it is possible to choose the player’s accent. In general, all players agree, that PKR is most realistic of all computer rooms. Unfortunately, you’ll have to pay for all that beauty: firstly, the game runs a little bit slower than in other rooms, secondly, you can play only at one table, thirdly, the game is resource-hungry and on slow PC it runs slower. And finally this game is recommended only to owners of unlimited Internet access (as well as online casinos, however), because it requires quite a lot of traffic. Only its installation requires more than 600 Mb, and during the game the room eats away nearly 10 Mb per hour.
Nobody knows the future result of gambling and technology mix; maybe in some tens of years the effect of presence will be reached, though now we can play the real roulette by means of video broadcast and 3D graphics makes a computer game nearly real. We’ll wait for new interesting decisions which will make the game even more convenient and pleasant.