Monday, June 26, 2006

We all like the option of playing poker in our pajamas with no one watching
us, but sometimes it would be nice to have a more interactive alternative as
well. Soon there will be. For quite a while people have been talking about
adding webcam to internet poker. Now a new site, PharaohsPokerPalace.com,
has committed to making this concept a reality. In his Super System 2, the
legendary Doyle Brunson suggested that "just a couple of years down the
road, you may well be able to see real opponents on your screen. Poker will
be like a video conference, and you'll be able to focus on the players
across the table from you and read them.tells will be everywhere, and then
full-scale psychological warfare will come to the online poker battlefield -
and nothing will be missing." When this book was published last year, Mr.
Brunson was certainly correct in stating that the internet poker industry is
at least a few years away from adopting webcam as standard practice.
However, the opportunity to engage in the type of interaction he describes
will be available this year - at least at one innovative poker site.

When they initially introduce webcams, Pharaoh's Poker Palace intends to
make them completely optional at all tables, allowing players an opportunity
to become acquainted with the concept. After the introductory period,
however, a subset of tables will be designated as "webcam only". At these
tables, all players will be required to have a webcam on themselves to play,
creating a level playing field for those wanting to see and be seen. The
majority of Pharaoh's tables will remain open to webcam and non-webcam
players, allowing the option of using either live video or a static avatar.
Pajamas are still a viable option for either set of players, so long as they
are not offensive.

Pharaoh's Poker Palace opened its site to the public for beta testing on
June 15, 2006, and plans to launch real-money tables in July 2006. Once they
are live, the site will be offering real-money depositors free webcams, to
help ensure that hardware is not an impediment to players being exposed to
the next level of internet poker.