Dealer's View
It's 5 pm on Friday night and dealer Sheila Hanson is ready to start her shift at the famous Bicycle Casino in LA. Why is this night different form Friday nights in years past? The high stakes games will be aired live on the internet in high-quality video, to thousands of poker enthusiasts all over the world.
With a broadcast schedule running from 6 pm to 10 pm Wednesdays to Saturdays, a sophisticated system of cameras relays the poker players' every move and parlay in a top-dollar game of Texas Hold'em to an online audience, with experts providing background commentary live on the air.
Specially designed under-the-table cameras show the two "hole" cards, which the players are dealt, an innovation that greatly increases a viewer's understanding of the intricacies and strategy of the game at hand. The cameras also capture the expert moves of Hanson, a World Poker Tour (WPT) veteran dealer who shuffles the pack "Live from the Bike" four nights a week.
A native of Nebraska who has dealt at the Bike for over 17 years, Sheila explain that the Bicycle casinos began its online broadcasts in 2005, last week of January, with just under 1500 people logging on to watch the first programs online. Now, just two months later, the audience has soared to over 15,000 viewers for the four-hour broadcast.
The new technology of the internet has also brought the game to a new, younger audience. But, Hanson noted, some players are affected by the presence of the cameras. "They tend to be more careful because people might be watching and learning how they play; someone may study their play. I understand their concerns, but they're not really realistic, as you don't get to see all their mannerisms on the TV, not all the tells are being shown. Their facial expressions really aren't being seen."
For the at-home viewer however, on-camera play can provide a high level of entertainment. Says Hanson, "We had Greg Raymer, the 2004 World Series of Poker champion around the table. He was hilarious, cracking jokes as he played. He then went into the booth and did some commentary for us."
Hanson offered this about players' preferences at the Bike, "The most popular tend to be the $500 buy-in no-limit games or a $300 to $600 Hold'em game, but no-limit Hold'em is definitely the way to go. In terms of business and patrons around the table, it's still two to one favor of no-limit over anything else."
The highest stakes Hanson has dealt in front of the camera are in the $400 to $800 limit range for Hold'em, but this differs in other tournaments. "The blinds go up by so much that towards the end there's likely to be a pot upwards of $10,000 available."
Hanson estimates that over 90 percent of players coming into the Bike are male, noting, "the WPT has brought in the younger crowd. They turn 21 and they're in the card room. It's the big thing that you see now, it's exploded. I'd say it started maybe two years ago with online tournaments. The WPT has also created a landslide of players and the Bike is one of its 13 charter members."
With a laugh, Hanson said that the young players still need to learn about tipping. "We're teaching them how to tip. They don't know how to tip these younger guys!"
But with Hollywood just 15 miles to the north, the various movie stars that play at the Bike might very well make up for any shortfall. "Well, we get our fair share around here," she says.
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