The Table Max 5-Player Poker Machine

Nicci Pucci: Hi, I’m Nicci Pucci and we’re here at the Global Gaming Expo in Los Vegas, Nevada. Behind me is a great new machine. Here to tell me about it is Stephen Crystal of Tablemax. Nice to see you Stephen.

Stephen Crystal: Nice to see you.

Nicci Pucci: So tell me about this machine and obviously, there is one very unique thing about it, correct?

Stephen Crystal: There are some several unique things but this machine is developed and manufactured by Tablemax Corporation. Tablemax is a public company who recently went public in July. We are a leading manufacturing developer of electronic table games, which means, we can offer original and well-known table content under a platform that is totally electronic. So it doesn’t involve any chips or cards or dealers. It allows the casino to offer the content in a very economical and efficient way.

Nicci Pucci: So obviously, big benefits to the casino there. Tell me how these benefit our table player.

Stephen Crystal: What we’re finding is, is that there is a class of players that are neither traditional slot players nor traditional table game players who enjoy more challenging content. And so this is a non-threatening way to introduce well-known table content like Texas Hold ‘em and Blackjack and Caribbean Stud and Caribbean Draw. To introduce it to a group of players that might not traditionally sit down at a table with the players who are may be more skilled.

Nicci Pucci: And there are a lot of amenities on this table. It’s gorgeous with the wood work.

Stephen Crystal: Tablemax’s platform and its hardware, its presentment is all patented. So the features of it are basically in each position has the controls to allow the players to make the choices and it’s very straightforward and easy to understand. So even if you’re not experienced to playing Blackjack, you could pick it up very easily. It has a high definition screen which stimulates a felt game and allows them to feel much like they are playing and sitting down at a real table game. And because it is a multiplayer station, they are playing with other players and so it creates a nice community feel which adds to the experience of playing the game.

Nicci Pucci: A major advantage is the side bets, correct?

Stephen Crystal: That’s correct.

Nicci Pucci: Tell me about that.

Stephen Crystal: Well each one of our games in addition to allowing you to play and win a hand, allows you to make an additional bet and potentially win a very large jackpot. And we have seen in traditional slot content like games like the Wheel of Fortune and Megabox that when a player can play for a large jackpot, it creates more excitement on the game.

Nicci Pucci: And so that’s what this jackpot up here is for that.

Stephen Crystal: Right, what you see here is the basic game and then you have a progressive meter which is contributed to every time a player makes a side bet whether it’s at this table or any table within the jurisdiction. And those jackpots can get very large.

Nicci Pucci: Great. Take me on at technical level right now. Just talk to me a little bit about the software.

Stephen Crystal: The way you should think about this is much like if you put five slot machines together and it was playing one game. So the technology in a lot of respects is very simply. We basically have a central processor and then we have a processor at each player’s station. The central processor is secure so it can’t be affected, it can’t be influenced. It maintains the integrity of the game. The processors at the player’s station plays just like you were stopping a real or you were making a bet, a max bet on a slot machine. It allows you to make a choice.

Right now, Tablemax is in California and Oklahoma. It soon will be in a dozen other jurisdictions within the United States. It is in South America. It is in Europe and soon it will be in several countries throughout Asia.

Nicci Pucci: Wonderful. Stephen, thank you so much for talking to us.

Stephen Crystal: Thank you.

Nicci Pucci: You’re watching Players Network.