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May 8, 2008 4:28 AM PDT

'iDealer' keeps the table honest--and lazy

by Mike Yamamoto
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(Credit: Coolest-Gadgets)

Just days after the lazy host's cooler made itself known, the perfect companion for it has surfaced for indoor recreation. Actually, make that the "iDeal" companion.

That's the trite i-moniker of this robotic poker dealer found on Coolest-
Gadgets and the WPC888.com poker site, the most Crave-worthy piece of card-playing equipment we've seen since the "Tech Shuffler." Truth be told, it's not just something borne only from chronic indolence: Among strangers the iDeal would presumably assuage concerns of dealing from the bottom of the deck; and among friends, it would come in handy as motor skills around the table are compromised as the night wears on. It can be programmed to deal various card games, taking aim with infrared sensors to target bicycle reflectors placed around the table.

The only disappointment is that it apparently doesn't flip the cards over. But we suppose we could handle that taxing physical exertion in the name of good sportsmanship.

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