The Excalibur Casino, the only place in Vegas to offer PokerPro electronic tables, is looking for creative ways to get people to actually play the things. Recently, they held satellites for the smaller buyin WSOP events that had differing amounts of success. They may have hit on something with their latest idea: “Strip Poker” Saturday nights starting at 9pm.

The $30+10 tournaments will have a maximum of 20 players at two PokerPro tables, with a small stage in between with a dancer wearing “ten removable articles of clothing (and still remaining minimally though appropriately covered)” according to their procedures. Each player starts with 2,000 in chips with blinds at 50/100 and going up every 10 minutes, so they’re definitely not going after players who like a deep stack. The performer will take a lap around the two tables each time two players have been eliminated, taking a lap around the two tables, then go back to the stage to remove one article of clothing. This will continue until a winner is determined, who will receive 50% of the prize pool, an extra $100 from their Poker Reserve Fund and a digital picture with the dancer.

Reading the long list of procedures is amusing, as it appears to take all the fun out of what you would expect from your usual game of Strip Poker. The procedures state that security and poker room staff will be making sure that anyone under 21 isn’t loitering in the poker room to sneak a peek at the action, and that the dancers will act in an appropriate manner. While the dancer may converse with the customers, she can not act in a solicitous manner. If this was held in a more exotic location, it would seem to work a bit better than it would in a casino.

It’s been nice knowin’ ya, but I’m outta here. Will be away from Pokerati for more than a week — yikes, that will be the longest I’ve been away from the controls ever. We’re not shuttin’er down or anything. I’m just taking my first real vacation since deciding to give up on the whole “job” thing back in ’01. (Yeah, I know I work for Thrillist, too, but that’s not really a job, it’s a gig eating and drinking.) And it’s not even a vacation at that … I’m doing important poker research on the nuances of 40th Anniversary celebrations — you know, in preparation for the 2009 WSOP. Heading out with the entire family to the Caribbean — the folks, sisters, bro-in-laws, nephews, Grandma — for mom and dad’s 40th, but I won’t be bringing my computer (lie), so emails, comments, phone calls, etc. ain’t happening. Awesome Sorry.

I will be playing a little poker, mind you. Apparently the Carnival Imagination has a tourney or series of tourneys played on PokerPro electronic tables (neato!) and one of my “goals” for the vacation is to follow in the footsteps of this familiar face and win the whole dang thing:

In the meantime, California Jen (editorial) and Ed (technical) will be in charge … so please, bug them to keep you informed/entertained. KevMath, Goldfarb, and maybe even BJ Nemeth will be joining them to pick up the Danslack, which as we all know isn’t really that much.

Bon Voyage, suckers!