Electronic Dealer Button
Dead link as of February 2010
The Electronic Dealer Button is a poker tournament dealer button that incorporates a count down timer. It is about the same
diameter as a normal dealer puck, but much thicker and somewhat resembles a flying saucer. It has an audible beeper plus flashing
lights along the rolling edge.
Timer screen
The L.E.D. screen is black letters on a grey background. The digits are 9mm (1/3") high and are large
enough to be read by the player at the button as well as the player to either side.
Alarm
The alarm beeps and flashes three times when there is one minute remaining in the level. It then beeps and
flashes continuously when time expires. You must press a button to stop the alarm. The timer automatically resets itself to the previous
time length and you must then press another button to restart the timer.
There are flashing lights in addition to the audible alarm. Four red L.E.D. lights blink along the rolling edge of the timer
- this is a nice feature and is quite effective.
Operating the unit
There are two buttons on the unit, a Set/Off button and a Select/On button. You press
the On button to power up the unit. The Electronic Dealer Button remembers the previous timer length and you can simply
press the On button again to begin the timer. That's about all there is to it!
You enter the timer length by pressing the Set button followed by the Select button. You can set two things -
the number of hours and the number of minutes. The digits rotate from 0 to 9 and
then back to 0.
When the timer is in use, the button on the right pauses the unit. Unfortunately, the button on the left resets the timer ...
even while the timer is counting down. This means that it is fairly easy for a player to accidentally reset the timer as it is
passed around the table. Luckily, the buttons have to be pressed very hard but you better make sure to tell your players
to not play with the button!
Battery
The battery is a standard watch battery CR 2032. To replace the battery you remove four small recessed screws
holding the top of the unit to the bottom. The buttons are not easily (accidentally) pressed so you don't have to worry too much about
the unit accidentally powering on or off while traveling.
Construction
The Electronic Dealer Button is quite sturdy and should withstand greater abuse than most other poker timers
and clocks. It is 57mm (2.25 inches) in diameter, 15.5mm (0.7 inches) thick, and weighs 31 grams. It ships in plastic shrink-wrapping
so you will need to store it in something else to travel.
Price
The price of the Electronic Dealer Button is $24.95 and includes a free deck of playing cards. There is a 30
day warranty period during which the unit will be replaced if it does not operate properly. You can have the Electronic Dealer Button
customized with your own logo on the front and back.
The unit has Full Tilt Poker advertising on the front and rear and you can earn a free Electronic Dealer Button by opening an
account and playing poker at Full Tilt Poker. Visit the Electronic
Dealer Button website for more information.
Overall
The Electronic Dealer Button is a simple timer built into a dealer button. It will not help you keep track of
your blinds or antes but it will help you time your poker tournament. It is small and sturdy and performs its intended function well.
Visit the Electronic Dealer Button website at
www.electronicdealerbutton.com
Dead link as of February 2010
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