The week of July 6 wasn't one of Simon Child's best. The professional card player was eliminated from the World Series of Poker without winning a dime. On top of that, he couldn't catch the eye of the attractive women across the lounge, not even with the help of new technology.
Simon has a girlfriend at home in the British Isles, but he couldn't resist flirting at the i-Bar in the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino. In Simon's defense, it's hard to resist what Bill Gates calls the future of computing: Microsoft Surface's interactive touch screens.
The i-Bar is the only entertainment venue in the world offering these special touch screens, which are built into the tables, that allow guests to see live images of people at other tables and "chat" with them, all without having to make eye contact.
Welcome to the future.
"It's kind of the next generation of Internet dating," said Michael Weaver, vice president of marketing for Harrah's, of which Rio is a part. "Rather than seeing someone's profile, you can see what they really look like. But you don't have to be so close that you need to really communicate with them."
There is communication, of sorts, through the use of so-called magnets carrying messages such as, "Apart from being sexy, what do you do for a living?" Guests can also create their own messages using a variety of single-word magnets. The words have been carefully chosen to keep the messages clean.
As the magnet messages are dragged onto the screen, they become visible to the people with whom you're flirting -- that is, if they accept your invitation. "We tried, but the people didn't accept our message," Child, the poker player, said.
Sarah Jones, a tourist from London, found some comfort in the new method. "You're able to communicate with people in this bar that perhaps you'd ordinarily be too shy to go up and meet face to face," she said. "Rather than go ask them if they want a drink, they can dis you on text if they want to, without having that embarrassment factor."
The cocktail waitresses are trained to help those who need assistance with the various applications. That's right -- Microsoft Surface offers much more than just the latest dating device.
Guests can search YouTube for their favorite videos, play a variety of games and use the "Virtual Vegas" tool to find what's happening at the other Harrah's properties around town. Surface can even provide driving directions.
