Ultimate Dealer Button Review

www.ultimatedealerbutton.com

The Ultimate Dealer Button is a poker tournament dealer button with a timer that also displays the current blinds and antes. It will replace the plain old dealer button that you might currently use. The newest version (May 2007) of the Ultimate Dealer Button is pre-programmable meaning that you can enter your blinds information and it will remember the information from one poker tournament to the next.

Operating the Unit

Complete operating instructions are available on the Ultimate Dealer Button website.

There is a well-marked On/Off button at the top of the unit and a Start/Pause button at the bottom of the unit. There are three keys for entering data. When you first power on the unit, it remembers the previously entered level lengths, blinds, and antes.

You press the SHIFT key to alter any of the displayed information. You use the up and down keys to enter the information - the keys move fairly quickly. The timer can be set to anywhere from one second to ninety-nine hours in one-second increments. There is an optional "K" display to quickly enter amounts such as 1K or 10K.

The Ultimate Dealer Button can store up to 10 levels (19 levels as of November 2007) of a poker blinds schedule. This is a huge change from the first version of the Ultimate Dealer Button! You can easily move forward and backward through the different blinds levels to make any adjustments and the time length of each level is adjustable.

The buttons on the Ultimate Dealer Button are the membrane type, so it takes a fair amount of pressure before a button is depressed. This should help keep inquisitive or absent-minded players from accidentally pressing one of the buttons on the unit.

Timer Screen

The LED. screen is black letters on a grey background. The digits are 7.75mm (1/3") high and are large enough to be read by the player at the button as well as the two players to either side. The UDB display actually is a bit better than the displays on most other button/timers, there appears to be less reflection off the screen.

Poker Alarm

The alarm beeps at the end of the level. The alarm is one of the louder alarms that I have reviewed to date. The alarm beeps until any button is pressed. The timer then automatically resets itself to the next pre-programmed blinds and antes and you must press the Start/Pause button to restart the timer.

Battery

There is a standard watch battery included with the unit. It should last two to three years. There is a little access panel on the back of unit that allows you to remove and replace the battery. There is an On/Off button. 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 Ultimate Dealer Button has the look and feel of the white dealer buttons that you can find anywhere but is taller and heavier. The unit is 3 inches (76mm) wide and 1/2 inch (13mm) high. It weighs 49 grams.. It ships in plastic shrink-wrapping so you will need to store it in something else to travel with it. The construction looks solid and it looks like it would withstand a drop on the floor.

Price

The price of the Ultimate Dealer Button is $29.95 minus a 10% discount if you mention HPT in the comments section of the checkout process.

Overall

The Ultimate Dealer Button will not only time your tournament, it will also keep track of your blinds and antes. You only have to program in your blinds schedule once, and the Ultimate Dealer Button will remember your information between tournaments. It is simple to use and the capability to display your blinds and antes differentiates The Ultimate Dealer Button from most other available button/timers. May 2007

Visit the Ultimate Dealer Button website at

www.ultimatedealerbutton.com