Poker Games for Everyone: Telltales Texas Hold 'Em
by Dougie Goguen | Dec 26 2011
We take a look at a PC poker game that lets you have fun practicing the game.Poker was among the very first games ported into the PC world when the home computer revolution began in the 1980s. It's a natural fit, of course: computers, especially back when, were the domain of mathematicians and poker is nothing if not a game where math is essential.
Play free online poker at Bodog today!While you'd think that online poker would demolish the single-player poker game format, they're surprisingly resilient and some believe that online poker may give them a boost, allowing players to use them as a training ground of sorts, letting them relax and experience the game without others waiting on their next move.
What makes Telltale Texas Hold ‘Em a departure from the norm is the way that it puts you against four very funny opponents who challenge you with a unique playing style. There's a ton of fun dialogue that keeps you engaged and while it's not a tutorial program or simulation that's in any way realistic, it's a great way to get others to try out poker for the first time.
On the surface, it'd be easy to criticize the game, which is a download of less than 25 megabytes from the Telltale Games website. For instance, You're only competing against four opponents. However, each player you go against has a personality and playing style to match: Harry Weinhead is a sharp businessman who's learned the ins and outs; Boris Krinkle, a tough guy "with a heart of pure lead" and a playing style to match; Theodore Dudebrough, a slacker par excellence and Grandma Shaky, an elderly woman who should actually be called Grandma Sharky. The programmers and writers obviously worked long and hard to craft these four personalities and even after hours and hours of play, you'll still hear new things coming out of their mouths.
The animation is similarly strong, with some very nice touches packed into the small download. While it does a fantastic job of simulating Texas Hold ‘Em in an easy to understand and fun to play format, however, it is a shame that there's only one mode of play.
Play in Bodog's online poker tournaments and get you share of up to $100,000 guaranteed!It seems that with all of the work that went into making the core, they could offer at least Omaha Poker as an alternative. Of course, then, the game wouldn't be called Telltale Texas Hold ‘Em, would it? Still, it's easily worth the sub-$10 price tag and it's a good game to use when you're wanting to play poker but not feel too much stress over your bankroll or running into people you'd rather hide away from for a bit.
