PPC > Reviews> Leisure

Turbo Texas Hold'em  and Tournament Texas Hold'em

When playing poker you have to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em - Ian Waugh thinks he's onto a winner!

We've got to make one thing clear before we start - poker is not gambling! Not in the sense of taking a punt on something when you're unsure of the outcome or betting when the odds are against you. Casino games like roulette and one arm bandits are gambling - you might win in the short-term but you can never win if you play for very long because the odds are stacked against you.

No, poker is a game of statistics, money management and psychology. It's a game of skill as proven by the people who play poker for a living - you don't find roulette professionals, for example, and there are very few professional horse race punters.

A better bettor

Having established that, if you want to hone your poker skills you need to practise. The best way, of course, is at the poker table but that can be expensive. Enter Wilson Software and a range of programs to help you make money by honing your poker skills.

As well as the two we look at here, Wilson Software also has software for Omaha, 7-Card Stud and 8-Card Stud/Or Better.

In brief, in Texas Hold'em each player gets two cards face down, there's a round of betting, three cards are turned face up which are shared among all players, there's another round of betting, another card is turned up, another round of betting, then a fifth card it turned up and there's a final betting round. The best 5-card poker hand wins.

The game is played in the World Series of Poker and it's the game played in the Late Night Poker program on UK's Channel 4 TV. It's played in many casinos in the UK and is one of the most popular poker variants in home games, certainly in the USA.

Turbo charged

Turbo Texas Hold'em emulates a typical "home" game. The set-up options allow a vast range of variations including:

• Changing the number of players

• Changing the bet structure (number of blinds and so on)

• The number of raises allowed

• Dealing speed

• Showing cards face up

• Showing the winner's cards

• Changing the rake options (some casinos take a percentage of each pot)

• Adjusting sound and animation options

The many options let you customise the game to match the most common - and uncommon - variations.

You can select your computer opponents from a long list of player profiles ranging from Bret Maverick to Waldo! But, what's more, you can program the way the players react to card combinations and situations. The settings here are extremely comprehensive including bluff and check raising options, but there are so many pre-programmed players you don't have to create your own if you don't want to.

If you're unsure as to the best course of action you can pop up an Automatic Advisor to suggest what you should do.

Poker test

The program has many other neat features. For example, you can create a player who plays in your style (or any other style for that matter) and run it through computer simulation of 50,000 hands to see how that strategy would perform. A superb feature for the more advanced player.

You can "stack the deck" so the same series of cards is played again, allowing you to have another go at a play. You can also play against Mike the Automatic Adviser. When you start to beat him you know you're on the right lines...

Sidewinder Sid is an optional add-on module that analyses your play at various stage of the game and it's a superb reminder of how passive or aggressive you've been playing. At $14.95 - highly recommended.

Playing with the big boys

Tournament Texas Hold'em plays the same game but according to tournament rules. If you run out of chips you can "buy in" so-many times (in the Turbo version you can play forever simply running your account into + or - figures).

You can specify the number of tables, play a full tournament or jump to the final table. There are four different game structures with up to 14 levels of play. These basically set the size of the blinds, antes and so on. Rather than - or as well as - having so many preset options, the ability to create your own by entering the levels, blinds and so on would be useful. The options don't cover every variation, but having said that, you can probably find one close to the game you usually play.

This game is probably closer to the games most people play in the UK.

Summary

Both programs are absolutely superb. Choose the one which is closest to the game you normally play - or buy them both! There are demos on the site do you can try before you buy. They're fun, challenging, absorbing and highly recommended.

The best way to improve your poker is to play the game - the next best way is to play one of these. If they don't make you a better player, you're cordially invited to one of our local games...

Ian Waugh

 ^top