Hoyle Casino 2004

by Sierra

Product Features

• Beginners and experts alike will enjoy Video Poker, Video Blackjack, and hundreds of Slots
• Try your luck in Pai Gow Poker, Let It Ride, Three Card Poker and other games
• Also comes with Craps, Roulette, Keno, Caribbean Stud, Baccarat and Blackjack
• Easy-to-use interface and in-game help make this fun of players of all levels

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000083JXU
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: September 2, 2003
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,729 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #41 in Video Games > PC Games > Casino
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Set in a realistic Vegas environment, Hoyle Casino Games is the best-selling casino game of all time. Combining great fun, endless replay, an easy-to-use interface and user-friendly installation, it is a sure winner with novices and experts alike.

Includes hundreds of variations of the following popular casino games:

• Baccarat
• Blackjack
• Caribbean Stud Poker
• Craps
• Horse Racing
• Keno
• Let It Ride
• Poker
• Pai Gow Poker
• Roulette
• Slots
• Three Card Poker
• Video Blackjack
• Video Poker

Product Description

Hoyle Casino 2004 - Feel like a high-roller without risking a cent, by mastering this collection of classic casino games. It's set in a realistic Vegas-style environment, combining endless fun with tons of replay value. With this gaming colection, you can get the full casino experience without ever leaving the house!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

146 of 155 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Stick with 2003, January 1, 2004

By 

Paul Mischler (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hoyle Casino 2004 (CD-ROM)

Each year, Sierra and Hoyle have released a new version of Hoyle Casino. Each year, they have added additional casino games or new modes of play. The 2004 release of Hoyle Casino breaks this trend. Hoyle Casino 2004 adds no new games into the mix, and offers little value compared to the 2003 edition.

Other changes from the 2003 to 2004 edition include not being able to play the game without the CD in the drive. This is highly annoying for those who may wish to play the game on multiple machines that they own. Previous versions allowed you to play the game without the CD in the drive (internet play and player voices were disabled.) Sierra would have been wise to pay attention to the furor of the customers for Intuit's 2003 TurboTax release and their complaints about copy protection methods.

An additional change that I find particularly annoying is that the game pauses itself if you open a different window during play. While playing poker in Hoyle Casino 2003, I would often open a web browser and switch to it while the computer plays out a hand I folded out of. In Hoyle Casino 2004, the AI players do not play while the program window does not have focus.

While the gameplay is still the same great gameplay that one would expect from Sierra and their Hoyle Games line, the 2004 edition does not present enough value to make another purchase worthwhile.

54 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Something's Wrong Here.., January 15, 2004

By 

Philip Lochner (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hoyle Casino 2004 (CD-ROM)

Shortly after installing the game, I start up a $1000, 14 hand Draw Poker tournament, with 8 players.

I lost profoundly. Those eight players managed to come up with SEVEN four of a kinds. Over 14 hands.

In all years of real poker playing I probably see a 5-card draw poker four of a kind one in every 100 or maybe 200 hands. Not 50% of the time.

Next tournament, first hand, I managed a three of a kind, and lost to a flush and two full houses. Just how many cards are in this deck anyway?

The graphics, sound, game choices, and presentation are nice, but with such a skewed random number generator, who needs it?

Find the 2003 version in the bargain bin instead, which looks and sounds almost identical and at least played a fair, fun game.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cheaper than Losing in Vegas, October 7, 2003

By 

D. Gookin "Author" (Idaho) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hoyle Casino 2004 (CD-ROM)

I find the Hoyle Casino 2004 game remarkably diverse and charmingly addicting. Yes, the CD must be in the drive for the game to work. Pity the pirates.

The games seem very Vegas like and it's enjoyable to try out many of the options I would never have the guts to play in a real casino. The computer players can be amusing, but unlike other reviewers I find them dumb and unlucky. I can routinely beat them in Poker (and that's the best way to rack up lots of money quickly). To the other reviewer who felt the computer players were biased: Pal, learn when to fold!

I did find the "talking" feature to be really insipid. Hoyle needs to hire someone with talent to script the other players, so I think for the future talking computer players could be a real riot. (The drunk, the flirt, the unintelligible foreigner, etc.) And the silly "Dealer" makes comments no real deal ever would, "Player loses!" Fortunately you can turn that nonsense off.

Overall: Very fun, well worth the price. Recommended.