Customer Reviews

Master Poker: Professional No-limit Texas Hold'em Software v2 (Win98 thru Win7)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Original post: Originally bought this program after reading it's great review in the Canadian Poker Player magazine. If you are interested in becoming a better no-limit poker player then this is a must have program. I've been using Turbo Poker for several months but the AI became too predictable, more of a game than a teaching tool. Master Poker makes you feel like your playing real people in an on-line game. This is a series teaching program with endless features and a AI that is unpredictable (almost scary actually).

Update: Approximately eighteen months after buying Master Poker I was contacted by the seller and offered a free upgrade. I didn't ask for one and I hadn't been in contact, yet there it was. I was so happy with the additional features of the upgrade I bought the new Version the minute it came out. I can only tell you I've owned this program for years now and I still play it every day. Wholly entertaining and addictive! In fact, I would say without a doubt the experience gained playing against computer players in Master Poker is the primary reason why I just got my first cash in a major tournament-the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event in Lake Tahoe. Great program! This program only deals with no-limit poker, but is there any other poker to play?

I have tried nine other Texas Hold Em programs, and Master Poker is by far the best. The computerized opponents have individualized and complex playing styles (no cheesy animated characters, just player names marking the seats, thankfully). The designer Scott Eckert certainly met his primary objective to create the first truly intelligent poker AI. With Master Poker you feel like you are playing against a variety of experienced human players, not the easily predictable opponents I have encountered with every other Texas Hold'em program that I have used.

There is a great range of flexibility and customization possible with Master Poker... it truly helps you become a better player.

The software is compatible with Windows 2000 / NT / Me / 98 / XP and Vista. I recently upgraded to a Dell Studio 540 with Intel Core Quad Q8200, 64 bit Vista OS, and Master Poker runs wonderfully, just as it did on my previous XP machine.

Given all of this, is there any room for improvement? Yes, but not much. Master Poker was designed for 800X600 monitor resolution, so most users will have to choose either to reset their monitor's resolution or play with a window that fills about a two thirds of their monitor. I don't mind the smaller screen size, but a you might want to make the easy adjustment to 800X600 resolution to more thoroughly enjoy the cardroom environment choices included with the program. Be sure to unlock your task bar if you use the 800X600 setting. The smaller, higher resolution window is not a problem, just a small thing that could be improved.

Master Poker is a powerful, well-written program that comes the closest to playing a real game that I have found.

It would still be a tremendous value at twice the price. If you enjoy Texas Hold'em, do not hesitate in purchasing Master Poker.

Highest of recommendations.

I started looking for a way to learn how to play better No-Limit Holdem. I continually lose more than I win be it playing in my local game with friends or on line. Friends had me try their software programs. Those seemed like I was playing games rather than they were trying to teach me anything. I bought this program after finding it on an internet search and figured what the heck I lost this much in the first half hour on Ultimatebet.
I'm not that good at computer programs but this one walked me through it. You would think you are playing in a real game online. You can speed up the play. Make the players have more skill level. and best of all for me was how you can see if you are a wimp or an agressive player. Come to find out I was a wimp. There is a percentage count on how you play your hands. You can see if you are letting other players bet you out of hands when you should be the agressive one and also if you are betting on bad cards in the wrong position. The best feature I have found is the help balloon your can activate if you want to see what you should or should not do at your table position when its your turn to come in. I like to play sit and gos online and this program makes it feel real so I can learn and enjoy playing at the same time. I have not tried all the tricks on this program but I do know that since I have started playing with Master Poker I'm winning more than losing online.
I hope this review helps someone thats like me who's looking for some real help to become a better no-limit player.

Make no mistake - If you are looking for a training device to better yourself at No Limit Texas Holdem, then Master Poker is the program you need. It doesn't have fancy animated characters that eat up your computer resources, but it does have good, clean graphics, adjustable, fast play, and top-notch AI competition which are incredibly realistic and unpredictable.

I ordered Master Poker on the Friday of a holiday weekend, and received it from clear across the country in the Tuesday mail delivery. Installation was smooth and easy. There are 12 "Cardroom Location" background graphics, 4 "Table colors", and 7 "Deck styles", which keep the game visually appealing. There are four "User Skill Levels" so the player is not overwhelmed at first, and the difficulty can increase throughout the training. "General Preferences" allows adjustment on speed of play, and amount of game advice. My favorite is the option that immediately "zips" to the end of a hand when my hand is folded.

"Game Study Options" includes a very good "Starting Hand Guide" which offers solid advice based on your hand, position, and chip stack. Though it advises a tighter game than I generally play, the advice is thorough and well reasoned. "Board Observer" warns of dangerous situations after the flop, like potential straights and flushes, with different signals based on the severity of the threat. Other options allow you to review what everyone was holding after the hand plays out, display pot odds, show all winning hands, and to record every hand you play.

"Handicapping Options" can let you see the AI personality (Tough, Aggressive, or Dead Money), allow peeking at AI cards, activate the "Rabbit Camera" (which allows peeking at what would have been the next card after folding), never increase blinds, and never go broke. I don't use sound when I play, but there is also a menu for the various sounds of the game.

There a four game types:

1) Multi-table Tournament - This is the main purpose of the program. It comes with over 40 tournament structures, including 11 WSOP events. These have various blind and ante structures, and adjustable entry fees, number of tables (6-500), starting chip stacks, hands per level, percentage of "dead money" players verses solid players, number of players per table, and whether rebuys or add ons are allowed. It is completely customizable, including blinds, and I have created structures which exactly match the various local tournaments I compete in.

2) Sit and Go - This is a one table tournament, also known as a "Satellite".

3) Survivor - This is a one table tournament where you see how long you can survive against ever increasing blinds, and an infinite number of opponents. (Each opponent is replaced as soon as he busts.) There is never a winner, just an exercise in survival.

4) Cash Game - Single table, played just like at your local casino or card room.

The Program also keeps histories of all your play, keeping track of your average finish rank, number of titles you win, how many times you are in the money, your expenses, prize money, net income or loss, and more. I found out that I finish highest in the tournaments where I play between 25-30% of the hands dealt.

Master Poker is a gem. It includes even more features than I have reviewed here. It is clearly the best poker simulation I have ever encountered. It is worth the price paid. I have no relationship with the company or the programmer, I just love this program. Buy it.

purchased the program for my recently retired husband. he is an expert player with a lot of time on his hands. he says the program is awesome. he has purchased three programs in the past, and abandoned all three, too boring and basic. this one holds his attention, ai very complex.

Although I'd originally given this game only 4 stars, that was due to my limited understanding of all of the features. After you buy it, be sure to spend some time with the readme file or else right-clicking all over on the screen. There are many features that weren't immediately obvious to me. The more I learn about the software, the better I like it, and the technical support is exceptional.

The only potential drawback is the absence of betting advice after the flop. However, I only say that because there is specific advice available pre-flop. Post-flop guidance is still available; it's just that you get it by playing many hands and observing what the skilled players are doing with their chips. It's very instructive.

I have played a couple of poker software games but this is, by far, the best that I have purchased. The software gives you all kinds of ways to set up your game (i.e. easy, testy, hard, etc.) and it gives you a variety of different poker formats (cash game, tournament, etc.). It will track your stats and you can decide how big a starting chip you want, how high you want the blinds, and how many player you want to compete with. Most of all, the tech support is awesome. I send an email with a question and I get an immediate a complete answer not just a page on the "read me" file. I highly recommend this game. The price is most reasonable and the amount fun and variety of skill levels will test you and prepare you for the real thing. +++++++AAAA

Fun Game. Very well thought out and informative. It took me a while to warm up to this game, but now I love it. Worth the money. I play a little holdem but I wanted to improve my game without losing my shirt. This product will help me do this. Gives good coaching.

I have been playing poker since 1967, when as a child I was fascinated by the game and the claim that it was a game of skill when externally it exhibited all the hallmarks of a luck. I have read almost every book of merit on the game. From Herbert Yardley's "Education of a Poker Player" to Doylee's monumental tombs "Super System 1 and 2".
As the years passed, I improved my game plugging every leak I could find. Either by myself or through advice and watched my youthful misconceptions regarding the amount of luck required diminish as though I had looked the in the wrong end of a telescope.
With the advent of the computer age I played just about all of the computerized poker programs of merit in search of a sparring partner that would hone my already reasonably sharp game. Sadly, even though they put me through the motions I never found a program I could not get the hang of both consciously and intuitively and in the end conclusively beat, I've whooped them all.
That was until I decided to buy "Master Poker" after looking and thinking to myself "Nah, its just another computer poker game I'll trample. I could not have been more completely incorrect.
It is the finest game of its type I have come across in 40 years of play. At first I bullied my way up to $2500 and thought "bummer, another predictable bunch of victims", but at that point things began to change drastically. The artificial opponents started to get my measure and to my astonishment and the chagrin of my ego , I started going backwards; quickly. They began playing back at me with the finesse of serious professionals, and I knew I had found a program different from the rest and of serious value to any player wishing to improve, and my first online game after a week with the program, I doubled up my stack in an hour. Not only this, but program never hangs or shuts down the operating system.
I am a perfectionist and generally, nothing ever comes up to my expectations. I cannot say this in reference to Master Poker software. It excelled my expectations in every regard and earned its price back first game.
I sincerely, and without reservation or encumbrance of any description endorse Master Poker as the finest thing of its type available. Even experts will have their muscles hyper-flexed.
If you are serious about improving your game either to raise your hourly rate or just want the most realistic partners for those long winter nights your wife has a headache, you would be insane to be without it.
I have to give the man his due, it is every bit as good as claimed and perhaps a little a better. Practice with Master Poker software and you will be a winner; period.
Steve Widdicombe

I'm an intermediate level NLHE player who was looking for a way to improve my reading skills. After seeing the great reviews for this product I felt it might be a good investment. I've been using it for about a month now and can see some definite results in my game. The AI is great as advertised and is difficult to predict making for a realistic poker experience. Some of the best features include the ability to see every winning hand whether or not it's shown down, great for confirming you made a good lay down. The customizable structure allows you to set up a tournament or sng just like the ones you play at your local casino or online. It's now more clear to me how to adjust my play based on the tourney or sng structure. The overall layout of the main screens are good, easy to use for the most part. There are some very minor problems such as, how much an oppenent bets and the current pot size are not displayed until your turn (you can place your cursor over the chips to see it.) The betting bar doesn't seem to be very intuitive or user friendly but you can use the shortcut keys like pressing number 5 after the flop bets 50% of the pot. There is also a ocassional small sound glitch when players fold that makes a squelching sound but it's rare. Overall, I'd recommend this product for any NLHE player looking for a solid poker simulator.