Customer Reviews

World Series of Poker 2008: Battle for the Bracelets

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

 

 

First, if you only enjoy NL Hold 'em, you might want to think twice on this version. Imagine WSOP '05 with more pro's, more games, limit, HORSE, Razz, Stud too. It's a tough game if you play properly, if you play it like an arcade game, you will either excel or get very bored. Now if you like the other poker variations, then pick this up. The AI is much tougher than last years game, and the play seems more like a casino table than previous versions.

The online aspect of the game is where serious players are going to love '08... There are stats. All the things most poker players love deep down inside, the numbers. You can have multi table tournaments, so you can essentially use this as a trainer for that weekend trip to the card room. Cash Games, SnG's, all the things you find online. You do get a lot of donk play, so don't be surprised with the suck-outs. But the overall online experience so far is 98% positive, and I'm starting to get together a weekly game.

Other things to love:
There are a ton of achievments.
Pro voices
A blackjack mini game within the game
Video's (White belt from Helmuths thingy is one of the 'goodies')

Phil Helmuth is the 'star' this year, but a lot of the information that scrolls and is shown between loading screens is regurgitated from previous versions with a few current tidbits. If you ever wanted to compete with him or someone like Matusow, then here's your chance.

As a poker player, I can't complain much. It's not Poker Academy, or Full Tilt, but it is getting incredibly close to making me really feel like I'm at the table with Allan, Elisabeth, Chris and E Dog... This is an excellent addition to the WSOP brand.

this is almost a really, really fun game. it is good practice, but if you are one of those players that gets irritated at bad beats, let this one go. the AI in this game will re-raise you preflop with 8-4 offsuits all day long and hit them with a regularity bordering on the absurd. this tends to make the cash games really easy, but the blind structure makes the tournaments really hard.

on the other hand, it is good practice for beating games filled with really, really bad players.

This poker game is ok, and many beginners can learn from this poker game... But it has a lot of flaws, you cant save any tournament games and expect, bad beat, after bad beat, after bad beat, after bad beat, after bad beat... You catch my drift... overall 3 out of 5

This game was honestly not much of an improvement over the original WSOP game or the Tournament of Champions game. The AI is still just as terrible and the commentary is the exact same thing as the previous games, such as when Lon says "Here comes the flop" is followed by Norman Chad's "That's what my wife said on our honeymoon" Even the players say a lot of the same phrases as the previous two games.

I think the best part about the game is that is has a lot of pros that you will recognize such as Chris Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, Devilfish, Phil Gordon, etc. etc. But to me, this was pretty much the only good part of the game.

I was surprised to see people still playing online, though it is rather empty.

If you are just learning how to play, this MAY be a good game for you. However, I would recommend signing up for a free account on one of the many poker sites that are out there and learning the game with play chips (same goes for players who are proficient players.. I'd stick to online)

I gave the game 3 stars only because of all of the pros the game has.. Other wise I would've given it a 1.5 or 2.

WSOP 2008 is mostly a good game with a few flaws. I enjoyed playing Omaha, Razz, and 7 card Stud just as much as NL Hold'em. My favorite part of the game was that you could create an avatar and play as many or as few tournaments in the World Series that you want. Then you can accumulate money and use it to buy accessories for your "bachelor pad." I think it makes the game a lot like creating a player on NCAA Football.

My two complaints with the game are that the cards are very small on the screen and if you don't have a large tv then I wouldn't recommend the game. It is especially hard when you are playing games that have cards showing for each player. My second complaint is that if you are not actively knocking out players then the number of players in the tournament take forever to get knocked out.

Overall, I would recommend the game if you are a big poker fan (more than just Hold'em) and have a pretty big TV (or like sitting really close to a small one).

These games are not as much fun as winning actual money and playing for real. But if you can't to that than this should suffice.

the game is great i like it alot. the AI is pretty smart there are a few tricks you can use that would work 80% of the time but you'll most probablly eventually get caught. the online gaming unfortunetely is very bad people don't take it seriously and its much easier to win. So if u stick to carreer mode you'll find it pretty challenging:) enjoy guys

This is a review of World Series of Poker 2008: Battle for the Bracelets for XBOX 360.

There are a lot of cute features on this game. For example, you can play in a simulated tournament against avatars that look like actual professional poker players. The games are narrated by the ESPN poker commentators, so you get treated to some of Norman Chad's wit. (That may be a plus or a minus depending on whether he is to your taste.) If you bust out of the tournament, you get a "cell phone call" on the screen from a famous player (voiced by the actual player), who invites you to a simulated cash game. Of course, all this is most interesting if you actually are a big enough fan of professional poker to know who people like Phil Hellmuth, Mike Matusow, etc. are. There is also a tutorial, "Phil's Poker School," that features videos of famous players giving you advice about each of the major poker games (i.e., the ones played in a H.O.R.S.E. tournament). Finally, if you enter your name as "beatthebrat" (in the customize character menu) you will get a humorous sound effect and will notice a change in the Phil Hellmuth avatar.

However, there are two major problems with this game. First, the graphics are far too small to be viewable on a mid-sized television screen. In order to play, I have to pull the chair right up to the TV, and even then it is hard to make out which players have raised or called. (I suspect that the game was designed originally for a PC, where you'd be viewing the screen from 12 inches away.) Second, the tutorial is useless whether you are a novice or an experienced player. Having someone rapidly count up for you the number of "outs" you have in a hand will be completely meaningless to a beginner, whereas a more experienced player won't need to be told that. During games, "hints" will sometimes scroll across the top of the screen, but these include gems like "Phil says that you should bet when you think you have the best hand," or "Going on tilt can damage your bankroll." Really?? Wow!

If you are a HUGE poker fan, it might be worth taking a look at someone else's copy of this game, but I honestly wouldn't recommend buying it for yourself. Spend the money on the buy in of a real tournament instead!