Customer Reviews

World Series of Poker (Jewel Case)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Watch out for what they send you. The ad says it works with mac osx, win xp and the one shipped was an old version fow win 3.1 and win 95. Then Amazon says you have to deal with the vendor and they don't want to hear about it.

This game is an awsome tool for learning poker or for sharpening your skills. Unlike other poker software that I have played/used, there is a story and a goal. You enter Las Vegas, with $5000 in your pockets and you want to of course win the World Series of Poker (the game is set in Binion's Horseshoe). You have to somehow build your bankroll up to the $10,000 needed to enter the World Series of Poker main event. To win this prestigious title you have to beat over 200 computer opponents who get smarter and more aggresive as you draw nearer to the final table.

It is far and away worth the money to buy this game, you'll get hooked, and don't think its easy either. To win you must really use your head. Bluffing and luck will not beat this game. You'll have to out-wit your opponents, use proper hold'em strategy, which of course changes as the tournament goes on, especially for the jump to shorthanded play at the final table. And if you are good enough to make heads-up for the million bucks your heart will be pounding.

No the graphics aren't flashy, but they don't have to be, it is a solid, fun game and it will have you coming back for more.
I should note that for the first bit of the Big Tournament the opponents are too passive, they won't defend there blinds, and they'll fold too easily, but as the game gets further and further, they get smarter and they will semi-bluff, slow-play,and as they get more and more aggressive they will bluff-raise all-in with nothing. Of course you have to have awsome cards yourself, or so much money that you don't know what to do with it all in order to catch them do this. All in all it is a great game that I couldn't do without.

First, let me say that I really enjoy this software package. It follows a prospective entrant into the World Series of Poker - starting with your flight to Las Vegas, your cab ride to the hotel (Binions Horseshoe Casino), and eventually poker. You don't get enough money to just enter the tournament - you have to win your way in by entering Satellite tournaments (smaller buy-in tourneys) and beating your competitors. If you manage to do that, you can then enter the big tourney.

The poker is fairly realistic, though hardly at the level you would face in Vegas. It's a fun way to learn about poker tournaments and the World Series of Poker. And it's true: Anyone Can Win. A man who had never entered a "live" poker tournament before (he had played on-line) was the world champion this year. We can all dream.

I bought this title because James McManus, a novice poker player and author of Positively Fifth Street (a great book) used it in his preparation for the WSOP and made the final table. Unfortunatley, the caliber of the computer oppenents in poker was far less than I expected. The AI used to play poker merely bets the value of its hand. Very rarely did I see the computer bluff or semi-bluff. Most of the time, if you're getting bet back at, the computer has the best hand. It's insanely easy to steal blinds and you never have to go all-in until it's down to you and your last opponent either in a satellite or the WSOP final table. While I'm sure this program was great for its time, you're better off getting some other software (Hoyle for casino action or some of the more advanced and more expensive hold 'em software) for a better experience.

For real poker knowledge get Super/System by Doyle Brunson and Mike Caro's book on Poker Tells. You can rule your home game and make some money at professional games (live or online) with discipline and experience.

When I read the product details and saw that the game was XP compatible, I thought it was a new game. I also noted there are NO other sellers offering this at a discounted price.

When I received the game I immeditately saw 'Windows 95' on the front, so looked at the date on back of case - 1998, ugh.

Folks, I could buy this game at the local store for $5. It's an old game, old graphics, and hokey startup - airplane ride, at the airport, at the hotel check-in.

Sure, all the elements of Texas Hold'em are there, but after three hands you kinda get tired of the smug dealer saying 'last card, and the same comments from other players.

Don't waste your money on this one.

not only is this product more than 6 years old, the graphics would look outdated on an Atari 2600.

I should have read the reviews first. It says XP on the amazon site, but it really is a Windows 3.1 program and nothing more.

(...)

Don't buy this or any other Masque product. If I could have given it 0 stars I would have.

I bought this game specifically to sharpen my skills in Texas Hold 'em. I thought this game was much more challenging than the highly touted Hoyle Casino 2003. I disagree that the AI players don't bluff ( unless you think a pair of deuces is a good hand!). I haven't experience any of the crashes that the other reviewers reported and it does work on windows XP. I do,however, agree that the graphics are nerdy and I could do without the story line ( flying to Las Vegas, getting into a cab etc.). It is an older game and maybe Masque should sell it at a cheaper price. Otherwise, it is a pretty decent game to sharpen my poker skills.

So much fun it became an addiction. I spent a hundred hours or more playing several thousand hands of Texas Hold'em. I have no problem with the game requirement that you earn part of the entrance fee to the WSOP, however, the entrance scheme is VERY HOKEY and cumbersome - TOTALLY UNNECESSARY! I did find that some winning hands were incorrectly awarded; ~ one in a few hundred. This can be disconcerting if there is a lot at stake and you are not sure who has the winning hand. Part of the program is copied to your hard drive (I have Windows XP and am unable to remove this part of the program). You need to inset the disc to play. All-in-all it's still a blast.

This is mostly a technical post. Although the package says Windows 3.1/Windows 95 on it, it will run just fine on Windows XP. I loaded it and have it running, no problem. The graphics are way cheesy, but do take me back to the old days of computer games. The computer AI though seems to be pretty good, at least for Hold 'em. It's way better than some of the newer Hoyle's games where the computer plays like an idiot.

I too received the older version, that said Windows 3.1/Windows 95 on the front. I contacted Masque Publishing about this and was told that that IS the most current version, and it runs just fine on Windows XP. I guess they just didn't want to reprint all those CD case inserts?
At any rate, it installed and ran fine for me on XP Professional, so don't let concerns about compatibility deter you from buying this product.