Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Apparently some people don't get it...., April 27, 2005
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
As an advanced player, I can't suggest a better program for developing the fundamental skills required to be a winning Hold 'Em player.
The review below obviously doesn't understand what this software is designed to do. This isn't a poker "game," it's training software!
(...) But for those of us who are looking to gain a deeper understanding of the game, it's an absolute necessity. (If the reviewer had taken the time to input Q6 into the showdown calculator he would quickly see _exactly_ why the advisor told him to fold.)
The Heads-Up limit players are, hands down, the toughest available. I challenge anyone to play 20,000 hands against Vexbot and see how they fare. I can tell you this: they won't beat it, because the more you play, the better it plays against you, by exploiting your leaks and attacking your weaknesses. Unlike a human, Vexbot never goes on tilt, calculates perfect odds every time, and has a record of how you've played every single hand you've ever played against it. How's that for a tough opponent?
If you interested in learning sound, foundational, winning principles of Hold 'Em play, you should seriously consider adding Poker Academy to your curriculum.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Learning Tool and Excellent Player Models, May 12, 2005
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
I am very pleased with my purchase of "Poker Academy: Texas Hold 'Em". It offers several variants of play and several models of players to play against. Writing software that simulates a good poker player is non-trivial and my experience with other poker games and/or learning tools is that the authors usually choose a single model and vary it in one dimension (i.e. aggressiveness, etc.). However, "Poker Academy" actually has several different models based on real playing styles and is thus by my estimate a much more sophisticated learning tool and/or challenger to play against.
The extra "bells and whistles" mentioned by a previous reviewer are nice for beginners but they can be turned off completely so that game play decisions are totally up to the player.
I own 7 different Texas Hold 'Em games ranging from extremely simplistic (meaning once you "figure out" how the opponents work, you never lose) to others that are more sophisticated. It is my opinion that "Poker Academy: Texas Hold 'Em" is the best software I have of the 7 different variants I own. Thus, I highly recommend the software to others and suggest that reading the help section and possibly reading about some of the player styles modeled in the software is quite possibly the best combination of fun and training I have come across.
Keep up the good work!
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Review of Poker Academy (Standard & PRO versions), April 13, 2005
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Do you want to improve your play, dominate the competition and annihilate other opponents? If you answered YES, then this software is for you. You could buy a book on poker, however you would still be missing out on a fundamental prerequisite for improved play, actual experience playing hands. Poker is huge, playing well commands great respect and can make you a lot of money. Buying this software won't guarantee a win at the WSOP, but it will improve your skills to get you to the final table more often.
Poker Academy software is manufactured by Biotools Inc on the web at http://www.poker-academy.com they are serious about making you a great player. The company motto is "Learn to Win at ANY Level" and they mean it. They offer free limited feature trial copies of the programs to download. Poker Academy uses mathematical probability, coupled with advanced computer modeling and sophisticated Artificial Intelligence programming, to provide a challenging poker simulation. So what makes Poker Academy worth the price?
It's not just another poker game. If you are a novice player, it will help you learn the important concepts of knowing when to hold em and more importantly, when to fold em. A common habit of new and second-rate players is playing too many poor hands, and playing them too long. Think of Poker Academy as your personal poker trainer, it will make you perspire, so be prepared to work your brain. Get lazy and your pixilated opponents will make you suffer. It's frustrating to get punished for playing defectively and you'll never get the computer to go on tilt, although it might put you there, but learning to deal effectively with frustration is also part of becoming a great player.
Start by creating your profile to track your personal session and overall statistics. Session statistics are always displayed and updated to instantly check your progress. Session statistics include number of hands played, Win/Loss percentages, and Win rate calculated as the percentage of small blinds per hand and percentage of flops seen. You're overall statistics tracked include a bar graph showing your bankroll as small bets won vs. number of hands played. Also tracked are the percentages and totals (number of hands played, wins and win rate), folding (pre-flop, flop, turn, river or no fold) and action percentages for (folding, calling, checking, betting, and raising).
Do you usually fold, while only playing strong opening hands? Do you check more often than raising? Poker Academy will tell you. The advisor feature makes recommendations for suggested play, allowing you to check your decisions and reinforcing strong playing behaviors. Additionally, the hand evaluator shows detailed information about the hand you're currently playing, including the ever-important pot odds, and the crucial percentage of your chance to win, tie or loose the hand. If all of this sounds too complicated and technical, don't worry the computer does the math leaving you free to learn to play a stronger game. The PRO version has even stronger algorithms, provides more information, and more features. So how else does it help strengthen your play?
It allows you to create and edit your opponent profiles. Imagine being able re-create a table of opponents that play like your poker buddies/nemesis? All competitors know that to improve you must practice and continually push your limits. Constantly practicing against stronger opponents will definitely improve your play and make you a winner. Want a real challenge build a table of opponents who play a tight/aggressive style in a limit hold-em game and see how long you can keep your money. As for how it can help even a professional play better, the PRO version has an enhanced AI and some very challenging computer opponents that learn your preferred style of play and reacts to exploit any weaknesses. The more hands you play, the better it gets a read on you, forcing you to continually adapt and change gears which is what the great players do. Most players develop habits and detectable habits are costly at a poker table, being able to quickly change styles of play without being thrown off your game is highly advantageous. If you happen to have programming skills there is a plug-in API allowing you to build your own completely specialized computer opponents. The web site has the details, anybody want to try and program a Gus Hansen bot?
I know that it works. A little over two weeks ago while competing in a local tournament I made the final table for the first time and actually won the whole thing. I was very excited; especially when I learned my opponent has a number finishes and more experience than I do. Heads-up play lasted over an hour. My opponent was just about to go on tilt when I won the final hand. Additionally, my 13 year-old son started playing poker about 5 weeks ago; he played for a couple of hours every other day with the software. Last Friday at his first tournament, he didn't win but he made the final table. What I find so amazing is that in just a few short weeks, he had the confidence to expect to win the tournament. Was it luck? I don't think so. You can treat this software as just another poker game but it would be your loss.
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