World Championship Poker

"Mmmm! Damn, Jimmie! This is some serious gourmet stuff! Usually, me and Vince would be happy with some freeze-dried Taster's Choice."

Normally, most serious gamers respect budget games enough to the point that they are avoided like the plague. However, World Championship Poker deserves a look by gamers for being a serious, straightforward, and useful tool for understanding the poker world. Poker is the next big fad to follow, what with the World Series on ESPN, the new original series "Tilt" on said channel, and reported high sales for poker chips and poker tables. Poker is the "it" thing to be part of.

With the introduction of WCP to the poker community, a serious look needs to be given toward this game. While rather ugly and not that attractive on the surface, this game is filled to the brim with tournaments, modes, and useful tutorials to make sure that each player understands the rules of the game.

Each of the tutorials are devised in a way so that a player can take their knowledge of poker rules (which could, in retrospect, be nothing) and fill it to the brim with info on the likes of Texas Hold 'Em, Seven-Card Stud, Pineapple, Omaha, and nine other popular forms of the game. Also included are ways to handle bets, manage your chips, and ultimately succeed in the poker world.

While the single player game is very difficult to get into, the on-line mode shines, supporting up to six people on a broadband connection. (no dial-up). Supporting all modes of play at six different locations, the game simulates real poker to the extreme limits, especially at the creation of open tables, where people can take the chips they have and sit down, trying to win more. Truly astounding.

Ultimately, WCP is probably the best twenty bucks a person can spend if they are a fan of card games, and it goes nicely with the likes of a chip set. Even if the game does not impress visually, those who sit down with the game can find a challenging way to pass the time, and hell, they might even have fun (shocker!!!) at the same time.

Thanks for reading.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/03/05