Computer Texas Holdem

This game only works on your computer. Texas Hold 'em Poker. I don't like it! Watch your cards, make a good bet, and win everyone else's. Texas Hold 'Em Play Texas hold 'em poker with up to four other computer players.

The great thing about poker is that anybody can emulate the
pros by visiting their local card room or online poker sites.

But what if you also want the atmosphere of a major World
Series of Poker WSOP event or a unique twist to Texas holdem?

This is where Texas holdem video games are nice because they
can create different scenarios that make the game more
entertaining.

If you want to experience Texas holdem through a video game,
the good news is that plenty of games have been released over
the years.

Let’s discuss some of these games below by covering each
one’s concept, graphics, and pros/cons.

1- Full House Poker – Xbox 360

Concept

Released in 2011, Full House Poker includes role-playing game
RPG elements, such as career stats, a season-long tournament
schedule, achievements, and various characters that you’ll see
on the circuit.

The characters are stereotypes based on the different
strategies that people use when playing poker. A few of the
characters include: Lily Sun, who’s a very cautious player;
Larry Louche, who bullies the table; and Rachel Raise, who plays
a lot of hands and seeks action.

The only catch is that you must unlock these players through
tournaments and by defeating other opponents.

Graphics

Full House Poker features characters with oversized heads and
cards on the table. The 3D graphics and in-depth backgrounds
behind the tables make the graphics stand out.

Pros and Cons

This game does a great job of presenting a vibrant poker
environment away from the table by including artwork on the
walls, other tables around you, and people hanging out in nearby
lobbies.

We also like the career mode, which keeps track of your
bankroll and achievements.

The only downside to Full House Poker is that there’s no
voice commentary, and you instead listen to background noises
and player sound effects.

2- High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition –
PlayStation 3

Concept

Released in 2007, High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker
Edition can be downloaded from the PlayStation Store.

High Stakes on the Vegas Strip is a popular multiplayer game,
allowing PlayStation users to face off against each other
online. The game keeps track of your bankroll too and sees you
move up the stakes over your career just like in real high
stakes poker.

You have several options when concerning the gameplay,
including switching the game settings and customizing your
avatar.

Graphics

This game takes you into a variety of high stakes settings
that include posh hotel rooms and glamorous Vegas casinos. The
players are presented as life-like 3D animations, which gives
this game a realistic feeling.

Pros and Cons

High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition offers good
online multiplayer action, nice graphics, and customization
options.

Downsides include a lack of sound effects/voices, and few
poker room settings to choose from.

3- Poker Night 2 – PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360

Concept

If you want unique poker action, then Poker Night 2 is
definitely a game worth trying.

Launched in 2013, this game sees you play poker with
characters from successful video game franchises. They include:
Ash Williams from The Evil Dead, Brock Samson from The Venture
Bros., Claptrap from Borderlands, GLaDOS from Portal, and Sam
from Sam & Max.

The emphasis in this game isn’t on the poker action, but
rather the jokes, conversations, and banter between the video
game characters.

Graphics

The graphics are really fun in this game because the
characters appear just as they do in their video game series,
yet the table and cards are presented in life-like fashion. You
have a first-person view in the game, so you don’t see your own
character.

Pros and Cons

This is an excellent game for recreational poker players who
also enjoy video games. The banter between players is advanced
and makes you feel like you’re really sitting with famous video
game characters.

The only catch is that you’ll start hearing some of the same
jokes and conversations after playing for a while. And given
that the poker features are merely adequate, Poker Night 2
starts to lose value at this point.

4- Pure Hold’em – PlayStation 4

Concept

As the name implies, Pure Hold’em only focuses on the cards,
chips, and tables – there are no players present at the table.

Instead, players are shown on tablet devices and the
chips/cards move through an advanced technology that doesn’t
require anybody to run the game.

Graphics

The tables, casino setting, and cards are all presented in
stellar fashion, as you’d expect from a PlayStation 4 game.

Our one complaint about the graphics is the tablet-based
players, who don’t add any entertainment value to Pure Hold’em.

Pros and Cons

Pure Hold’em features high-quality poker action, elegant card
rooms, and a fun system that lets you work your way up from
low-level card rooms to VIP suites.

But one thing that makes poker video games entertaining is
when you can actually see real opponents, not just tablet
versions of them. Most recreational players won’t enjoy the lack
of characters in this game.

5- Red Dead Redemption – PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360

Concept

Released in 2010 as the sequel to Red Dead Revolver, Red Dead
Redemption is an open-world, Wild West game where you shoot up
bad guys and complete missions.

Red Dead Redemption allows you to do several side activities,
including a poker game that you can walk into any time.

Graphics

Given that this is a western video game, Red Dead
Redemption’s poker action takes place in a dilapidated room with
a worn table. The graphics perfectly fit the game and make you
feel as if you’re really playing in a Wild West poker game.

Pros and Cons

Despite poker being a side activity in Red Dead Redemption,
it’s actually a solid game that works like any normal poker
video game. The goal is to accumulate money to spend in other
areas of the open world.

But given that Red Dead Redemption is about more than just
poker, the characters at the table stay the same every time you
sit down to the table. The poker action is also rudimentary with
no special features involved.

6- Sexy Poker – Nintendo Wii

Concept

Released in 2009, Sexy Poker is available for Nintendo Wii
through WiiWare download.

This is a simple strip poker game involving anime characters,
and the goal is to beat your computer opponent and get them down
to their underwear.

Graphics

If you’ve seen a Japanese anime movie or TV show, the
graphics look very similar. Each setting is a static picture of
a girl dressed in an outfit, such as a cop, nurse, or volleyball
player.

Pros and Cons

If you’re into strip poker and anime, then Sexy Poker will be
an entertaining game for you.

The downside is that the Texas holdem is as basic as it gets,
making this a lame game for poker enthusiasts.

7- Stacked with Daniel Negreanu – Xbox and PlayStation 2

Concept

Released in 2006, Stacked with Daniel Negreanu features the
6-time WSOP champion Negreanu, along with appearances from other
pros like Carlos Mortensen, Erick Lindgren, and Evelyn Ng.

At first glance, Stacked is just a solid poker game with
customizable options and appearances by pro players.

But the defining characteristic of this game is a technology
called Poki, which learns your strategy and adjusts the
artificial intelligence. This keeps your A.I. opponents from
constantly being exploitable and makes the game more like real
poker.

Graphics

Stacked with Daniel Negreanu features strong 3D graphics –
especially for PlayStation 2 and Xbox – and allows you to play
in elegant card rooms with detailed backgrounds.

Pros and Cons

The avatars, graphics, options, and poker action already make
this a good game. But appearances by Negreanu and other pros,
along with the Poki technology, put this game over the top.

We also like the pre-taped advice segments with Negreanu,
where he dispenses helpful tips.

The only real weaknesses of Stacked include cliché player
movements, and dialogue. If you’ve played a few poker games,
then you’ll be more than familiar with everything that Stacked
offers in these departments.

8- Telltale Texas Hold’em – Microsoft Windows

Concept

Telltale Texas Hold’em was released in 2005 for Microsoft
Windows (PC).

This game was Telltale’s precursor to Poker Night 2, and it
features the same type of setup. You see the game through a
first-person view, and you play with 3D characters who crack
jokes and have interesting conversations at the table.

Characters include Harry Weinhead, Boris Krinkle, Theodore
Dudebrough, and Grandma Shakey. These characters all generic,
with the exception of Boris Krinkle, who looks just like Leonard
Steakcharmer from Sam & Max Save the World and Sam & Max Beyond
Time and Space.

Graphics

Free Slots Vegas World

Telltale Texas Hold’em features 3D graphics, and characters
with notable facial features. But it would be nice to see more
detail offered in the background.

Pros and Cons

Like Poker Night 2, this game is really fun in the beginning
as you listen to the players interact with each other.

But this is another case where the jokes become stale when
you hear them the third time around, and the poker action isn’t
detailed enough to make the game interesting at this point.

9- Texas Hold’em Poker – Nintendo DS and Wii

Concept

Released in 2009, Texas Hold’em Poker presents an overview of
the table with typical Wii-style characters. In fact, you can
even import your own Mii character onto the table.

Texas Hold’em Poker allows you to play Hold’em cash games and
tournaments in casinos from New York to Monaco. You can also
taunt opponents and chat with players through the online
version.

Graphics

The graphics are very cartoonish, which falls in line with
many other Wii games. If you’re looking for an escape from
realistic avatars and settings, Texas Hold’em Pokers offers
this.

Pros and Cons

This game feels like an online poker session due to the
overhead view and giant community cards on the table. But Texas
Hold’em Poker offers more-colorful avatars and settings to
choose from than any online poker room.

The only potential downside we see to Texas Hold’em Poker is
if you want a more-realistic environment, rather than the
oversized heads and cartoonish graphics that are offered.

10- World Championship Poker 2

Concept

World Championship Poker 2 is part of a series released by
Coresoft that also includes World Championship Poker and World
Championship Poker: Featuring Howard Lederer All In.

World Championship Poker 2 is largely considered the best
game of the series because it improved upon certain aspects from
the original, including better artificial intelligence.

This game sees you work your way up from backroom home games
to the bright lights of major poker tournaments. It also offers
a number of options, such as customizing your avatar and picking
the game location.

Graphics

World Championship Poker 2 offers better graphics than its
predecessor and is especially detailed for a game from the
mid-2000s.

Pros and Cons

If you’re looking for solid poker action that sees you grind
from small stakes to the big time, then World Championship Poker
2 is worth trying.

Our main issue, though, is the player conversations, which
are limited to mild insults that come from nowhere. The player
interactions are very poor compared to games like Poker Night 2
and Telltale Texas Hold’em.

11- World Poker Tour 2K6

Concept

Launched in late 2005, World Poker Tour 2K6 offers the
exciting action of the WPT, pro player appearances, and the
long-time announcing duo of Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten.

Some of the pros that you’ll see include Antonio Esfandiari,
Evelyn Ng, and Phil Laak.

You’ll also be able to buy new outfits for your player with
bonus money earned through pulling off bluffs and landing
special hands.

Graphics

The casino graphics in the background are solid, but the
players, chips, and table aren’t as detailed as what you’ll see
in many other games.

Pros and Cons

Unlike most poker games, World Poker Tour 2K6 has very good
voice commentary that comes courtesy of Sexton and Van Patten.
We also like how this game is fashioned after the WPT, giving
you the feel of what it’s like to be a tournament pro.

Drawbacks include below-average graphics, and the fact that
you won’t see the pro players very often.

12- World Series of Poker 2008: Battle for the Bracelets –
PS2

Concept

If you want to relive the poker boom and see iconic pros,
World Series of Poker 2008: Battle for the Bracelets is
definitely worth trying.

This game includes avatars of pros like Greg Raymer, Jennifer
Harman, Joe Hachem, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, and
Phil Laak. You’ll also see instructional videos from some of
these pros, offering you helpful poker tips while you play.

One interesting option is the ability to customize your
avatar before competing against these elite players for
bracelets.

Graphics

The graphics aren’t great, and they’ll remind you of every
other poker video game that tries to inject realism into the
matter.

What is nice, though, is the real-life video footage that
pops up on the side while you’re playing.

Pros and Cons

World Series of Poker 2008: Battle for the Bracelets offers
more pro players than any other poker game you’ll find. And
again, the video footage is a nice touch that adds something to
the action.

The cons include that the graphics aren’t good, and this
feels more like a poker TV show, rather than a WSOP tournament
with both pros and amateurs.

13- World Series of Poker: Full House Pro – Xbox 360

Concept

Released in 2013, World Series of Poker: Full House Pro
offers a colorful approach to the glamour and excitement of the
WSOP.

Like the Wii Texas Hold’em Poker game, Full House Pro
presents characters with oversized heads trying to battle their
way through tournaments.

Free Texas Hold'em

Graphics

Despite the name, you won’t see a lot of reminders of the
WSOP, beyond logos found on the chairs and tables. But the
graphics put a fun spin on the intense action featured in WSOP
tournaments.

Pros and Cons

With customizable avatars, good voice commentary, and
animated players, World Series of Poker: Full House Pro is a
nice game for anybody who wants to relax while playing.

The only major downside is that this game doesn’t offer much
for anybody who’s looking for a realistic portrayal of the WSOP.