Shuffle Up, Card Sharks
It's time for another World Series of Poker event.
Published: September 19, 2006
No way. We're not going to do it. We're not going to make some lame intro paragraph about how poker games are hot these days. They are, everyone knows it. And really, what's not to like? The concept is simple, easy to learn, and everyone loves to gamble a little. So long as you've got a little online play and some big-name tournaments to jump into, there's not much missing.
Except, so far, if you don't have the online component or your just not playing against a human competitor period, it's a little tough to really play a poker video game like you would other players. The human aspect goes well beyond AI routines and trends, but then if you were looking to read tells and play against flesh and blood opponents, you'd probably be down at the nearest casino scraping tables right now, wouldn't you?
Luckily, Activision has a little sum-sum to throw your way. A little sum-sum called World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions. Now, not only do we love a game with a title as long as World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions because it's so ridiculously long that we only have to say it a few times to pad our news stories, but the actual meat of the game sounds a little interesting too. Since we haven't played it yet, we'll just let some Activision peeps do the talking.
"World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions immerses players in the real world lifestyle of a poker pro from rubbing shoulders with celebrities to competing in the world's most prestigious events - including the Tournament of Champions," explains Activision's Dave Oxford. "Players will use a combination of skill and strategy to propel their career to the top of the leader boards."
"Just like our tournament continues to get bigger and better, Activision has radically raised the bar with this game," chipped in Ty Stewart, Director of Sports and Entertainment Marketing for Harrah's Entertainment. "Poker has been in video format for some time, but never has there been a sensory experience like this that replicates what it is like to walk in the shoes of a professional poker player."
We've heard plenty of talk about poker games bridging the gap between amateur and pro players, but the whole idea that the game itself actually takes you through a single-player storyline that does just that is actually rather neat. Throw in some guidance from the ubiquitous poker pro (in this case, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson) and some pros and celebs to play against (Phil "Unabomber" Laak, Joseph Hachem and the always smokin' hawt Jennifer Tilly), and you've got yourself a poker game.
Should you have the itch, you have a poker game too, as WSOP:TC (sorry, we just couldn't justify typing it all out again) is in stores now. We should have our own take on things soon.
Except, so far, if you don't have the online component or your just not playing against a human competitor period, it's a little tough to really play a poker video game like you would other players. The human aspect goes well beyond AI routines and trends, but then if you were looking to read tells and play against flesh and blood opponents, you'd probably be down at the nearest casino scraping tables right now, wouldn't you?
Luckily, Activision has a little sum-sum to throw your way. A little sum-sum called World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions. Now, not only do we love a game with a title as long as World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions because it's so ridiculously long that we only have to say it a few times to pad our news stories, but the actual meat of the game sounds a little interesting too. Since we haven't played it yet, we'll just let some Activision peeps do the talking.
"World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions immerses players in the real world lifestyle of a poker pro from rubbing shoulders with celebrities to competing in the world's most prestigious events - including the Tournament of Champions," explains Activision's Dave Oxford. "Players will use a combination of skill and strategy to propel their career to the top of the leader boards."
"Just like our tournament continues to get bigger and better, Activision has radically raised the bar with this game," chipped in Ty Stewart, Director of Sports and Entertainment Marketing for Harrah's Entertainment. "Poker has been in video format for some time, but never has there been a sensory experience like this that replicates what it is like to walk in the shoes of a professional poker player."
We've heard plenty of talk about poker games bridging the gap between amateur and pro players, but the whole idea that the game itself actually takes you through a single-player storyline that does just that is actually rather neat. Throw in some guidance from the ubiquitous poker pro (in this case, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson) and some pros and celebs to play against (Phil "Unabomber" Laak, Joseph Hachem and the always smokin' hawt Jennifer Tilly), and you've got yourself a poker game.
Should you have the itch, you have a poker game too, as WSOP:TC (sorry, we just couldn't justify typing it all out again) is in stores now. We should have our own take on things soon.
