Nintendo Texas Hold 'Em reviewed

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This Nintendo poker game tries to recreate the true online poker experience and does this by choosing the most popular poker game of them all; Texas Hold‘Em.

Texas Hold'Em, in its true form, sees players begin with two hole cards which are dealt face down and hidden from other players, and eventually five community cards dealt face-up in the center of the table, with betting after each round of deals. The winner of each hand is the person who creates the best five-card poker hand by using any combination of their hole cards and the community cards.(check the rules here)

Nintendo uses a relatively simple format as used by most major providers, which is universally popular. The game allows you to play different games in either a tournament format or in a head-to-head competition, and players are able to practice before tournament play to make sure they are fully satisfied that they understand the intricacies of the game.

It largely succeeds in recreating a casino experience, sticking rigidly to the tried and tested Texas Hold’Em format which has become popular throughout the world. People who buy the game will surely have heard of Texas Hold ‘Em and there is nothing in this game to frighten them too much, as it sticks to the traditional format of the two hole cards and five community cards.

The game also has a good and clear menu, so you can access the section you want quickly and easily. The graphics, as you would expect from Nintendo, are excellent throughout. I also liked the way the player can work his or her way up, starting in relatively humble surroundings in Nevada, but by using their skills and reputation in the game, can eventually earn the chance to play in the glamorous tournaments of Las Vegas.

YouTube link footage of Texas Hold 'Em for WiiWare

Another attractive feature from Nintendo (which is available when using an internet connection), is a table showing the worldwide rankings, where you will see your standings on the leaderboard go up or down according to your success at the tables. There is also, of course, a multiplayer format so up to five of you can play together. However, as a lone player you can also go online to challenge players of a similar skill level to yourself.

Also, as with most Wii games, you can use the character support to create a likeness of yourself. You can then either use one of the six characters on offer or import your own Mii to participate.

Though Texas Hold ‘Em is not the hardest game to grasp, this version gives you the opportunity to learn the game and its intricacies as fully as you want so you can master the rules and also the art of bluffing. After all, so much of poker is how you behave at the table. I like the way that this aspect of poker, which could be ignored in a gaming format, is embraced. As a game, it is well worth a try.