September 4, 2006

So, now that we have covered a bit of background in new video poker developments and the innovative new Opponent Poker game, here is how the game plays out in detail.

This video poker game starts with your hand, and both of your animated opponent’s hands having the same starting cards. Both of your animated opponent hands are played by the computer using near optimum strategy in regards to what cards are held. At thins point in the game, think of it as regular video poker with two opponents instead of just one (the computer). Then, before making your own decision as to what you are going to do with your hand and whether you are going to draw and such, you can see this result and in the process not only apply your own poker playing skills but add a new dimension of strategy to traditional video poker games.

What we are saying is that if you have never had the chance or the inclination to learn correct video poker playing strategy, with this video poker game you will have your own lesson basically. So, be sure to watch the cards your opponents are holding and you will then know what the near optimum strategy was for the hand as played out by the computer. This is a great concept.

Then, when you hit the deal/draw button, each poker hand uses an independent deck and at the same time you see the results of all three poker hands. If you have the best poker hand you will win those bets plus the wagers of one or both of your opponents who are also holding winning hands but not as good as your winning hand.

If your winning poker hand ties one or both of your animated your opponents, you then win the bets from your own hand, plus those bets along with the wagers from your opponents' poker hands will go into a pot that's digitally represented on the screen. The pot will get bigger until there's a clear winner in the game. The chance to take your share (33%) as winnings without being forced to gamble them away. Again, this is a great concept.

When playing this new video poker game, you can noticeably use whatever video poker playing strategy you desire to use, but if there's a big pot at stake, you will need to adjust strategies. For instance, when there is a lot of money at stake, you probably won’t try for a straight when you only have three of the cards needed. This is what your animated opponents will do, but you should branch out by holding a face card looking to pair up instead. The odds of you getting a pair are better than the odds of your opponent hitting that straight.

Now when playing this video poker game, you will be able to choose between 6 opponents. They are all characters in their own right, but they will all use the same optimal strategy. You just have to choose the ones you want to play against. Again, they all have the same playing abilities, you just might prefer one of the others. They have unique characteristics and you will get to know these as you play them.