Imagine poker

Whether you believe it or not, many of the poker players you'll find in the play money section of online poker rooms are not there to train for eventually joining a real cash game. They're simply there because they like poker and they're looking for a bit of fun without having to spend any kind of money to finance their hobby.

These guys may be looking for their kicks in all the wrong places. You see, not all of us are in the game because we want to make money off it. No sir, there are players out there who just like a quiet little offline Texas Hold'em game, where they don't have to put up with the crazy moves and utter lack of discipline so characteristic of play money tables. Obviously, the right solution for guys like these is an offline video-poker-type software that allows them to play the game undisturbed.

The problem is however, that most of the video poker software available on the web is based around the traditional 5-card Draw. Now then, if you are a Texas Hold'em junkie, that kind of stuff just won't ring your bell. I had a friend who once spent a couple of days online looking for a Texas Hold'em program that would work offline, and couldn't find any. He finally had to settle for a regular 5-card Draw one. This all happened a couple of years ago though, and since then things have changed a bit for the better.

Now there's Imagine Poker, no wait, there's Imagine Poker 2, a newer and improved version of the game first released in January 2007, by the game-creator Candywriter. With Imagine Poker you'll be able to play Texas Hold'em from the comfort of your home or from the top of a mountain on you laptop without an internet connection. The game is offline and players are pitted against a selection of popular fantasy-characters like Count Dracula, Blackbeard the Pirate, Napoleon, the Tooth Fairy and so on.

No longer do you have to worry about your bankroll, about the poker rake you pay and which has the potential to ruin a low limit/low stakes game for you. You no longer have to take any bull**** from players whose sole aim is to annoy others at the play money table. You don't need to go through the often tedious work of finding and securing yourself a lucrative rakeback deal. This is poker for poker's sake.

Some of you might argue that playing against a bunch of rag-tag computer generated characters is not the same as going against the wits of a skillful human player. Generally I'd say you're right about that, but in this case I'll have to make an exception.

I ran a test of the software you can download for free from the Candywriter site and I was pleasantly surprised by the extremely capable artificial intelligence the program uses. Heck it's like you're playing a really good human opponent. I had a straight on one occasion, but I knew pretty darn well it was easy to outdraw since I had the low end of it in the pocket. The board texture didn't lie and I knew one of the comp guys had the high end of it but I wanted to test how they reacted to my actions under these circumstances. They played it passive ( while I kept raising) and I couldn't tell to the very end which of them actually had the nuts there. Eventually I went all in and got steamrolled by Napoleon, who burst into a little victory celebration which was funny as hell to say the least.

What this game does is teach you poker in a light and playful atmosphere, without putting any pressure on you and without leaving a sour taste in your mouth after a loss.

The interface looks good and it's highly customizable. You can choose felt color, a personalized deck, modify chip color and so on. As far as I understand, Charlotte the dealer is a new addition to the game, and if that's the case, she is a welcome addition indeed.

The trial period for the game has been extended, so that you can fully explore the wealth of new options it brings. Making up your mind whether to buy it or not at the end of the trial period, shouldn't really be a problem once you're aware just what kind of bang you get for your buck. Besides Imagine Poker 2, Candywriter also produces PokerGhost, a poker assistant.

Together, the two pieces of software provide players with a complete learning tool they can use to take their game online whenever they feel the need to make that move.

Because I'm a PC user, I might have neglected one other serious advantage ImaginePoker 2 presents over its competitors: it works on MacOS too, so all you Mac users out there, rest assured, you're no longer confined to the sidelines of virtual poker entertainment.