MLGG: Pop Culture News, Reviews and Interviews

The gamification of poker through video games is an exciting development in the £55 billion online gaming industry. Nowadays, you don’t have to sit in a casino and play cards to improve your poker skills — video games provide the perfect opportunity to practice your strategies and play with your friends in the comfort of your own home.

In this article, we’ve rounded up three of the best poker video games you need to play:

1. Stacked: With Daniel Negreanu

David Negreanu is more than just a familiar name in the poker scene. He is one of the poker players with the biggest net worth, having over $44 million (£38.86 million) in tournament winnings, both online and offline. On top of his huge poker bankroll, he also has income streams from sponsorship deals and his titular feature in the video game industry. Stacked: With Daniel Negreanu, also known as Stacked, was developed by American studio 500ft in 2006 for the PC, Xbox, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable.

The gameplay is centred on playing Texas Hold’em with poker masters. Apart from Negreanu, the game features pro players such as Juan Carlos Mortensen, Erick Lindgren, and Evelyn Ng. The game is designed to improve beginner players’ skills by teaching them the basics of poker and moving up the ladder to play with professionals. With the game’s use of artificial intelligence, which understands how you play and adjusts accordingly, Stacked remains a relevant video game today.

2. World Series of Poker: Full House Pro

The World Series of Poker is one of the most prestigious poker tournaments in the entire world—and it’s only open to people who can afford to pay top dollar to enter. If you want to experience the tournament but are unwilling to drop serious cash, the World Series of Poker: Full House Pro is the perfect video game for you. This video game was developed by Pipeworks Studio and published by Microsoft Game Studios exclusively for the Xbox. It is available to play for free on Xbox Live, and you can get free bonus chips twice a day. You can also purchase chips and gold to spend on games or exclusive items.

This game relies on a community of players by letting each individual interact with other players, from simple home games to tournaments consisting of a maximum of 30 participants. It provides a fast-paced platform for casual players who want to improve their poker skills and strategies and has a serious potential to improve your game.

3. Poker Night at the Inventory

Poker Night at the Inventory is the perfect poker platform for gaming enthusiasts. The characters are some familiar faces from Telltale Games: Strong Bad from Homestar Runner, Tycho Brahe from Penny Arcade Adventures, Max from Sam & Max, and The Heavy from Team Fortress 2. Produced for the PC and Mac, this is a poker card game that combines the fun of playing poker with the personalities of iconic video game characters.

The game is set in the Inventory from Valve Software’s Portal 2 and places you as an unseen participant among the four characters. Each player gets a $10,000 buy-in and stays in the game until all the money runs out, intending to be the last player standing. As a Texas Hold’Em poker simulation, Poker Night uses no-limit betting and increases blind bets throughout several games.

These are just a few of the best casino-themed games you can play on your gaming consoles at home. These three video games will provide hours of entertainment and practice regardless of your skill level and experience with poker.