True Poker Review

     True Poker is by far the most unique poker room out there. They have strived to create an immersive online poker playing experience, and in that respect, they are way ahead of the rest of the pack.

I no longer am a regular at the tables of True Poker, not because of the poker room. I left in search of multi-table action. While the experience at True Poker was indeed immersive, compared to other rooms that concentrated on getting the cards out fast and keeping the games moving, there were more profitable rooms to play.

Since then, True Poker has upgraded their software. I just haven't been back due to lack of time. The room did leave a good impression on me though. Here is a review I wrote some time ago . . .

     Instead of looking down at the poker table, and seeing the players seated and the piles of chips in front of them, True Poker uses the first person perspective. You see the table from the viewpoint of a person sitting at the table.

     Each player gets to choose an "avatar" (basically a character). That character will be what you look like to the other players in the cardrooms and in the lobby. The character even has a particular voice. Just type in "arg", "nh" or "lol" at the table to hear yourself speak. It's cool as can be.

     The experience is enhanced by attention to the details. The chat bubbles appear on top of the person speaking, instead of in a chatbox to the side of the table. All of a sudden it obvious to see who is saying what in the room. The dealer speaks, telling you he's "dealing flop", or "dealing river". When you peek at your cards, other players at the table see you do it. The characters even have little actions they perform, like taking sips of a martini or chewing gum and blowing bubbles.

     The new player perspective, and all the little touches makes the atmosphere at a True Poker poker table completely different than at any other poker room.

     Of course, all of the graphics and sounds come at the cost of file-size. The "light" download of the poker room is 10 Meg, and the version I downloaded is 23 Meg (read: you need a cable modem/dsl for this one). Even though it will take some extra time to download the poker room, it's worth it. It's that different, and that much fun.

     Ok, so the game is great. The actual poker room is, as expected, very popular. There always seem to be hundreds of players in the house, and you should have no trouble finding a game to sit in on. They deal Texas Hold'em, Omaha, and Omaha Hi/Low. The stakes start at a dollar, which is reasonable.

     True Poker also has all the standards in place - promos, tournaments, daily contests. They also have experienced poker players employed as hosts in the room. So, should you have any questions, there will be knowledgable person there to assist you.