GameSpot editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Excellent
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 06/04/1997
- Updated on: 05/01/2000
- Released on: 04/30/1997
- Originally published on GameSpot: Hoyle Poker (PC) Review
The idea that poker could be successfully translated as a computer game seems farfetched. What makes poker enjoyable are the strictly human elements: the smoky atmosphere, the camaraderie of close (or not-so-close) friends gathered under a glaring light, the bags of chips, the colorful language, the challenge of maintaining an expression that gives away nothing.
Sierra, having proven its card game mettle with previous Hoyle series entries like Blackjack and Casino, has done an admirable job of creating a sharp and faithful rendition of poker, one that can serve either as a temporary surrogate or as a replacement for the real thing, since getting a group of friends around a table can be a monumental task. An interesting cast of characters has been assembled around Sierra's table, a scrappy, playful bunch who toss out a steady stream of one-liners: "I'm not so happy when I get cards this crappy," declares recurring character James, for example, and "Sure I'll raise. I'd levitate if I could," says Elayne in her New Jersey accent.
Each character is nicely drawn and personalized. The James Bond-like Sterling is suave and debonair and the motherly Mrs. O'Shea proves as tough to beat as any of them. Diversity is also achieved among the pool of players, as there is the aforementioned James, an African-American male, and Anna, an Asian-American female, and the ratio of female to male characters is consistently held near 50-50. There is even a bulldog character named T-Bone to add variety.
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