Fresh Deck Poker – Real Poker in the Virtual World

A whole new level of fun and challenge! 

A cross-platform poker game that connects players from Facebook, as well as iOS and Android devices, Fresh Deck Poker is taking online poker playing to whole new level of fun and challenge. Created by Idle Games, this app has recently been optimized for the iPhone5 and iPad Mini rendering graphics like no other.

Play as a guest or sign in through a Facebook account. You can pick from several avatars and customize them to put forward a face that is uniquely yours. As you play, you collect chips, just as in the real game. These chips unlock more avatars, giving you more choices.

There are several ways to initiate a game. “Play Now” enters players into the first available table with minimal stakes and starts them off with $100 in chips. “Select Your Stakes” allows players to “buy in” to games with bigger pots and bigger stakes. “Sit ‘N Go” requires that the table be filled before the game starts. This option rewards top players tournament style.

Once you start a game, you will see that the app uses fairly common poker simulation. Each player has a limited amount of time in which to make their play, defaulting to an app-chosen move when the limit is exceeded. If you already know your move ahead of time, you can select a box at the bottom of the screen to indicate this, making game play flow quicker.

Rules follow those of Texas Hold’Em, and the app does not offer any explanation of them. So, if you plan to play, be sure you know how. There will be no hand-holding in this app. There is a manual that you will find under the Options menu, but you can read up on the game anywhere on the Internet, as well.

The graphics and colors in the app are the real attention-getters, because let’s face it, poker is poker; and you can’t make a game any more interesting than it already is unless you change the rules. What Idle Games has done is add an aura of purple and a myriad of colors that entrance you into a feeling of being in a casino and a part of the action.

The only downside to the game is the lack of animation, which, in this day and age of mobile entertainment, is a must. I’m not sure what you would animate in a poker game app, but as is, it does seem a bit dull and archaic. Connectivity can also be an issue. If you lose it, the game can get strange. Data seems to be stored in the cloud, which means it’s not on your device. Lose connection to Wi-Fi or your network and you are off the grid.

Yet, as a freebie for those who like Texas Hold’Em, it’s a great way to play and connect. One of this app’s strong points is the ability to play across platforms and connect with others on different types of devices. You don’t have to just play with only Apple user or Android users.