Governor of Poker 2 - Review

All-in on a bluff
One more way to lose your hard-earned cash.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Governor of Poker 2. Is it a simulation or a straight card game with some graphical flair? Is it a tycoon game or an RPG? Well, as is so often the case, the game is a mixture of quite a few things. In Governor of Poker 2, you'll take control of an upstart poker player fighting his way up through the ranks of Texas card sharks, all the while, you're goal will be to convince the Governor of the state that poker isn't a game of chance. The Gov is seriously thinking about banning the game, but if you can win enough matches, he might be satisfied with the conclusion that poker is less about the game on the table and more about the game in your head.

Governor of poker 2 will be forcing you to play that mental game, too. The only type of poker that you can play is Texas Hold 'em, a variant that, though wildly popular, is not the most engaging version of the game. There are so many variations on the game of poker, and you might think that someone who hopes to be labeled “Governor of Poker” would take the time to become proficient in several different varieties, but this isn't the case. The only decisions to be made in Texas Hold 'em are what to bet and when to fold, and this lack of actual game-related strategy is sorely absent in this downloadable title. The game tries to make up for it with a mood-betting system that tries to let you play with the emotions of the computer controlled characters, but this aspect of the game goes underutilized for a reason I'll talk about next.

Having played a more than a few friendly rounds of poker in my life, I have a pretty good idea of how often you can expect to get a good hand. Obviously, this number will fluctuate with the number of players taking part in the game, but, with three or four guys around the table, you can expect to get a three-of-a-kind or a straight every five or six hands. In Governor of Poker, however, you'll go for ten to twenty rounds with nothing better than a high-card or a pair, even when you're only up against one other player. I don't know if the game truly randomly generates the cards, but it often seems like you're cards are being picked by your opponent. The mood-betting system doesn't work because all you can do is make the other players angry. When they're angry, your foes will play more aggressively, and that's the last thing you want when you don't have the cards to back up your bluff.



The game isn't really a feast for the senses either. The graphics are alternately clunky and ugly, with questionable animation and a somewhat unnerving juxtaposition of the various visual elements. The audio is also lacking in a few ways: the background noise in the card-table sections is obviously on a very short loop and the narrator’s voice-over quickly becomes annoying. What you're really here for is the poker, so your best option is probably to turn off the volume and put on some good music. The graphics can eventually be ignored as long as you focus just on what's going on with the cards. The game can be played in a windowed mode to allow you to play a few hands while you're doing something else.

You know what else can be played in windowed mode? Flash games. While preparing to review this game, I had a hunch and googled up “Governor of Poker.” I wasn't remarkably surprised when I discovered that the first game in the series is a flash game. Playing the first game, it's hard to see where the designers changed anything in the transition to the second game. Sure, the graphics might be a little different and it might be slightly less polished than its newer counterpart, but you know what else it is? It's free. Why would I spend ten dollars on a game that can still be played for free from any computer at any time? Don't waste your money: if you need some Texas Hold 'em on your computer, turn to the free version of Governor Of Poker, not the paid version.

--Tom