This Post has been provided by Reese McKenzie
One of the fastest growing games in the world is poker. However, it was a constant struggle for those that wanted to play poker on XBOX and PS or even on a Mac to find a decent game. Today we will look at the evolution of playing poker on the XBox and the Mac.
Early Problems
Poker games on Xbox, Playstation, and the Mac each had their share of issues. The biggest problem with Xbox and PS games was that typically the AI for the games were extremely predictable and very seldom played in any sort of logical manner. Many players would easily figure out how the opponents would play and would feel cheated out of their money.
Mac players had their own issues. Almost no one offered a Mac poker compatible client. A couple of site basically told players to use a PC emulator to play the game. An emulator is essentially software that will mimic a PC, allowing the user to operate Windows and PC apps. The site offered zero support and users had to be technically savvy to play.
Solutions
XBox and PS poker games have made strides in their AI development, yet still have not been able to overcome the hurdle of predictability entirely. Competent players still do not find most poker games very difficult. However, with the addition of online play by many newer titles, this helped to satisfy many players looking for a challenge. Live players give them enough of a challenge to keep them playing long after the offline mode has been defeated.
Online poker companies finally began to wise up and one of two solutions are now the norm. For some sites, a fully integrated Mac Poker client was developed for users and gives them all the same features as the PC client. Other sites developed a Java based application that works with any Java capable browser. Firefox is normally the recommended browser, but Safari will usually work just fine.
Poker fans now looking to play poker on the XBox, Playstation, or Mac all now benefit from the trial and error of companies over the last decade. Some platforms still have a way to go to make a truly awesome experience for players, but big steps have been taken and players can at least find a competent solution for their hobby.
