Positively Nerd Street- PokerListings Poker Blog

New Polaris Deck Reinvents Playing Card Through Design, Usability

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:40:06 -0800

PokerListings.com: Little bit of background first. How old are you? Where are you from originally?

David Goldklang: I'm 33 and I grew up in Mill Valley, California - just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.

What inspired you to design custom playing cards?

I've been around playing cards my entire life. My dad first taught me how to play 5-card draw poker when I was a kid and I've been hooked since. Also, my brother is a professional magician so there have always been countless cards strewn about the house. As a graphic designer looking for personal projects to challenge and inspire me, it was inevitable that I would eventually design a deck of cards.

David Goldklang

Was it a complicated process actually going about it? How long does it take?

Playing card design is actually quite a bit more complicated than it may seem at first glance. The decks I've designed are completely custom, including my own version of the suit symbols themselves.

I've also created unique pip layouts that I think are more visually appealing than the standard layout.

The entire process of designing a deck from scratch takes me several months. I start by sketching out ideas on paper until I have a clear concept for the deck. Then I design each individual card face on the computer as well as the back and box designs.

The tweaking process is very involved and I constantly go back to each card and make small adjustments until I'm completely satisfied. There's also considerable time spent communicating back and forth with the printer to adjust the design and colors based on printed proofs.

In your opinion what makes a good deck of playing cards?

I think usability is the most important aspect to a deck.

One of my primary goals when designing Polaris was to create a card deck that is not only usable but actually enhances gameplay. I've incorporated features such as 4-color suits and 4-corner pips to improve the experience.

What kind of response have you gotten from people who purchased decks from the Vända set?

A look at both the solar and lunar Polaris decks

I've heard from many of the backers of the Vända project and everyone was very enthusiastic about the unique design and had been waiting eagerly for the launch of Polaris.

The first decks have just finished printing and everyone is excited to be receiving them later this month.

How would the Polaris cards compare to high-end cards like COPAG or Kem Cards?

The Polaris decks are being printed by the US playing Card Company on the same card stock and with the same process they use to make Bicycle decks that most people are very familiar with. They will be the same top quality as the best cards available on the market.

Why would these cards make a good addition to a poker home game?

The Polaris decks offer an element of intrigue - the design is completely unique and eye-catching and will definitely be a topic of discussion at any home game. Also, the 4-color feature helps people from having to stand up and squint to see across the table to figure out if that's the jack of spades or clubs.

I've shown the design around at several large poker rooms and everyone loved the look of the cards and wanted to know how they could get a few decks.

Goldklang's Vända set of cards

Do you play any poker?

I've played poker for as long as I can remember including playing online since the golden days before everyone learned the game. A few years ago I was grinding online tournaments for 14+ hours a day and spent 4 weeks in Las Vegas at the WSOP, playing in 7 events with 2 cashes.

What deck is better: Lunar or solar?

We actually asked that very question recently on the Vända Facebook page and got a mixed response. It seems that each deck is appealing in a different way and it really comes down to personal preference. I suppose you'll have to get one of each to compare and decide for yourself.

Anything else?

I've also designed some really cool poker chips that match the look of the Polaris decks. There are 5 colors and they each have a unique design. They are ceramic casino-style chips that look and feel great (I should know since I've handled many poker chips for extended periods of time) and would be a vast improvement over most of the chips currently available for home use.

Polaris links:

Polaris Kickstarter project: kck.st/YRR018

Vända website: vandacards.com

Vända Facebook page: facebook.com/VandaPlayingCards

Polaris promo video: http://vimeo.com/55912918

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Simple Guide to Modding PokerStars for Free

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 14:47:04 -0800

A note about this guide: These modifications were made in OSX but the general concept is the same in Windows. There is one change you’ll have to make in both clients to avoid the PokerStars software from updating every time you open it and overwriting your customizations. Check the end of the guide for a how-to.

PokerStars table view options.

Changing your Background

This one is dead simple because PokerStars actually offers a way to do it right in the software. Simply go:

1. In the PokerStars client go to View

2. Navigate to Table Themes

3. Click the icon under the Background field

4. Select the PokerStars icon with the gear on it

5. Browse to find the file on your computer (generally a JPEG)

6. Choose between the various stretch options, pick whichever looks best.

7. Click OK

8. Click Apply

9. Click OK

Couple notes:

At the very least you’re going to want 800X480 resolution but PokerStars supports bigger picture files as well. Don’t pick an image that’s too busy. It’s obviously subjective but the best backgrounds still let you focus on the action. Go with clean and simple. Don’t have a favorite Wallpaper site? www.wallbase.cc is a good place to start.

Changing your avatar.

Adding a Custom Avatar

Using a custom avatar, like using a customer avatar, is very easy thanks to support from PokerStars in the client.

1. Log into your PokerStars account

2. Go to account

3. Select/Change Image

4. Change image

5. Choose image

6. Select any image from your computer

7. Any size image will work but you’ll have to crop 1X1

8. Click set

9. Click Save

Note: You’ll have to wait for the image to pass through PokerStars’ verification, which can take up to five days.

Seitz333 chips

Adding a Custom Chip Set

This is where things get a bit more difficult.

You only have access to the default chip set through PokerStars software but you can replace those image files to give your chips a unique look (If you want to revert back to the default look, just update your software).

You can buy sets on sites like TiltBuster.com but you can also find free ones on TwoPlusTwo Poker Forum. It's also worth trying Google.

There are some amazing sets out there that look like the real-life Aria or WSOP chips.

Here’s how you install them:

1. Download your chip set (it should be a collection of seven folders titled 0-6 with various BMP files)

2. Make sure your PokerStars client is closed. Navigate to the PokerStars folder in Windows. In OSX go to Applications and then command-click PokerStars. Select show content package.

3. Go to resources

4. Go into the GX folder

5. Go into the chips&deck folder

6. Open the chips folder

7. Copy/paste all seven folders from your downloaded custom chip set

8. They are duplicate folders and you will be asked if you want to replace them. Click OK for all of them.

9. Start PokerStars

10. You should see your new chips at the table.

Sample custom PokerStars card fronts.

Adding Custom Cards

You can change both card fronts and card backs in the PokerStars client.

You can select hundreds of colors for backs in PokerStars but you only have access to four different decks. You can have black fronts with fluorescent colored pips or giant numbers.

The combinations are almost endless. Once you download a new set of cards they should have individual directions to install but it should be similar to this process.

1. Locate your downloaded custom cards

2. Go into the deck folder

3. You should find a folder called “simple”

4. Now go into the PokerStars folder (like in the custom chips tutorial).

5. Go into resources

6. Go into the GX Folder

7. Open the deck folder

8. Delete the “simple” folder

9. Replace with the "simple" folder from your downloaded custom card set

10. Start PokerStars

11. Go to view

12. Go to table themes

13. Select front deck

14. In this example select the third deck (which is the simple deck)

15. Hit apply then OK

16. You should have access to your new cards

How to Keep PokerStars from Overwriting Your Mods

In Windows it’s simple, as you just have to access the PokerStars.exe, which will bypass the update launch.

It’s a bit more complicated using OSX as you actually have to change some code. Go to finder>go>go to folder> search ~/Library>preferences> click com.pokerstars.user.ini. At the very top of the text document copy/paste the follow text:

[debug]

RunUpdateCheck=0

When you want to turn updates back on, just change the 0 in RunUpdateCheck to 1.

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Seven Best Things About Full Tilt Poker Return

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:57:42 -0800

7. Best Looking Software in Poker

Despite over a year without upgrades there is something timeless about the look of the Full Tilt software..

It’s simple but not boring. It scales well and runs fast. It feels like professional-grade software compared to the amateur offerings from rivals.

Every feature of the software from the very functional lobby to the card animations has been carefully designed.

6. Nosebleed Cash Games

The second coming?

There’s a good chance you don’t actually play the nosebleed high-stakes games on Full Tilt Poker but they are damn fine entertainment.

The actual Full Tilt team has been cut down to Gus Hansen, Tom Dwan and Viktor “Isildur1” Blom but there’s a good chance it won’t take long for players like Dan “jungleman12” Cates, Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond and Patrik Antonius to return to the site where they made names for themselves.

The high-stakes games on Full Tilt Poker were legendary and Isildur1 brought the poker world to a standstill when he went on his record-setting multi-million dollar swing in the fall of 2009.

Some of the high-stakes action has since moved to PokerStars but we're guessing that Gus Hansen and Viktor Blom can convince more than a few pros to take a crack at Full Tilt's elite games.

Full Tilt, high-stakes online poker and Rail Heaven will always be synonymous.

5. Best Avatars in Poker

Yeah this one is pretty subjective and we tend to play with avatars hidden.

But ninja, surfer guy and wizard are arguably more famous than some of the former lesser-known red pros on FTP.

After spending some time playing play money over the last week it looks like all the avatars will be returning to FTP.

Remember, Surfer Guy is a calling station.

4. Full Tilt Poker to PokerStars Transfers

The whole Full Tilt situation since Black Friday has been a complete and utter mess.

Countless players have had countless sleepless nights wondering when, and if, they would ever get their money back.

The future is bright.

There is at least one positive to come out of the situation: Full Tilt Poker to PokerStars transfers.

Being able to transfer cash between the two biggest online poker sites in the world is pretty awesome no matter how you look at it.

Want to take a shot at the high-stakes cash games on Full Tilt after binking a tournament score on PokerStars? Done.

Need some extra cash on PokerStars to make SuperNova Elite? Fine. It’s a whole new world.

3. Custom Tables, Lobby and Interface

Despite its signature look, Full Tilt Poker was also one of the easiest poker clients to mod and some players had fantastic custom set-ups.

First of all Full Tilt offers the ability to change the lobby thanks to its configurable widgets.

Matrix Full Tilt table

You can go even more in-depth, however, and completely change the entire Full Tilt experience.

With a little technical know-how it was possible to modify logos, avatars and backgrounds to create awesome custom creations.

Check out our How to Mod Your Full Tilt Poker Client article to see how to customize your Full Tilt client.

2. Rakeback

OK, while it’s true that the traditional affiliate-based rakeback offered by Full Tilt in the past won’t be returning, the new Edge program has the potential to be lucrative in its own right.

Edge is a pretty simple cash-back program where there are five different status levels including bronze, silver, gold, platinum and diamond.

Make it to silver and you’ll start earning $1 every week for every 100 Full Tilt points earned. If you make it all the way to diamond status you’ll receive $2.50 for every 100 Full Tilt points earned.

The program is universal so every player has access to it. That’s cash being deposited directly into your account every week.

The end result works out to be 10-25% rakeback and while that’s not as good as the old 27% rakeback, once you add other bonuses into the equation, there are still some good deals to be had on Full Tilt.

1. Rush Poker

Here we go.

The market has been inundated with fast-fold poker games but Rush Poker remains the original, and best, version.

Full Tilt also offers Rush MTTs, which is something the rest of the industry hasn’t quite caught up to yet.

The old Rush On Demand tournaments started when a set number of players had signed up, like a Sit & Go, but players could then register late to create massive prizepools.

The $4.40 On Demand Rush tourney always seemed particularly soft and multi-tabling On Demand tournaments was a create way to crank out FTPs.

It's time to get busy.

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The Evolution of Strip Poker Video Games (Infographic)

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 11:49:20 -0700

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Five Underrated Mobile Poker Apps Worth Downloading

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:50:19 -0700

APPEAK Poker

Appeak Poker is one of the fastest growing free-to-play poker networks online.

Over 700,000 downloads of the app have been made and over 70,000 active users daily mean that you will have plenty of competition.

Some of the plusses of this app over others include the option of being able to play both cash games or sit-n-go’s, the optional four-color deck and stakes available from tiny to nosebleed.

The main cons of this app are that only Texas Hold'em games are offered (which really isn’t a con for most) and no multi-table games are currently available.

To download APPEAK Poker, go to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appeak.poker&hl=en

Pai Gow Poker

Come on, at this point you’re probably pretty sick of playing poker. Why not unwind with some Pai Gow Poker?

Pai Gow Poker is a pretty sweet Pai Gow game by MobilityWare.

For those unfamiliar with the game, Pai Gow Poker is a gambling game where you are deal seven cards and you make the best five-card and two-card poker hands.

It’s pretty mindless but it’s a decent way to kill some time and it actually teaches rudimentary hand-reading.

A number of customers complain about the game being rigged towards the dealer but that certainly feels like any casino we’ve ever been in.

The only downside is that it costs $1.99.

Check it out here http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pai-gow-poker/id297012588?mt=8

Strip Poker - Eva Angelina

If you like strip poker, or have a pulse, then you will probably like Strip Poker - Eva Angelina.

This is your typical strip poker game where you’re playing against Eva and if you win, she takes off clothes. If you lose, she puts them back on.

Simple as pie. And everybody likes pie.

The pros of this game are obvious. Hot women, poker and more hot women.

The cons of this game are that the women don't "bare all" so to speak in the game.

It's still fun but, let’s be honest, not quite as fun as a real strip poker game.

You could also say that not being able to play against others is a con, but most people don't play strip poker online to share their game with others.

You won’t find this one in the squeaky-clean Apple app store so it’s limited to Android users.

You can download it here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.aaronsoft.poker.eva

Poker Cruncher

PokerCruncher

A poker app that’s actually useful?

PokerCruncher is a surprisingly robust app by PokerCruncher LLC that gives you the ability to brush up on virtually any odds related to poker.

Unlike competing apps, PokerCruncher will compute your odds with speed thanks to its clean interface and easy to use hand ranges.

You can use PokerCruncher to brush up on your odds if you just played a hand in a casino and were curious if you made the right play.

Unfortunately PokerCruncher doesn’t come cheap and currently costs $4.99.

You can download the app here http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/pokercruncher-advanced-poker/id294379237?mt=8

Heads-Up Poker Free

Want to work on your heads-up poker game?

If so, you should give Heads-Up Poker Free a try.

The pros to this app are that you can play heads-up poker either against the computer, a friend in the same room over Bluetooth, or you can play online via Game Center.

The cons?

The graphics are a bit cheesy and there are no heads-up tournaments offered.

You can download Heads-up Poker Free at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/poker-free-hd/id353432461?mt=8.

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Checking Out the Best in iPhone, Xbox 360 and Android Poker

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:23:33 -0700

Pokerist

By: KamaGames

For: PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Facebook

Released: 2012

Pokerist is another rather standard social media-based online poker game that’s free to play but extras will cost you.

It’s very similar to industry leader Zynga Poker but a little more streamlined.

You’ll find all the barebone features of online poker games with your basic check, bet, raise, fold buttons as well as a few extras like a visual lobby and a multi-table mode.

The interface is much less cluttered than the Zynga Poker one, which some players will no doubt prefer.

Surprisingly Pokerist is the second most popular Facebook poker game next to Zynga Poker with 100,000 active monthly users. Zynga does have a vast lead, however, with 260,000 active monthly users.

There are also some differences between the Desktop and Facebook-based clients with the Facebook one seemingly getting more updates, including model Carmen Electra as the dealer.

In our experience this client is actually superior than Zynga Poker in several ways and worth checking out as a free-to-play online poker game.

+EV

Carmen Electra Decent tutorial Sit & Goes

-EV

Boring interface Only Hold’em

Full House Poker

For: Xbox 360, Windows Phone 7

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Released: 2011

Full House Poker on Xbox 360 has a devoted following on Xbox live and it’s easy to see why.

The game takes the right approach to free poker games and puts the emphasis on fun with stylish art, an XP-based leveling system and a great tutorial to get you started.

Unlike numerous poker games on the market, Full House Poker has a personality and while it’s nothing like an actual brick-and-morter casino, it’s a welcome vacation from the boring bare-bones poker clients on the Internet.

One of the highlights of Full House Poker is the Texas Heat events. These scheduled 30-minute affairs essentially act like rake races in traditional online poker and you can win massive bonuses for generating the most XP. About four Texas Heat events are scheduled every day.

The XP system is very well-crafted and works a little bit like Frequent Player Point programs on actual online poker sites. You gain XP for every hand you play, including the ones you lose (albeit not as much), so it helps pump the action too.

Setting up is a breeze as the game imports your avatar from Xbox live so you’ll instantly have a customized poker player who represents you.

Full House Poker isn’t perfect and it can be slow if everyone is taking a long time to act. Fortunately there is a 30-second time limit on each decision, which helps tremendously.

The other flaw is that Full House Poker costs $10. Most online poker games are free or in the $1-$2 range so it’s quite a step up.

We’d argue the production value in Full House Poker is enough to justify a purchase.

+EV

Ability to show one card is awesome Tournaments and cash games Online and offline play

-EV

Can be slow Costs $10

World Series of Poker by Electronic Arts

For: iOS, Android

Released: May, 2012

Publisher: Electronic Arts

EA picked up the rights to the World Series of Poker brand last year and their first game to carry the WSOP brand is pretty damn sweet.

Very similar to Zynga Poker the game is based on a freemium model. It costs nothing but getting extras, such as VIP status or more chips, will set you back at least $.99.

The game has an extensive store where you can buy avatars and clothes to customize your playing experience.

Overall it’s not a bad playing experience. The game client is quite simple for the most part and you won’t find any advanced features, although Pot-Limit Omaha is a nice addition.

It’s worth noting that World Series of Poker takes place completely online and there isn’t a single-player tutorial.

There are some minor quibbles. For instance the fold button is on the wrong side, compared to traditional online poker and the raise button can be finicky at best.

In addition it appears they are still building a player base for the game as it's common to click the Play Now button and be put on a table with zero players.

If nothing else it’s a massive improvement over the dreadful World Series of Poker Holdem by GLU, which was riddled with bugs from the very beginning.

The game will get much more interesting if it starts offering actual freerolls into WSOP events.

Bottom line, it’s one of the better free poker games for the iPhone and Android phones.

+EV

Offers No-Limit Hold’em AND Pot-Limit Omaha Gameplay is simple but effective

-EV

Average graphics No single player Difficult finding players Betting wheel is too sensitive

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The Basics of Online Account Security (Infographic)

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:02:23 -0800

If you’re looking for a program to help keep your computer secure and your mind at ease, here are a few apps we recommend:

AVG Free – Fully featured, high-quality, free virus protection. Housecall - Online virus scanner Snoop Free – Makes sure no one is snooping on you

If you’re looking for more detailed information on how to put together a strong password, you can find a great little guide on darknet.org.uk:

How to Make a Strong/Secure Password

Check out the infographic below and share it with your network of friends.

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How to Play Real-Money Online Poker with the XBox Kinect

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:53:04 -0700

This article gives you all the information you need to set this homebrew poker controller up for yourself, but first take a look at the video demonstration of how it all works:

Just like the drum kit controller we’re mapping movement into a keyboard keystroke, and mapping that keystroke to a poker action using macros. The first step is getting the Kinect hardware installed and functioning on your system.

Installing the Kinect on Windows

Getting the Kinect hardware to work involves three programs and one set of drivers. Everything you’re about to read for this section is taken directly from the guys who made the software over at the University of Southern California. If you want more information on this part of the project you can find it on their webpage here: http://projects.ict.usc.edu/mxr/faast/.

The first program to install is OpenNI:

Go to the download page: http://www.openni.org/downloadfiles/openni-binaries/20-latest-unstable Scroll down until you see OpenNI Unstable Build for Windows x86 (32-bit) v1.1.0.41 Redist Edition. Click on the download button, and install the program.

After OpenNI you need PrimeSense NITE:

Go to the download page: http://www.openni.org/downloadfiles/openni-compliant-middleware-binaries/33-latest-unstable Scroll down until you see PrimeSense NITE Unstable Build for Windows x86 (32-bit) v1.3.1.5 Redist Edition. Click on the download button and run the installer. When prompted use the license key: 0KOIk2JeIBYClPWVnMoRKn5cdY4=

Download the Kinect drivers:

Go to the download page here: https://github.com/avin2/SensorKinect/blob/28738dc12c7d653f45cec1ceba4ad1d30c5df2ce/Bin/SensorKinect-Win-OpenSource32-5.0.1.msi Click on the Downloads button on the right side of the page. Choose Download.zip Unzip the file In the Bin directory run the file: SensorKinect-Win-OpenSource32-5.0.1.msi

Finally, download the actual FAAST 0.07 software:

Click on this link and download the software: http://projects.ict.usc.edu/mxr/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/FAAST-0.07.zipUnzip the software

You’re just about ready to use your Kinect with your computer. You need to plug the Kinect power into the wall and the USB into your computer.

Windows should install your Kinect automatically. If it doesn’t choose to install the driver manually (choosing the location of the files) and browse to the drivers folder you just unzipped. You should find the drivers under platform\windows32\driver.

Once it’s installed successfully you can start up the FAAST.exe program. Configure the program with the following settings:

Firstly, do not change the depth camera resolution; doing so will prohibit the application of connecting to your Kinect. I’ve set the smoothing to 0.7, but this was mostly for controlling the mouse, which we’re not going to do.

Don’t change anything on this screen.

Here I’ve disabled the mouse control. Having this enabled allows you to control the mouse by moving your right hand. It’s pretty rad, but extremely choppy at times, I’ve disabled it for this demo.

This is where you map your motions to keystrokes. If you want to use my movements you can simply copy my list directly into this box and be on your way:

left_arm_forwards 23 key_press a

right_arm_out 15 key_press f

right_arm_up 12 key_hold r

right_foot_up 6 key_press h

left_arm_out 10 key_press c

If you’d like to create your own movements you’re setting up with the formula: [body part_direction] [how far it has to move] [action] [what key or button to press]

So for the first example, if I move my left arm forwards 23 inches it will press key a. I use this for my “all-in” movement.

Here’s the full list of actions and events. Again this is taken directly from the FAAST software homepage.

Action List

Action Name Type Threshold lean_left skeleton angular body lean left (degrees) lean_right skeleton angular body lean right(degrees) lean_forwards skeleton angualr body lean forwards (degrees) lean_backwards skeleton angular body lean back (degrees) turn_left skeleton angular amount of left body turn (degrees) turn_right skeleton angular amount of right body turn(degrees) left_arm_forwards skeleton forward distance from left hand to shoulder (inches) left_arm_down skeleton downward distance from left hand to shoulder (inches) left_arm_up skeleton upward distance from left hand to shoulder (inches) left_arm_out skeleton sideways distance from left hand to shoulder (inches) left_arm_across skeleton sideways distance from left hand across body to shoulder (inches) right_arm_forwards skeleton forward distance from right hand to shoulder (inches) right_arm_down skeleton downward distance from right hand to shoulder (inches) right_arm_up skeleton upward distance from right hand to shoulder (inches) right_arm_out skeleton sideways distance from right hand to shoulder (inches) right_arm_across skeleton sideways distance from right hand across body to shoulder (inches) left_foot_forwards skeleton forward distance from left hip to foot (inches) left_foot_sideways skeleton sideways distance from left hip to foot (inches) left_foot_backwards skeleton backwards distance from left hip to foot (inches) left_foot_up skeleton height of left foot above other foot on ground (inches) right_foot_forwards skeleton forward distance from right hip to foot (inches) right_foot_sideways skeleton sideways distance from right hip to foot (inches) right_foot_backwards skeleton backwards distance from right hip to foot (inches) right_foot_up skeleton height of right foot above other foot on ground (inches) jump skeleton height of both feet above ground (inches) crouch skeleton crouch distance, calculated as current height subtracted from standing height (inches) walk skeleton height of each step above ground when walking in place (inches) push NITE velocity (inches/sec.) swipe_up NITE velocity (inches/sec.) swipe_down NITE velocity (inches/sec.) swipe_left NITE velocity (inches/sec.) swipe_right NITE velocity (inches/sec.) circle NITE radius (inches) wave NITE n/a (leave at 0) Event ListVirtual Event Type Virtual Event Name key_press key to press when the action is first detected (either a single character or a special key from the table below) key_hold key to hold down while the action is performed (either a single character or a special key from the table below) key_type a string of characters to type into the active window (no spaces allowed) mouse_click mouse button to click when the action is first detected (left_button, right_button, or middle_button) mouse_double_click mouse button to double click when the action is first detected (left_button, right_button, or middle_button) mouse_hold mouse button to hold down while the action is performed (left_button, right_button, or middle_button) faast input emulator control event (pause, resume, or stop)

Now that you have your Kinect working with your computer, you need to map the keys pressed by your actions to button clicks on your poker client.

Using Macros to Control your Poker Client

You can use any macro program you like which allows for mouse clicks. While TableNinja would be the best for this, it only works with Full Tilt and Poker Stars, which isn’t of much help to most of you. So you’re going to have to use a generic macro program you find online.

The software I’m using is EZ Macros. Unfortunately it’s not free, but you will get a free 30 day trial after downloading it. You can find the program here: http://www.americansys.com/download.htm (click on the HTTP Download link).

Start your macro program, load up your poker client and create a new macro for each button press, making sure those macros are activated by a hotkey, the same key you’ve set to use in the FAAST Kinect application.

In EZ Macros just choose “Add” and follow the instructions. You’re looking to “remember mouse and keyboard events”. Once you choose for the macro to launch on a hotkey, enter the key used with the connect movement. When you hit record it records everything you do, so quickly click on the appropriate poker button for the action, and end the recording by hitting the Pause/Break button on your keyboard.

Set the playback speed as fast as it will go and save the macro. Repeat for all other movements.

You’ll notice in the video my check action didn’t work, that’s because I forgot to create a macro which launches when the letter “h” is pressed. Don’t be like me and make sure you set up one macro per action.

You’ll also notice that the EZ Macro software records the entire mouse event, including moving the pointer. Many macro programs will only remember the absolute (or relative to the active window) location of the mouse when the event (click) occurs. That would be preferable as with EZ Macros you need to set the playback speed as fast as possible to reduce any lag from making the action, to the button being clicked on your poker client.

It’s very important to understand how your macro program works. With EZ Macros it remembers the movements in absolute terms. Meaning if you move the poker table window somewhere else on the screen, your macro will continue trying to click where the buttons used to be.

If your macro program is like mine (or you are using EZ Macros) make sure your poker window is always in the same place at the same size. The easiest way to do that is to set up the macros and play with the screen maximized, that way it can never move.

Fire it up

Once your macros are set up, activate the hotkeys.

Bring up the FAAST application and click Connect. Once it connects click on Start Emulation.

Open the poker client, open a poker table and get it positioned correctly for your macros.

Sit in, buy in, automatically post blinds and step back until you can see your body in the FAAST display window.

Calibrate your Body with the Kinect Image

The last step is calibrating your body with the colorful image of your body on the FAAST screen. You do this by standing still with your hands raised (head level) like you’re about to be arrested:

When you see the stickman lines attached to your body, you’re ready to go. Just be sure to do this before it’s your turn to act, or as soon as it’s calibrated it will make you raise (since your arms are raised in the air).

When it’s all set up properly your FAAST screen should look something like this:

And there you have it; you’re now set up to play online poker using your XBOX Kinect. If you have any questions, or run into any problems drop a comment below. I’ll try to check back often to lend a hand when needed. Enjoy

-Lind

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

The DIY RFID Poker Table: Produce Your Own Poker Show!

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:30:13 -0800

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The Evolution of Strip Poker Video Games - Nudity The Hard Way

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:53:23 -0800

Hard Facts about Strip Poker

Strip poker games have, historically, been censored in some markets and banned from others, an unfortunate fact given the level of “exposure” these games offer up.

Nonetheless, when Wii released its new “Sexy Poker” title in 2009, it caused public outrage.

While lethal violence is widely accepted, naked bodies are often considered a no-no.

But strip poker video games have been around for as long as video games themselves and they’re not likely to disappear any time soon.

It’s the Germans

According to Wikipedia, the first strip poker computer game was written by a German astronomer.

Not much of a surprise there.

Never having played it, I still have a feeling that primitive game required no small amount of imagination on the side of the player.

And yet the reward for defeating your female opponent probably was nothing more than “Ich bin nackt.”

Thankfully, between this game and Wii Sexy Poker lies a long series of successful strip poker titles on legendary consoles such as Atari, Amiga, and Commodore 64.

Strip poker games are based on a few simple things:

- Beat a lady at poker and she’ll take off her clothes.

- Your own attire is optional. But that’s win/win more or less.

Below we’ll take a look at the five strip poker games that truly mark the evolution of this fine game niche.

Download Strip Poker Software that Fits Your Hardware

Strip Poker: A Sizzling Game of Chance

Publisher: Artworx Software Co, Inc.

Year: 1982

Poker variation: Five-card draw

Degree of nudity: Teddy

Probably the first strip poker game to be released for the newly invented personal computer in 1982, this game is the Big Bang in the evolution of strip poker video games.

Maybe Big Bang is too strong. Let’s say this is the day when a few germs crawled ashore and started their voyage to becoming humankind.

The game first came out for the Mac II and was later released for other platforms such as Amiga and Commodore 64.

Graphics are crude to say the least, and to be honest the images aren’t terribly sexy to start with.

But, life has found a way.

Samantha Fox Strip Poker

Publisher: Martech Games Ltd

Year: 1986

Poker variation: ???

Degree of nudity: Topless

Say what you want about Samantha Fox as an artist, but this game is a certified classic in the strip-poker genre.

Like in the previous game, pics have limited resolution so you have to use your imagination to fill in the res0074. Shouldn’t be too hard.

There’s also an amusing piece of trivia about this game. The game music was created by legendary video game music composer Rob Hubbard.

But he didn’t want it to be known, so in the game the music is credited to a certain “John York.”

“The first name that I thought of and used as an alias,” says Hubbard (according to mobygames.com).

Poker Ladies (Neo Geo)

ACTUALLY AN ARCADE GAME

Publisher: Mitchell Corporation

Year: 1989

Poker variation: Five-card draw

Degree of nudity: Breasts

In this game you’re not really playing against your lady opponent.

You just play your cards, like in a video poker game. You win points for any hand that beats a pair of jacks.

At a few predefined levels of accumulated points the girl takes off some of her clothes.

Good thing is, you can’t lose. Eventually you’ll get there.

This is not very realistic, I know. On the other hand, who needs realism when you can have nudity?

Still all cartoons, but in high resolution and nicely rendered.

Peek-a-Boo Poker

Publisher: Panesian

Year: 1990

Poker variation: Five-card draw

Degree of nudity: Teddy

Not only is this one of the first strip poker video games, it’s also the most expensive retro video game in the world.

The reason it’s so expensive? It was a failure. It sold so few copies that the producer withdrew it from the stores. Only a few copies that had already been sold remain in circulation.

So if you have one lying around, you probably should keep an eye on it.

In this game you’re actually playing against the lady in question. Or actually three ladies in question - Full House Francine, Double Dealing Debby, and Pok-er Penny. Yes, you read that right.

You both get five cards, there’s some betting and then there’s a showdown. As you can see, the pictures are rather pixelated. And the game itself is pretty uninteresting.

Nevertheless, this is one of the finest retro games in any category.

Sexy Poker (Wii)

Publisher: Nintendo

Year: 2009

Poker variation: Texas Holdem

Degree of nudity: Underwear

This game is the most talked about strip poker video game in recent years.

Wii caused some turmoil when they included a strip poker title in their otherwise child-friendly portfolio.

That said, this is not the most shocking strip poker title as such. It’s not the one with the most nudity in it, and the girls are all cartoons.

And even though they’re definitely trying to provoke you, they’ll keep a little something on, such as a teddy or a pair of knickerbockers.

I don’t know if it’s one of Nintendo’s motion-controlled titles. Tell you the truth, I don’t want to know.

PS: To anticipate some well-deserved reactions to all this talk of female nudity:

No, there’s no strip poker game where the guys undress (as far as I know).

But there’s an idea for your next iPhone app. I give it to you.

Code away.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

Liars and Cheats – How to Beat Poker in Red Dead Redemption

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:43:05 -0700

It was pretty great already tbh, but the new Liars and Cheats pack (released Sept. 21), has taken the stakes up even further, if you will.

If you haven’t played RDR before, we'll walk you through a few quick tips and tricks for beating poker in the game at the start of this article.

If you have played it and want to get straight to the new stuff – the lying, the cheating, the sweet suit – then scroll down to the bottom part of the article.

Free Roaming in the Wild West

When playing Red Dead Redemption (available for PS3 and Xbox 360), most of the time you’ll be frantically firing away at anything that moves – or it will kill you.

But like Rockstar Games’ previous bestselling franchise GTA IV, Red Dead is a free-roaming game - meaning in between shootouts and mugging sprees, you can take it really easy and just cruise along.

In fact, this game is pretty enough you can spend full evenings just riding around in the moonlight waiting for the next spectacular sunrise.

If, you know, you’re into that.

Or you can sit down in a classic saloon and play a game of cards.

Exotic mix of cash game and tournament

The poker games spread in saloons across the plains of West Elizabeth, New Austin and Nuevo Paraiso obey the standard rules of No-Limit Texas Hold'em.

Which is really good since no limit holdem is “the only true game left” (according to poker legend Doyle Brunson).

Also, it’s a game that most people know how to play.

That being said, the poker games in Red Dead Redemption are a strange mix of cash games and tournaments.

On the one side, there’s a fixed buy-in just like in tourneys. (The buy-in varies from town to town, though, from $10 at MacFarlane’s Ranch to $250 for the Blackwater Hotel high-stakes game.)

When players are out of chips, they stand up and leave - also just like in tournaments. So no rebuys.

And the blind levels double at a steady pace like tournaments, which is good since it shortens the games.

On the other hand, you can stand up at any time, leave the game and bring whatever cash you have left, like in a cash game.

Also like a cash game, people may sit down and join the game at any time.

Basic Game Play and Playability

Red Dead poker is very intuitive and easy to learn. Games run real smooth too.

It’s a bit like PKR, if you know or play on that 3D-graphic online poker site.

Graphics are terrific and you have to actively look at your cards if you forget what you’re holding. Thankfully though, you’ll have none of these crazy call downs that can tilt you so badly at PKR.

Placing big bets is somewhat awkward, since you have to scroll through all the numbers one by one before you get to the $ value you want.

In the single player mode you can skip to your turn at any time and speed up the action considerably.

But that’s only if you don’t want to listen in on the table banter, which is actually really funny.

For obvious reasons, there’s no fast forward in the new multiplayer mode (see below).

Nevertheless, games run surprisingly smoothly and quickly as long as you’re not up against a drone.

Note: If by mistake you choose to fold when you have the option of checking, you’ll get no warning or second chance.

This can be pretty devastating, particularly if you were planning on a decisive check raise. So make sure you hit the right button.

All in all, if Red Dead poker isn’t exactly like genuine online poker, it’s not that bad a substitute either.

Plus, if an opponent takes all your chips, you can stand up and kill the guy.

Note: If you kill all your opponents at the table and loot their bodies, you won’t get the amount of cash that was present at the table. Either this is a bug, or they’re just smart cowboys hiding their stash in their socks.

Blackwater, home of high-stakes poker.

How to Beat the Game 1: By Playing Well

You’ll be surprised to hear this: The computer players are not that bad. There’s a lot of betting and raising going on, and quite a few all-in moves.

These guys will make you fold a lot of hands if you’re willing to play solid poker. Once in a while, they will even hand you your ass.

Nevertheless, if you’re anything of a poker player and if you have the patience, you’ll beat the cowboys and shopkeepers consistently.

Even if they’re not overly passive, they just lack the feel for what hands are worth.

You should be betting and shoving with hands like top pair, decent kicker. In the saloons of New Austin, the hard-ass Chinese will call you down with ace high.

It’s much the same as when you play micro-stakes online poker: The trick is to wait for a decent hand and then overbet the pot to extract maximum value.

In the same vein, you’d better refrain from bluffing. You’re likely to get a call and lose your money to bottom pair or some other shitty hand that your bluff can’t beat.

How to Beat the Game 2: By Meta Gaming

Of course, in a single-player game you can restart an episode as many times as you like. This offers a quicker way to defeat a poker game than by actually playing poker.

To do this effectively. make sure there’s just one opponent at the table. Then move all-in every hand. If you lose all your chips, reload the last saved game and try again.

If you win, try to get the game saved before you shoot an innocent lady and get yourself gunned down by the sheriff and his helpers.

If there’s more than one player sitting at a poker table, you can get rid of the surplus in two ways:

Chase the other players away through some basic manhandling (i.e shoving them). Of course this can get out of hands and force you to do some serious killing to save your own skin. Make sure you get caught cheating (see below). Then take out the opponents one after the other in duels until only one remains. This is less risky, unless you get fancy rather than just blowing the guys’ heads off.

Once you’re in a heads-up match, you only need to win all the chips from the other guy.

Note: If you win a pot with more than 2,000 chips, you’ll attain the High Roller trophy (see below).

Liars and Cheats Pack: Cheating and Multiplayer Poker

The Liars and Cheats Pack has some very cool new features and achievements:

Multiplayer poker – play poker against other players Cheating – now you can cheat at poker! (single player only)

The following achievements can also be won at the poker table:

Pa-Pa-Pa-Poker Ace - In a full Multiplayer Poker game, beat the table when blinds are at maximum. The Big Bluff - In a Multiplayer Poker game, win a hand by forcing someone with a better hand to fold. In a Van Down By the River - In a Multiplayer Poker game, win a hand on the last card when you were losing prior.

With this game pack, poker in Red Dead Redemption has gotten really interesting – which brings us to:

How to Beat the Game 3: By Actually Cheating

With the Liars and Cheats Pack, you can now try some genuine cheating in Red Dead poker (but only in single-player mode, unfortunately).

To get the ability to cheat at poker, though, you need to dress up in the Elegant Suit.

Maybe it’s because you must look proper to get away with cheating.

Or maybe it’s because the suit has a secret pocket where you can tuck away hidden cards.

Either way, make sure you’re wearing the right suit.

Note: We’re not talking about the Gentleman’s Suit here. That one will get you nowhere. (Except into the high-stakes game in Blackwater.)

The Elegant Suit.

How to Unlock the Elegant Suit

There are two ways of unlocking the Elegant Suit:

Either defeat all opponents in a game of poker (see above). Or, Be the initiator of a game of poker in the multiplayer mode.

The later option is trivially simple to achieve. The first is not very hard either.

Once you’ve unlocked the suit, you need to buy it from the tailor at Thieves' Landing (open during daytime).

It costs only $70, so getting dressed up as a cheater should be no problem.

How to Cheat

When you wear the Elegant Suit at a poker table, a new game feature opens up.

Each time it’s your turn to deal the cards you can slip one card off the bottom of the deck and hide it.

The hidden card is kept on display in the upper left corner of the screen. Any time it’s your turn, you can exchange the hidden card for a card in your hand.

For the cheating to succeed, though, you have to win a little “mini game” consisting of balancing an arrow in the center of a scale.

If you fail the mini game, you’ll be caught cheating. An opponent will challenge you, and your destiny will be put on the line in a pistol duel.

Note: This can be used as a way of practicing duels, but your buy-in to the poker game will be forfeited. To rejoin the game, you have to post a new buy in.

Once you have a hidden card available, your best option is to save it until the end of the hand, when players have to show their cards.

Not until then can you know for sure what your best play is. It’s possible that you can win the hand without cheating. Then cheating’s just an unnecessary risk.

Even better, save the card for a later hand where it really means something.

If you manage to sneak out a strong card, like an ace, it could make all the difference in the world once you get involved in a really big pot, as you can see in this clip:

Multiplayer Poker in Red Dead Redemption

At the end of the day, it’s probably more exciting to play poker against living opponents than computer guys, right?

With the Liars and Cheats Pack, you can do this in the saloons of Armadillo, Thieves Landing, Chuparosa and other places across the West.

Sadly, in multiplayer poker games you can’t kill your opponents. You can do some boxing before the game starts, just like before death matches, but it won’t affect the players once the poker begins.

On the other hand, you don’t risk getting killed just because you took cash off the wrong guy either. Poker games live in a world of their own.

To get out of them, you need to go back to the Free Roam.

Once in the Free Roam you’ll be exposed to the usual random killing and mugging, of course. But that’s another story.

In multiplayer poker there’s no fast forward that allows you to skip to your turn. You’ll have to wait nicely for the other players to make their moves.

There’s also no chat where you can kindle slow opponents with friendly commentaries like “zzz”, “ffs” or “your mom says hello.”

Maybe just as well, by the way.

But the biggest difference compared to regular online poker is definitely the absence of real, hard cash. Either way you see it, poker isn’t really the same without some value at stake.

Then again, there’s actually something to compete for, even if it’s not real cash. How about huge sums of game money, for starters.

Want to buy something really expensive? Need to buffer up huge quantities of guns, ammo and medicine for one of the bigger missions?

You can, after a few games of high stakes poker. It beats hunting every day of the week if you ask me.

And then there’s the honor, not to forget. The Liars and Cheats Pack comes with new titles and achievements that go really well with your free-roaming game persona.

There you go. Now that I’ve taught you everything, I expect to see you at a table real soon!

Remember that I never bluff.

Appendix: Will Playing Poker in Red Dead Redemption Help You in Real Poker?

If you weren’t a poker guy before you started, the short answer is probably not.

But if you enjoyed playing poker in the saloons of Red Dead Redemption, chances are you’ll like it at a real online poker site.

Overall the games are much smoother and there are hundreds of games to choose from rather than the limited options in Red Dead.

If you don’t care that much for all the waiting in between hands either, with real online poker you can play more than one table at a time.

The other advantage of course is you can bring real cash to the table. Blinds online start at 1c/2c, so you really don’t need to invest a fortune either.

If you want to try online poker, check out our site reviews.

Just remember: you can’t reload these games when things turn sour.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

It’s Here! Real Money Poker on the iPhone and iPad

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:50:24 -0700

Head to Switch Poker to play real money poker on the iPhone and iPad now!

Check our mFortune Poker review, bwin Poker review or PokerStars review to see even more options for the iPhone/iPad.

Read on for a breakdown of Switch Poker.

Switch Poker has officially launched its new poker room which is 100% compatible with the iPhone, iPad and just about any other current device with a fully operating browser.

The room itself runs entirely in HTML and JavaScript, which is good, because these are about the only things mobile browser supports.

Unfortunately this also leaves a lot to be wished for when it comes to presentation.

Despite looking like a first generation GUI for an IRC poker room the software functions well, and is very easy to use on a 4” screen.

The only real drawback is the lack of game options.

Here’s about all the information you can get about the poker room in its current state:

The entire room runs in-browser via JavaScript This means it is NOT an app in the iTunes App Store, it’s just a webpage Real money games went live as of October 8, 2010 All games are 6-max No-Limit Hold’em cash games ranging from 1¢-2¢ and up All games are in Euro currency The room is supported on just about every up-to-date browser The site currently accepts non-us deposits only Payment options include: Visa, MasterCard and Moneybookers Neteller and other payment options to be added soon

Yes, you read that correctly, the site will not allow deposits from US players.

So, for now, you’re going to have to stick to the free money or find a friendly Canadian to fill up your account for you.

Visit www.pokerlistings.com