Poker video game market flourishing

Phil Laak enjoying some electronic poker during the 2007 WSOP.

Does anything go together better than poker and video games?

Well probably, but that's not the point. Over the past week there have been three big stories regarding electronic poker in some form.

The first is that Glu Mobile is launching their World Series of Poker Pro Challenge in Europe. WSOP Pro Challenge is the latest mobile game released through the multi-year agreement between Glu and Harrahs.

Pro Challenge attempts to capture the spirit of the WSOP by offering poker fans an authentic, up-close and personal poker experience. Players will be able to go heads-up against six top poker pros including Johnny Chan, Annie Duke, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Scotty Nguyen and Shannon Elizabeth.

The game is based on learning the unique playing style of each pro. The competition will display authentic "tells" through individual animations and players will have to read those signs of emotion to know when to raise or fold. There's also an innovative tilt meter that measures when a player is about to go on tilt.

"We have worked with several of the world's most accomplished and well-respected poker masters to bring the authenticity and excitement of the WSOP tournament experience to mobile gaming," said EMEA marketing director Patrick Mork. "WSOP Pro Challenge's stunning graphics, adaptive AI and authentic look and feel truly deliver the experience of going up against world class pros."

Also of interest for poker fans is that Elephant Entertainment and Oberon Media have announced their fall line-up of casual games and NBC's National Heads-Up Poker Championship is one of their showcase titles. The game will be the official video game adaptation of the popular NBC tournament and will take place in a virtual replica of Caesar's Palace.

With millions of ways to play each hand, NBC's National Heads-Up Poker Championship promises to put the player as close to the action as possible without actually being there. In other words this is probably as close to being 2007 Heads-Up Champion Paul Wasicka as you'll ever get.

Lastly, a little bit of news from software development and engineering company PokerTek. According to the Charlotte Business Journal the company has named a new CEO. Former Dell employee Chris Halligan will take over as the company's chief executive.

Halligan will be succeeding Lou White, who co-founded the company. White will remain onboard as vice chairman.

PokerTek designs electronic poker tables which are used in real casinos for cash and in bars for amusement purposes only. The company unveiled a revolutionary new amusement product called the Heads-Up Challenge during the 2007 WSOP. The machine is branded with the WSOP logo.

PokerTek is set to go big time in the coming months as they are opening a factory in China to produce their arcade machines in mass quantities.

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