WSOP Holdem Legend Game Released for iPhone

For poker addicts who love to play, think, and even breathe poker, Glu Mobile and Harrah’s Entertainment have the perfect cure for when we are on the go.  The new World Series of Poker Hold’em Legend application allows you to play Hold’em in over 25 events across seven venues.  Five of these venues are actual Harrah’s owned properties in various parts of the world.  The application was available for other platforms, but recently made its iPhone and iPod Touch debut.

Every venue included in the game has an introductory video and players can even compete for virtual WSOP bracelets.  The application also comes with peer-to-peer functionality for heads-up play over a Bluetooth connection.  In addition to this, there’s a multiplayer function that will allow you to play against other live opponents over an internet connection.

The main portion of the game is played single-player, as you start out as a big-time nobody in the world of poker.  Within the “Player” section, you can set your user name and avatar, as well as see what achievements you’ve unlocked and your career stats.  You start out with a very modest bankroll of $100 and have the ability to select “Cash Game” to play in the local pub’s cash game, where blinds are $1-$2. As your bankroll moves up, you can buy into bigger and better casinos such as Caesars Palace, the Casino at the Empire, and Rio Las Vegas.

Most of the game and the glory will be found with in the “Legend Career” section.  Once you get into this section, you will see what events you can play in.  With your modest $100 bankroll, you can play in the local $20 single-table tournament.  The top prize is $90 in that one and most people who have any familiarity with the game should win, assuming you avoid those nasty bad beats.  From there, you can go to different casinos.

At Harrah’s New Orleans, there are four events, including a $30 sit and go, a $30 Turbo sit and go, a $30 Winner-Take-All sit and go, and a $50 two-table shootout.  At Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, there is a $150 sit and go, a $150 Turbo sit and go, a $150 Winner-Take-All sit and go, and WSOP Circuit Event #1, which is a $250 two-table tournament.  Once you’ve swelled your bankroll high enough, other locations and events will unlock.

At Caesar’s Palace, the events are $750, with Circuit Event #2 featuring a buy-in of $1,000.  Sharks Bay events cost $3,000 to participate in and a locked VIP Game is available for $5,000.  All events at the Casino at the Empire are $15,000, with Circuit Event #3 featuring a $25,000 two-table tournament.  The last location is the Rio Las Vegas, which has $100,000 tournaments that lead up to the WSOP Main Event.  This tournament is not like the actual WSOP Main Event, as this one has a $250,000 buy-in and is just two tables deep.

The game features hand replays where a player can save their favorite hands and relive their most exciting moments at the tables.  There’s also the ability to play your favorite music from your iPhone or iPod, as it feeds in music from your device’s library.

The controls work through touch and players can simply shove their stack to go all-in on a hand or just flick the cards away to fold.  Tapping on the screen will “shortcut” the hand so you don’t have to wait around for the next hand to happen.  There are some integrated videos as well, which don’t serve too much purpose beyond a little “wow factor” to give your virtual opponents.

Overall, the game's AI is pretty straightforward and there is even an option to have tells.  If a player has a “?” next to their name, they have a suspect hand.  If they have a “!” next to their name, they have a strong hand.  Playing tight and aggressively against most opponents will likely win the day, but you will find different opponent types that force you to mix up your play.

Given that this game is just $2.99 in the Apple App Store, it’s an absolute no-brainer to buy immediately.  Even at the regular price of $5.99, the game is a really good deal since you have tournaments, cash game play, Bluetooth heads-up capability, and an online poker component.