Governor of Poker
Play Texas Hold 'Em against skillful computer opponents in Governor of Poker by Youda Games, creator of the previously reviewed Youda Camper. Build your reputation and wealth in a dusty western town by winning at poker and buying up property. You start out in the small Texas town of San Saba with money in your pocket and the ambition to climb up in the world. The game directs you to a poker tourney starting at the local saloon. As you win at poker you are able to buy property and increase your reputation. The higher your reputation, the more poker games you get invited to, and so on, until you own the whole town. You even make headlines in the newspaper! And best of all, if you're not in the mood to download, give the free Flash demo a try and see what you think.
The bulk of the game is spent at the poker table displayed in overhead pov, but those ten-gallon hats have a bunch of personality. Hand and body movements mimic real play, which is a nice touch. The most fascinating thing to me was that the characters had verbal and visual "tells." When he twirled his chips, was he strong or weak? Did the crack in her voice just tell me she raised with pocket Aces? Did the guy staring straight ahead when he made a quiet all-in bet mean he had made his flush? Usually. I called a bunch of hands just to see if I could figure out the code. If you show some bluffs, you might make someone start to steam or go on tilt! You can see the steam coming out of their ears, and they start to play badly.
Once you build your wealth and own houses, you'll have keys with you at the table in cash games, and you can bet the worth of those houses. But be careful, because other players have keys too, and when the short stack throws in his key, suddenly you'll be calling a much bigger bet than you expected. If at any point you don't have enough money to join a game, you can sell a house, or click on the "next day" button a ton of times and earn rent on your properties until you have enough to play. You can also win a series of 24 medals for various hands and situations, like "Busted A Player," "Won All-In Against Two Players," "Won 1st Place," etc. You can eventually own the town and are offered to play heads-up against the best player to win a horse. Once you win the horse you can mosey on to the next town and take more players to the cleaners all over again. You'll have thirteen towns and cities to conquer with your poker prowess, buying up all the houses and saloons as you go until you run all of Texas!
Analysis: Simple with few frills, Governor of Poker focuses on gameplay and creates a superb experience as a result. The AI is really pretty satisfying, even at just this first town. There are three skill levels to choose from, and a couple of the opponents are quite challenging. It's up to you to figure out who's the bluffer, who's betting true value, and who's betting their house on the nuts.
If you're new to Texas Hold 'Em, you won't find the instructions very helpful. But you can see a hand ranking chart on what beats what. There are lots of onscreen tips which you can turn on or off, and all the people in the town seem to want to give you poker advice every time you talk to them. You'll also get used to how the "blinds" (forced bets) go around the table and learn plenty of poker lingo as you play.
Governor of Poker has a nice feel for a computer poker game, a bit more like playing against people than other casual AI poker games I've played. The graphics and animation are very appealing, and the added goal of buying up property is a strong incentive for playing well. Too bad there isn't a multiplayer version!
Try the free Flash demo of Governor of Poker!
Windows:
Download the demo
Order the full version
Mac OS X:
Download the demo
Order the full version
Governor of Poker is available to download from these affiliates:
A lot of poker games tweak the dealing so as to prevent "boring" hands, where it's just fold around to the big blind or something else that's not as exciting as the big hand showdown at the river. Does it look like this game tends to do that, or does the dealing seem pretty much fair?
I don't know of a single poker game that "tweaks the dealing" as you claim. In Governor of Poker, the dealing seems fair and square.
If you're a good Texas Hold'em player, then you'll only wind up seeing about 25% of the flops. That's just the way the game is played.
In this game, as in any game of Texas Hold'em, many players fold without a decent hand, and so should you, or you'll be without your chips in a hurry.
Too bad there's no "Beat a Full House" medal... cuz I would totally have gotten that one!
(at least in the Flash demo... maybe the full game has it)
I just got a Beat a Full House medal in the flash demo. Game just doesn't like you, yo.
Wow Jay - the fast speed setting on the game works sooo much better on your site than the other sites I played.
omg, most online texas hold 'em games are boring, but this one is mega fun! It makes me think that the computers are real people because they take their time; but they are just computers =] I give this Two Thumbs Up *Puts thumbs up* :D
It is really excelent piece of software. It is more challenging than some special poker software (Fult Tilt Poker WSOP, Poker Academy, etc.)
The AI is really terrible. If they make a big bet, it means a big hand. Bet size has nothing to do with the current size of the pot, and the bots will call an all-in if they have bottom pair!
This has nothing to do with real poker.
Nice graphics though :)
I think the players in the first town are supposed to be pretty bad, so the game has room to get more challenging later. Mind, I have no idea if it gets better later on.
Yes, the AI changes (gets increasingly more challenging) as you progress through all the towns in the game.
It sounds as if DenDuurs' assessment was based on just a couple of hands.
Although I agree that the bet sizes aren't realistic to real play - it depends on which characters you play as to what the bets mean.
Sometimes it was bottom pair, sometimes a good hand, sometimes a bluff or just over cards.
Well, I played through the first town - and I still have to say the computer's play is very exploitable.
It is true that their big bets were not always a made hand, but nonetheless it is silly for the computer to consistently bet like $100 when the pot is $16. I just wait for a hand and get paid almost every time.
Does the computer ever checkraise?
The AI even slowplayed me! Several times even.
Sometimes they will do a big bet to scare you and temp you to fold.. but when they showed their cards it's just a bluff and they faked a higher card
I've played the full version and it gets a lot more challenging beyond the first town.
It gets really hard to read the players in the final towns (but not impossible)
I really like this game, so much so that I've given up playing against real online poker players for a few days to see if I can learn anything to improve my strategy.
For an AI based game, it's one of the best I've ever played (I have only played a few however)
It can be frustrating as well as rewarding. It teaches patience as well as aggression.
Highly recommended
I'm trying to fill the medal board. Can anyone tell me what I'm missing so I can know what kinds of hands/situations to pay more attention to?
Top row: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, ???
Seond row: ???, ???, All-in before flop, All-in after flop
Third row:
All-in after turn, All-in after river, All-in vs. 1 player, All-in vs. 2 players
Fourth: ???, Bust 1 player, Bust 2 players, ???
Fifth: Beat a pair, Beat a 2 pair, Beat three of a kind, Beat a straight
Bottom row: Beat a flush, Beat a full house, ???, ???
I'm not going to play for the horse until I've filled the medal board. It might take me a long time if the game requires me to get a royal flush!
Scooby
DenDuurs I think if you play on expert level, and play the best player in town, he did check raise, slowplay etc.
I've never cared to get into poker, until I tried this demo. The plot and reward system give you some incentive to keep at it past a few hands.
Actually, it has encouraged me to learn more about the game overall. Based on this game, I may try my hand at real opponents soon. I don't ever intend to get into poker for money (it's too hard to earn in the first place) but I think I've found a fun new hobby, or at least I won't be an idiot when the neighbors ask us play.
Coming from a very serious yet amateur poker player:
I am extremely impressed with this game. The AI is nothing impressive at first but it becomes much better as you progress. I have had the computer bust me by checking me all the way to the river and raised a value bet I placed on a middle pair. I have seen them bluff at me in solid situations such as when a possible flush or straight hit the board.
Yes, the AI is exploitable to an extent. But the beauty of this game for beginners is that to win you have to play tight and most beginners play way too many hands because they see the pros do it on TV. Try being a Gus Hansen in this game and you will get busted in a hurry.
Gotta say, I liked the game. Despite all the despute over the AI, I found it much better than many of the flat ones out there.
And the game's demo (what I played) serves as a great teacher on how to play the game. I was taught to play awhile back, but not well, and I forgot how to play it.
Sure the demo doesn't teach you alot of tact, but it's got a nice learning curve if your playing just for the sake of playing the cards. It gives room to adjust your style till you know what you are doing.
The town itself is easy. You get most the money you need up front.. but it is a demo. Focus on the card play instead.
My major problems with it were:
1.) It lacks in written instuction. It seems to hint at having it, but never really does. You ethier know texas hold em already, or learn on the fly. End of story.
2.) Despite an option to speed game play up, matchs tend to drag. If I opt out, I don't want it to take that long to conclude. Watching the players is useful, but once I have play styles figured, I don't want to watch while 6 computers raise the pot on each other several times. Perhaps a 3X speed would solve this, but I'm unsure.
beyond that, it's a fun game imo.
Maholix,
There's a button called "Fold and Skip" that should speed up your play.
Scooby
I walked away from the table with over 400 chips, and when I viewed my $$ I had only 6 to my name. What is up with that?
To my buddy Scooby.
What i have on the Medal Board!!!
Top row: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th(from the second town it is possible)
Second row: 5th, ???, All-in before flop, All-in after flop
Third row:
All-in after turn, All-in after river, All-in vs. 1 player, All-in vs. 2 players
Fourth: All-in vs. 3 players, Bust 1 player, Bust 2 players, Bluff and Win
Fifth: Beat a pair, Beat a 2 pair, Beat three of a kind, Beat a straight
Bottom row: Beat a flush, Beat a full house, ???, ???.
I agree with you about the bottom row!!!Hard to beat the hands bigger then a full-house!!!
But I wont give up!!!
Good luck to all of you cowboys(and girls too)and,please,let me know if you get the ones we dont know yet!!!
I sunk a good deal of time in this one, just kind of liked the "real" feel of it, plus you advance the hand when you fold, which is nice.
I will say that I found it fair in dealing and the AI to be pretty reasonable. The only silly thing about the AI is that when they are bluffing they will still chase the pot down to the river, even if it means an all-in, when they are holding crap. That's not realistic, but it lets you see what they were holding, I guess. Easy vs. Difficult seems to make a "looser" less "friendly" table, with bigger bets and more bluffs. Also, on easy you are more likely to find somebody to go up against your "nuts" hand.
I didn't download the game, though, just did the demo for a while.
I don't remember the position on the board but there's a prize for 'Bluff and Win'
i don't remember how i got it though
in the bottom row, the third prize is 'Beat Quads"
It was hard but i remember how i got..
a full quad appeared on both flop and turn, so everyone had a quad.. I had an ace in my hand so i won.. that's how i 'bet' a quad
Im totally stuck. I have fullversion. Im stuck on day 6, if i push next day, screen just fades for night, but nothing happens. i can get off from it only pushing map and then im on the same 6th day, still...
JIGuest - please email customer support at support@youdagames.com with this issue. Someone there will help you.
Thank you.
I have the same problem as JIGuest
When pushing "next day" the screen fades to black and nothing happens.
Can you please tell me each player styles in the first town?
What I have on the Medal Board!!!
Top row: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th(from the second town it is possible)
Second row: 5th, ???, All-in before flop, All-in after flop
Third row:
All-in after turn, All-in after river, All-in vs. 1 player, All-in vs. 2 players
Fourth: All-in vs. 3 players, Bust 1 player, Bust 2 players, Bluff and Win
Fifth: Beat a pair, Beat a 2 pair, Beat three of a kind, Beat a straight
Bottom row: Beat a flush, Beat a full house, Beat 4 of a kind, Beat a straight flush.
I agree with you about the bottom row!!!Hard to beat the hands bigger then a full-house!!!
But I wont give up!!!
Good luck to all of you cowboys(and girls too)and,please,let me know if you get the ones we dont know yet!!!
Second row second medal...
So only this one we need?
I have all towns and houses.
Without the medals this game will never end?
Please email me if u have the last "secret" or a cheat, thats fine too ;)
Barry, the game will end. I do not have all the medals. You must have all the houses. The game will end if you beat the Governor heads-up.
Please, does anybody know what the second medal on the second row is? I'm gonna check this site regulary to find out the answer. Thanx!
Eugene: THNX, found it and won...
Now wait on gop2 :)
Hi there
i am playing the full version of this game, but although I own whole San Saba, the man that I have to play to win me my horse doesn't appear...does anyone know about this problem and does anyone know an answer to it?
greetz from Holland, Frank
Frank,
Typically you have to go to the next day before the horse offer comes.
I noticed a few people had the the problem of freezing when you hit next day. I have the same problem and I was wondering if anyone knows how to fix that.
Is there a way of copying your saved game?
I have a laptop and a PC and I wanna play on both computers. If I install the game on both computers can I continue on the one where I left off with the other?
thnx
Dave
I have the same question Dave has. It seems that no matter what i do i cannot get the saved game from the computer on to the laptop.
Jeff
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