Game Review: Las Vegas Video Poker (Commodore 64, Entertainment USA)

Las Vegas Video Poker claims to be a replication of the video poker machines often found in Las Vegas, where you gamble big stakes to see the turn of a computerised card, and depending on the hand that you have at the end, determines whether you win any money or not.  The bright lights and big city may be a place where the dealer eventually always wins, but at least it is part of the experience.  So, translating that onto a home format was always going to be an interesting task to see how it could be done.

Easy Winners

After a reasonable loading screen, the game completes loading and you are greeted with the video poker machine, and a version of Scott Joplin’s Easy Winners plays, composed by Rob Hubbard.  Like with Bump Set Spike, this was probably added when the game was brought over from Sculptured Software in the US over to the UK, and at least gives you a nice piece of music here.  However, it is worth noting it only plays once at the start and if you lose money and start a new game, it does not play.

Don’t Touch the Pack, We’ll Be Right Back

You will choose which coins you want to use, either nickel, dime, quarters, or dollars, and then once done you can press F7 to start the game.  You start with twenty coins which are all animated going in to your bank, and can gamble up to five coins at once, pressing RETURN to add a coin and then space when done to play – but if you do load all five coins play will automatically start.  The coins move across from your bank on the left to the in play on the right when you add them and this does take time, and slows gameplay down somewhat too.

The Art of the Deal

The five cards are dealt, with a different sound effect for each of the five cards based on position, and you can evaluate what you have.  Any cards you wish to hold can be selected by the number keys 1 to 5, and you can press the same number again if you make a mistake and wish to correct it.  Once you have made your selections, pressing space will trade the cards and the remaining cards will be dealt, with the same sound effects.  If you have a winning hand, then winner flashes at the left and right-hand side of the cards, with the text detailing what you have won with, and how much the prize is worth.

The Odds Are Against

For each hand that you win with, there are odds that come with it.  So, if you get a pair of jacks or higher, you get your stake back.  Two pairs or three of a kind are odds of 2-1,  a straight is 4-1, a flush is 5-1, a full house is 7-1, four of a kind goes up to 20-1, a straight flush is 50-1 and the royal flush a massive 250-1.  Not that you will get that often, of course, but good to know.  During play I never reached an upper target of how many coins to win, but of course if you lose all your coins, it is game over – and not even a little jingle plays, it is just back to selecting the coin to use and to start the game.

I’m The Leader of the Pack, Which Makes Me Such a Lucky Jack

All the pauses as you insert the coins and then wait for the cards to be dealt can take some time and it does slow the game down somewhat.  Whilst the smooth scrolling cards coming down does look good, it would have been good to have an option to turn that off and speed up play a little.  Of course, being somewhat random if you win or not, even if you hold what you think are the right cards first time round, it becomes more of a case of choose the cards to hold, wait and see if you get lucky, and rinse and repeat often.  If there was a threshold to aim for and win, that would at least give you something to aim for (as Vegas Jackpot at least did.)

Graphics and Sound

The graphics in Las Vegas Video Poker are functional. The cards are reasonably drawn with the jack, king, and queen recognisable, although the suit of clubs looks a little bit off for me.  The buttons 1 to 5 when you press to hold or not hold is a nice touch too.  The music by Rob Hubbard at the beginning is good, with sound effects during play and little jingles if you win various prizes with your hands, so there is at least that.  It was a shame you could not have had a tune play during the game as that would at least have made it more interesting.

Final Thoughts

Las Vegas Video Poker does try to be like a poker machine, but the elements of those are more painfully exposed here when you cannot win any real money.  Add to that the pauses in between each hand being dealt, and the occasional lack of being able to press F7 to continue, which I observed at least twice, means that the game becomes a rather dull and tedious experience, with not much incentive to play any further.  It may have been good to have variations of the poker game or even the likes of blackjack and other card games within to give it some more longevity, but as it stands it is just a tad boring to play and not even the Rob Hubbard music can save it.

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