Turbo Texas Holdem
Turbo Texas Holdem is a Texas Holdem trainer game created by Wilson Software.
Turbo Texas Holdem runs only in a Windows environment, and costs $59.95.
Turbo Texas Holdem Summary
Turbo Texas Holdem is one of the better poker trainers out there in terms of the AI, but if you want to really learn from it, you have to purchase the Sidewinder Sid add-on, and even that isn't all it should be. Graphics don't meet today's users' expectations, and the lack of pot-limit play is a real deficiency, although that is offered in other versions of Wilson Software.
Our Thoughts on Turbo Texas Holdem
The AI is adjustable, in that there are both pre-defined players that the user can select and the option of customization of players to represent different player types. This is both a plus and a minus. The plus is that users can really learn how to play against each different type of player. The minus is that users come to the table knowing which type of player they are going to be challenging. In order to alleviate this problem Turbo Texas Holdem provides a special mode of play called the Awareness Contest. In the Awareness Contest, the user faces 9 opponents and must read them for play style. While this is a great idea in theory, the reality is that learning to read a 10-player table at the beginner level is a bit too much, and players would be better served by a beginner and even intermediate level with a 6-player table.
Another thing that is frustrating is that most users buy Turbo Texas Holdem in order to improve their game, but the real game-improvement software is sold separately as the Sidewinder Sid add-on. For sixty dollars, it would be nice if they gave you the entire program, instead of making you pay another fifteen for the rest of it. The Sidewinder Sid add-on is overall good in that it is context-sensitive, but it is not always specific enough to explain to the user what the problem is with their chosen move. Sometimes, Sidewinder Sid's advice isn't backed up by the odds or by advice of professional poker players, but this is a rare problem. Usually the advice is spot-on.
While Turbo Texas Holdem is clearly billed as a Texas Holdem trainer, so users shouldn't expect anything else, in today's poker world, it is somewhat frustrating to have to buy additional products in order to be able to play Omaha or Stud. Overall, the product is one of the better ones out there and the price tag isn't terribly high for what it gives you.
