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We very much enjoyed playing at True Poker. In addition to some really nice poker software, they've got a great looking website that inspires a lot of confidence in their professionalism and reliability.
For starters, we should say that True Poker aims to be all about what its name says: true to the poker-playing experience. They have invested a lot in creating 3D player "avatars" (characters). Now, we think these characters are pretty cool, and they definitely bring a lot of personality to the software and to the tables. If you're a slightly chubby guy from Des Moines, you can be a svelte punk-rock chick or a tough-looking cowboy or a James Bond type fellow in a tux. Whatever you like (we prefer to keep those fantasies to ourselves). In any event, whether you'll like the graphics and environment of True Poker is very much a matter of taste-some people love it, some people find it cheesy and annoying. The people who love the 3D graphics enjoy the motion element, as your players hands move to push money into the pot, and you can click on your cards to make your character pick them up and take a look.
The flipside of the 3D graphics can be a long download, especially if you're on a dial-up connection. (High-speed isn't a big problem). True Poker also offers a low resolution version for slower internet connections to try to combat this problem, but the download of that smaller version is still slow if you're on a modem. The other downside of the True Poker download is that it requires you to restart your computer, which other casinos don't require. Frankly, it's a bit annoying, especially if you're running a Windows system that takes an hour to restart or if you're itching to play right away (like we usually are).
We've found player traffic at True Poker to be very solid, and we've never had any difficulty scaring up a game. True Poker's games start at a $1/$2 minimum, so if you're looking for lower stakes action, a site like Pacific Poker may be a better bet for you, as they start at 5¢/10¢ tables. However, True Poker is a great place to play if you're into higher-stakes games and tournaments. Games range up to $100 no-limit. In addition, they offer a packed schedule of tournaments at various betting levels, and you can always find some good tournament action.
True Poker also offers some nice bells and whistles in its software. It is one of the few poker rooms that allows you to choose between two servers, one that offers real and play money tables and the other that offers just play money. This is a nice feature for play money downloaders who want to be sure they're in the right place. You can also jump into any game-real or play money-to watch at any time if you're looking to scope the scene or get a feel for how things work before jumping in. True Poker also gives you a little electronic notepad that allows you to take notes on other players. Just double click on a player at the table, and you can write yourself a note and also classify him/her as a shark, fish, check-raiser, chaser, bluffer, or caller. It's a very cool feature for remembering players over time, unless you've got an uncanny ability to remember dozens of obscure nicknames by heart. Lastly on the features, True Poker's software makes it easy to adjust table preferences like turning sound and hints on and off.
All in all, a very nice place to play if you ask us. Take a look at some of our screen shots, though, and make sure you'll like the 3D graphics. Also keep in mind that you may want to look elsewhere for lower-stakes action or speedy downloads.
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5.0/5.0
