I played Poker VR extensively and so thought I’d give PokerStars VR a whirl.
It’s similar to Poker VR in some ways, but in others it’s different. To begin with, there doesn’t seem to be any tutorials which is annoying when you first log on in a lobby and have no idea what to do. I teleported around the lobby and ended up next to a Wheel of Fortune type wheel which I spun and won some credits. Then a countdown began for 8 hours which I guess means I have to wait that long to spin again.
Whereas Poker VR has a menu which lets you click on things to find a table and shows which tables exist and what stakes are on each table, PokerStars VR does not. After a while I thought to turn over my left wrist and a menu popped up! I changed the graphics settings and looked at the various other menus and customised my avatar. Then I found a menu which had Quick Seat (I think) on it which plopped me in a western-style saloon. While waiting for the current game to end I watched the other players. There’s a lot of objects to play around with and many people had cigars, pipes, guns, zippo lighters, etc strewn around the table or were playing with them. One guy brought out a hookah and lit it with the lighter, then we could take a puff from it and blow some smoke. Someone gave me a cigar and later on I tried a pipe for something to do.
The next round began and I got my cards. No matter what I did, when I grabbed them with my controller hands and turn them over they were always upside down so I had to spin my wrist awkwardly around the wrong way to view them. I later discovered if you grip the cards differently they will bend the edges up so you can take a glance at your cards. When it was my turn to play a saw a tickbox appear in front of me which I took to mean CHECK. I tapped it and that worked fine. I found out how to bet money by watching other players and trying it out on my turn and to fold you throw your cards in the general direction of the centre of the table.
It didn’t seem as nice as Poker VR when I first started and I questioned whether I’d return again after this trial go, but I did have fun with everyone and won several hands. Not many people talked much, mostly miming with their avatar which was fine. I think the dingy saloon style table which was quite cramped was a bit offputting at the start but I soon got pretty used to it. I’ll give it another go another day. It could certainly do with some sort of tutorial when you first log on, however.
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