New Character
Before you can play a game, you will need to create a character. You can use the default character, use a randomly created character, or create your own character from scratch.
To create a character, select an "empty slot" from the character list. From there, customize your player's gender, body type and personality. Please be careful as these attributes cannot be changed in the Salon later after you have finished creating your character.
If you want to see a random selection, press the select button.
Once you have selected the main attributes, press the start button to continue to edit your character's face, body and clothing. You can spend as much time as you want tweaking your character.
To complete your character, press the start button to bring up the name entry screen. Enter your character's name and then press the start button. The option to save the game will appear. Once you save your character, you're ready to play poker!
Cash Accounts
No matter your character, you start with $1,000 for play both online and offline. Any progress you make or cash you win with that character will be saved to that character's account.
Your offline career and online accounts are tied together, so if you take a beating online just relax and play some offline career games to win back your cash.
Quick Play
This is the quickest way to get into a casual game of poker. The winnings in this mode do not affect your character's statistics.
Quick Play Game Options
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Game Type: Select from 14 different poker games. A detailed description of each game's rules appears in "The Games" section below.
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Limits: Choose what type of stakes you want to play for:
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No Limit: Players may bet as much as they have in front of them.
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Limit: Bets are set for each round.
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Pot Limit: Player may bet as much as the amount of the pot.
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Stakes: Select the blinds or ante size.
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Tournament: Tournament play allows you to play against a large number of players. The blinds are raised after a set amount of time.
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Max Players: Choose the total number of players at the table. The casino locations have 8 players per table, whereas the other locations only have 6 player tables. If you've selected tournament, you can have up to 1000 people play.
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Location: Choose where you want to play. Casino locations have a dealer, while the pad locations let the players deal.
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Time: Select how long players have before they are forced to fold.
Career
The road to becoming a professional poker player starts from your mother's basement.
From the world overview you can select different events to enter. Some may cost more than you can afford. If even a loan won't cover the entry fee, do not be discouraged. Keep playing and increasing your bank account through other events until the tournaments you want to participate in are offered again.
Poker Events
Each week a new set of venues is opened for play. Many different game types are available to enter.
Tournaments and Invitationals are games that have as many as 300 players playing at one time. These are long games, but the cash prizes are worth it.
Private games are games that you play at home with your friends. You don't need to finish these games, just make a profit. These are great games to play if you are running low on cash and need a quick boost.
Side games are like private games, but unlike your friends, these players mean business. There are some very special side games offered: heads up matches with poker pros. These matches are a great place to truly test your skills.
Many of the side games, tournaments and invitationals offer bonus trophies and trinkets, as well as cash prizes. It will take you several weeks of play to collect all the prizes, since many matches overlap. Pick the game that suits your style of play.
Your Pad
When you first start hosting private games you will play in your mom's basement. As you gain money from playing, you eventually move out and into the world.
There are four other pads to upgrade to. Your pad also can be upgraded on the inside with new furniture and prizes. Make your room look good, because when you host an online game in your pad, other players will see what you have.
Pawn Shop
The pawn shop offers a place where you can buy new items for your pad or sell them back. You can even take out a loan from the pawn shop. Failure to pay back the loan however results in your items being taken from your pad.
Skill Points
As you advance in your poker career you will become a more astute player and earn skill points. There are several categories to spend your skill points in. Some skills help directly with card playing, while others help with bluffing and telling. It is your choice how you spend it.
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Keen Eyes: This skill makes it increasingly easier to notice the bluffs and tells of other players. A third rank in this skill will tell you of a player's play style after 25 hands with them.
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Hand Strength: This skill will display your hand strength. First rank displays Pre-flop strength. A second rank will constantly shows your hand strength. The third rank shows your hand strength and pot odds.
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Stare Down: This skill will allow you to force a player to play the bluff/tell minigame. Each rank in this skill represents the number of times per hand you