People who don’t shuffle well make me nervous. The one that destroys the letters that I treat with so much care. The one that deals out similar hands. To those who do not enjoy shuffling, who do it simply because it is their turn, I recommend Poker Kit, an app for lazy shufflers.
Some time ago I showed you Bold Poker, a similar application too to play Texas Hold’em with an iPad and several iPhones, but I think this one, developed by a Spanish designer, offers some very cool added features.
The most important thing of all is that the application is available for both iOS and Android, so to play it is not necessary for all of us present to be fanboys of one or the other, we can live together in harmony.
The second relevant issue is that only the application that serves as a server – Poker Kit Dealer – is paid (4.49 euros), while the application that each player uses – Poker Kit Player – is completely free. This makes it easier to convince your friends to play games with this virtual deck.
Another very practical function, beyond the automatic shuffling system, is the possibility that keep track of the blinds for us. In Texas Hold’em it is common to raise the mandatory blinds (those made before seeing the cards) as the game progresses, so that it does not become eternal. I usually time it with the phone clock, but if the application integrates it, then all the better.
The operation of Poker Kit is quite simple. In the center of the table we place a tablet which will have the server application installed. We create a game according to our preferences (cash, normal, fast) and we connect from our phones with the player application. They must all be connected to the same Wi-Fi, although we can always share a connection from the tablet to the rest of the devices.
To connect All you have to do is write down our name – by default the phone number is displayed – and the IP address that will have been generated when creating the game. When we do, our name will appear on one of the edges of the mat on the tablet. By simply moving the “dealer” tab to the player’s surroundings, the application will shuffle, dealing two cards to each player (they will appear on their mobile) and leaving five face down on the table.
After the initial bets, we can flip the flop (the first three cards) by simply pressing them. In the same way we flip the turn and the river. Then we move the dealer to the next player and he will eat the next hand.
To the deal the cards, in our mobile phone they come out face down by default, so that our neighbor at the table has more difficult to observe our play. To see them, we just have to press them, while if we want to order them, we can move them with two fingers, there is even a “fold” area that throws the cards to the table (they appear on the tablet) and removes us from the play.
My experience with Poker Kit
After having been playing with friends for a while, I must confess that the experience with Poker Kit has been bittersweet. You have very positive aspects, among which it should be noted that the game is much faster, no time is wasted shuffling, no one forgets to return their cards and the blinds advance at their own pace.
On the other side of the scale, there is the problem of the lack of feeling, which is inevitable. Nothing can replace the pleasure of letting your cards show slowly on the table when you have the winning hand or throwing them in anger when nothing has hit you.
However, I think that there is something that the application can incorporate to seduce us to abandon the traditional deck. Right now it’s basically an automatic shuffler with a timer for the blinds, which is great, but it’s missing, for example, tell us what hand we have at all times -Sometimes you miss things- or decide the winner by turning over the last card, which would save many disputes and visits to Wikipedia.
In short, I think it is an interesting application to have on your tablet, because it allows you to play a game quickly and easily, even if you are not at home and you have forgotten the deck. In addition, future versions will surely include new functions, such as virtual tabs or the ones I mentioned in the previous paragraph, which it would make Poker Kit much more than just an app for lazy shufflers.
More information | Poker Kit In Engadget Smart Home | Tell me what you want and I’ll see if I pick up
