14 DAY TRIAL // The anxious Xbox Live Arcade regulars awaited Texas Hold 'Em for a long time, to fill in that gap between computer gaming and casual leisure poker. Xbox 360 not only had the technology, but the proper incentives to build up a popular franchise on what is actually a simple concept. Although the game was supposed to be free at start, Microsoft eventually changed their plans and strapped on a moderate price tag once 48 hours passed since last Wednesday's release. Recent player reports point out game production was rushed, as the title experiences numerous gameplay issues and bugs.
Hundreds of displeased users show the game features some game-breaking glitches that turn competitive multiplayer into a nerve wrecking experience. Jason Cross clearly outlines these shortcomings on the Modern Geek web blog. Through a little trickery, players can apparently enter into a tournament, quit out and still win the pot without having actually done anything at all. Cross speculates that's how someone managed to amass $800000 on the leaderboards having played only 40 hands. There are other alleged issues related to duplicate graphics producing card hands that shouldn't be possible, not to mention long loading times and the inability to assist tournament play once you have been eliminated.
Since persistent bankroll appears to be working well, as incentive for people to play at the buy-in tournaments, Texas Hold 'Em has the potential to become really addictive. Microsoft confirmed to 1UP that Texas Hold 'Em does contain bugs that will be remedied in an upcoming patch: "Microsoft is aware of the issues with Texas Hold 'Em and the Xbox Live Arcade team is working to address the issues some gamers are experiencing. A title update will be available for download as soon as one is ready."