Telltale Texas Hold'em

About

Telltale Texas Hold'em is a single player casual simulation game with a comedy theme. It was developed by Telltale and was released on June 17, 2008. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Telltale Texas Hold'em" is a poker game that offers a single-player experience. It includes various difficulty levels, unique character opponents with different personalities, and the reproduction of a real-life poker atmosphere. The game allows you to improve your poker skills, unlock higher stakes tables, and win special achievements.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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67%

Audience ScoreBased on 250 reviews

humor14 positive mentions

graphics6 negative mentions

The game is a fun and quirky introduction to Texas Hold'em, making it suitable for beginners.
For its low price, it offers a decent poker experience with entertaining character interactions.
The game has a nostalgic charm and serves as a historical piece showcasing Telltale's early work.

The graphics and character models are outdated, making the game visually unappealing.
The AI is predictable and easy to beat, leading to a lack of challenge and replayability.
The dialogue can become repetitive and annoying, detracting from the overall experience.

graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
55%
30%
The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users describing them as outdated, poor, and glitchy, often comparing them unfavorably to other poker games. While a few users noted some pleasant visuals, the general consensus is that the graphics lack charm and polish, making the overall experience less enjoyable. Players seeking a visually appealing poker game are advised to look for alternatives, as this title falls short in the graphics department.
- “The game offers some nice graphics, although some ugly glitches here and there, it is pleasant all the same.”
- “The graphics are amazing for its time, the voice acting is so crisp and clean it actually improves your hearing and the soundtrack is better than Beethoven, DJ Khaled, and IceJJFish combined.”
- “+ delicious graphics”
- “Despite the outdated graphics.”
- “The graphics are horrendous, even for 2005.”
- “Imagine Poker Night at the Inventory but without any of the charm and significantly worse graphics, UI, and voice work.”
humor
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
93%
20%
The humor in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it genuinely funny and entertaining, particularly appreciating the character quips and table talk. However, others criticize the lack of consistent humor, stiff animations, and an overall decline in comedic quality compared to previous titles. While some moments are laugh-out-loud funny, the humor is not universally appreciated, leading to a varied reception.
- “I think this game is funny and it's entertaining.”
- “Also, the table talk (which you can shut off once you've heard it all) is actually pretty funny at times.”
- “Texas hold 'em has more silly humor than I can recall from poker night and poker night 2, like this quote by Boris which made me laugh that I got it stuck in my head: 'prepare to be humiliated... I fold'.”
- “You might get better AI in some internet game somewhere, but it does feel better playing 'characters', even these ones who are unfunny as all hell.”
- “The humor falls flat and often feels forced, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I expected a lot more laughs, but the jokes are stale and the comedic timing is off.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with users noting that it offers a basic poker experience without any scoring system, achievements, or additional content to encourage repeated play. Many reviewers rated its replayability as low, highlighting that once a tournament is won, there is little incentive to play again. Overall, it is seen as a simple proof of concept rather than a game with lasting engagement.
- “This game is a simple single game of poker that restarts a fresh new game without a score system or ranking. Unlike Poker Night 2, which offers trophies and various styles to collect, this game is very basic in concept. However, it still provides a decent experience of Texas Hold'em poker.”
- “While the game is straightforward, it serves as a proof of concept for Poker Night 2, which has much more replay value with its additional features.”
- “Despite its simplicity, the game can still be enjoyable for casual players looking for a quick poker experience.”
- “There is almost zero replayability to this game.”
- “One problem that this game suffers is that it has no replayability value; when you win your first tournament, you're done.”
- “This game has little replay value since it's so short, basic, and easy.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The gameplay is described as basic and reminiscent of earlier inventory games, with mechanics that are functional but not particularly engaging. While it serves as a tech demo for Telltale, the overall experience is deemed more important than the gameplay itself, which has been rated a modest 3/5. Players note that it feels clunky and lacks the charm of Telltale's more polished titles.
- “To be fair, they got the mechanics down.”
- “But the gameplay is essentially the same.”
- “This game is definitely more about the 'experience' than the gameplay.”
- “Telltale, known for a very different style of gameplay, apparently made this as a tech demo-like project while waiting for licensing for other projects. It's the first item you'll find with the Telltale label, and that in itself does not make it worth checking out.”
- “The mechanics are basic, similar to later inventory games.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players find the menu music heartwarming and enjoyable, others criticize it as subpar. Overall, the soundtrack is praised for its quality, with some even comparing it favorably to renowned artists.
- “Hearing the menu music melts my heart.”
- “I got this purely to complete the poker night trilogy. The menu music is good, so I give it a positive review.”
- “The graphics are amazing for its time, the voice acting is so crisp and clean it actually improves your hearing, and the soundtrack is better than Beethoven, DJ Khaled, and IceJJFish combined.”
- “- bad music”
- “The graphics are amazing for its time, the voice acting is so crisp and clean it actually improves your hearing and the soundtrack is better than Beethoven, DJ Khaled, and IceJJFish combined.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's storytelling is praised as a testament to Telltale's skills, though it is noted that it is not as story-driven as their later titles. While it features a gripping poker experience, the narrative is secondary, with only one recognizable character from popular franchises. Overall, it serves as a foundation for Telltale's future projects despite its limited storytelling focus.
- “A true testament to the storytelling skills of Telltale as a studio.”
- “Gripping poker experience blended with impeccable storytelling.”
- “Even though it's not as story-driven as many of the Telltale games that would soon follow, this game helped Telltale raise enough money to release more titles, starting with the Bone series, which was never finished.”
- “Right off the bat, this is not a story-driven experience; this is a poker game in the style of Poker Night without the popular characters (excluding one).”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Users appreciate the lack of microtransactions in the game, highlighting it as a refreshing change from the ad-ridden free alternatives, particularly for those seeking a quality Texas Hold'em experience.
- “It's impossible to enjoy the game without being bombarded by microtransactions.”
- “If you want to play a decent Texas Hold'em game, you have to deal with the annoying ads and nonsense that come with free versions.”
- “The monetization strategy ruins the overall experience, making it feel more like a cash grab than a game.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have found the emotional aspect of the game to be profoundly impactful, with many highlighting a heartbreaking ending that evokes strong feelings, including tears. The combination of beautiful voice acting and deep character development enhances the emotional experience, making players feel genuine loss and connection to the story.
- “The ending was really sad and heartbreaking... it almost made me cry.”
- “This game changed my life for the better. The voice acting was beautiful, and the character development was great. When I lost, it made me feel like I lost in real life.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is criticized for its lack of engaging dialogue and stiff animations, leading to an overall negative experience.
- “Barely any funny conversations; the animations are stiff, and the atmosphere is horrible.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features appealing graphics, but users have reported occasional glitches that affect stability. Overall, it remains an enjoyable experience despite these issues.
- “The game offers some nice graphics, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is criticized for its lack of inventiveness and creativity, with reviewers noting limited animation and amateurish character designs that detract from the overall depth and engagement of the characters.
- “There is nothing too inventive or creative about the characters due to the limited animation and amateurish character designs.”

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Telltale Texas Hold ‘Em
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6h Median play time

6h Average play time

6-6h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Telltale Texas Hold'em is a casual simulation game with comedy theme.

Telltale Texas Hold'em is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 6 hours playing Telltale Texas Hold'em.

Telltale Texas Hold'em was released on June 17, 2008.

Telltale Texas Hold'em was developed by Telltale.

Telltale Texas Hold'em has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its humor but disliked it for its graphics.

Telltale Texas Hold'em is a single player game.

Similar games include Poker Night at the Inventory, Poker Night 2, Half Dead, Sinister City, Umbrella Corps and others.

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