Review of Wilson Software’s Turbo Texas Hold’em Version 6
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Turbo Texas Hold’em Version 6 is Wilson Software’s flagship product. After all, Texas Hold’em is the most popular form of poker in the United States. This would give one high expectations… let’s see how it stacks up!
When I received this program (along with three others I had ordered) in December 2005, it was the only one that didn’t come in a box. This could be because only three boxes fit well in the envelope, but my copy didn’t come with a manual, either, while the other programs did. I expect this is because it is a new program and not everything has been manufactured yet, but it might be because I purchased the upgrade version instead of the full version. It did come with a couple of pages printed out describing the new features which I assume would normally be in the manual.
I wouldn’t worry about it. You’ll probably get yours with a box and manual, at least if you’re not purchasing the upgrade version. (If you’re purchasing the upgrade, you probably won’t care anyway.)
Sidewinder Sid
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Sidewinder Sid is an add-on feature that costs about $15. Sid will watch you as you play, and in between hands you can consult him to see where you deviated from the advice of the advisor. This allows you to play without influence from the advisor and still know whether or not you made a good play. You can also combine the Challenge Mike and Sidewinder Sid features so that Sid will analyze your play after you’re done challenging Mike. I learned basic strategy for shorthanded play this way.
Sid is also just plain amusing. He is a little cartoon figure that actually talks to you aloud using Microsoft’s text to speech technology. You’ll probably get a laugh when you try the demo, where you can hear his very computery voice say things such as “a little learnin’ ain’t never hurt nobody.” (That’s a real example.) He doesn’t talk that way when offering analysis, thank goodness, but the cartoon is still charming in its own little way. I think it really helps to hear the analysis from Sid rather than to just read it on the screen. It helps you pay attention. If you have no sound or are deaf, however, you can still read what he’s saying in a speech bubble. The only problem I have with this system is it doesn’t really allow you to study at your own pace, but I don’t think it is a big problem, although I wish there were buttons to let you go back to the previous hand and to start over the current hand.
A problem with Sid is that he doesn’t give enough explanation for his recommendations. Before the flop, he will sometimes say “That was a loose call. In this position, the minimum for calling with a hand of this type (suited ace, low card = 9 or lower) is six-ace,” for example, but that is the only exception. If you raise, he will say “You should have just called” (or “That was too loose and too aggressive” if you should have folded), but he will not add to that, “If there were no three-flush, you could raise.”
In version 6, Sid will now sometimes say “That was a loose bet” instead of “You should have checked”. At first I thought this was to distinguish from betting when your hand is too weak (focusing on your looseness) and betting when you should check for other reasons (focusing on your aggressiveness). However, I just turned a set of 7’s (with a board of Kd Jh 4d 7c), and I led into my lone opponent. Sid told me “That was a loose bet.” Betting a set with a non-threatening board is anything but loose! I guess Sid wanted me to check-raise, but then he should have said “You should have checked.” (”You should have check-raised” would be even better, of course.) I’m guessing there is no difference between these two phrases in the current version of the program and “That was a loose bet” was added for variety, but unfortunately it’s just confusing.
One change from version 5 is that Sidewinder Sid is apparently set to be “Always on Top” now. I do not like this pointless change, especially since the Sid display takes up the entire screen. If you want to look at what’s going on in another program, you have to either close Sid or move the program out of the way instead of just ALT+TABbing to a different program. There is no option to turn this off.
Awareness Contest
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The Awareness Contest is the newest major feature of Turbo Texas Hold’em in version 6, and it was an interesting enough idea that I upgraded mostly because of this feature. I’ve been wanting to write a program to help me read my opponents, and now I don’t have to because they’ve done it for me.
Or maybe I’ll still have to. It doesn’t make it very easy. You see, there are only three kinds of tests you can choose from: Easy, Moderate, and Tough. All three of them take place at a ten-handed table. It is much harder to pay attention to individual opponents on a ten-handed table than, say, a six-handed table. This means that you’ll face a steep learning curve on your quest to read the opposition. On the other hand, if you can read a full table, you’ll definitely be able to read a short one, so maybe it’s not all bad. It’s still a useful feature, just not anywhere near its potential yet.
Conclusion
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Because hold’em is currently the flagship of poker, and Turbo Texas Hold’em is the flagship of Wilson Software, you’d expect it to be the best program of the Wilson Software group. It is. Pretty much any Wilson Software program for a game you play often is worth buying, and this is even more so than the others.
The following statements evaluate this software package as a whole, on its own merit, not just how it differs from the other Wilson Software products. I’ll still make comparisons to the other products, however, where they’re similar.
The Good:
* Strong opponents
* Good shorthanded play
* Useful advisor features
* Awareness contest!
* Sidewinder Sid (costs $15 extra)
* Ability to create new opponents
* Solid simulation capabilities
The Bad:
* No pot-limit play
* No tournaments
* Some interface quirks
* No uninstaller
The Sidewinder Sid add-on is not considered in the following ratings except for “features”.
AI: 10/10
Among the strongest in the world. It plays well shorthanded as well as longhanded. Individual opponents might be better at one or the other.
Features: 9/10
Everything that’s really needed is there. Awareness Contest is nice, but could be improved.
Graphics: 7/10
Bland, but bearable. Features avatars.
Sound: 7/10
The same sounds and voices as in other Wilson Software products.
User interface: 6/10
Same quirks as other Wilson Software products, but it’s a slight improvement over version 5 with fewer situations where the mouse cursor moves when it’s not supposed to.
Overall (not an average): 9/10
This program can be a huge help for the average player and is one of the best on the market despite its superficial shortcomings.
VERDICT: Play hold’em? Buy it.
