Live Poker Deluxe - Got to know when to Hold'Em

You like Texas Hold'Em?  You like Facebook?  If you answered yes to those 2 questions then Zynga's Live Poker Deluxe is for you.  The port of their popular Facebook application to the iPhone is a work of art.





I have played poker with my brothers ever since we were little kids.  We used to play for toys.  I can remember many nights where we would debate the value of the toys being bet. That 1 Transformer  was not worth these 2 GI Joes.  Fast forward 20-30 years and I still like to play cards with my bros.   Since we no longer all live together it wasn't so easy to start up a quick game.  Along came Facebook, that fancy social thing on the internet.  I found out there was a way to play poker with your friends on there, so bam.   Called the brothers and we all signed up for an account.  Next thing you know, me and the bros were playing cards together just like the old days.  This also started my stinking Facebook addiction too.

Zynga, master of all the popular Facebook apps, has done a great job porting their poker game to the iPhone.  The real beauty of this app, is you are playing real people.  I have been playing Texas Hold'Em apps for a long time, on every platform out there, and computer opponents just are not the same. The joy of an All-In versus a computer just doesn't get the blood pumping like taking down a real player.  The in game chat works great too. Giving someone the obligatory nh after a win just feels right.

Another great thing about this app, is that it is not just a port.  It is completely linked to your Facebook account.  So all the money you win or lose is the same whether you are playing on the phone or your computer.  This keeps me coming back to try and gain the chip lead on the brothers.  It also tracks when you friends are online playing and their rank.

Gameplay is very smooth.  I have never had any lag or connectivity problems.  The game has always ran flawlessly for me.  Truthfully, I enjoy the interface on the iPhone better than playing on the computer. You don't have as many gameplay options when it comes to selecting tables and tournament styles, but for just playing cards it is perfect.  I constantly find myself picking this up and playing a few quick hands.

The app will soon also link up with myspace.com for all you crazy background, music jamming, animated gif myspacers out there.  I guess I should also mention that you can play versus live players without a Facebook or myspace account too.

Right now in celebration of Facebook's Connect Launch, you can get this app for free.  I don't know how long this will last.

You can buy Live Poker Deluxe here.

One more thing, Zynga please bring Mafia Wars to the iPhone, you would make me a very happy person if you did.