{"id":26703,"date":"2021-02-21T17:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-21T23:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/?p=26703"},"modified":"2021-02-19T07:02:32","modified_gmt":"2021-02-19T13:02:32","slug":"pokerstars-vr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/pokerstars-vr\/","title":{"rendered":"PokerStars VR: Is It Worth Your Time?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Online poker<\/a> is constantly developing, and it wasn\u2019t that long ago that the only way to play the game over the internet was using text chat on IRC channels. Compared to that, virtual tables with graphics were a huge step forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, new technology is being developed all\nthe time, giving operators a chance to take the online poker experience to a\nwhole new level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 We\u2019re\ntalking about Virtual Reality (VR) poker, of course, and PokerStars, as one of\nthe market leaders, was quick to pick up on the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PokerStars VR offers a completely different\nsetting where you can enjoy online games that have many elements of live\ntables. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can see other players\u2019 avatars, follow\ntheir hand and head gestures, and talk to them using voice chat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It must be said that the PokerStars VR\nenvironment is still far from perfect and feels a bit rough around the edges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, for a completely new platform that has\nbeen around for a couple of years altogether, it’s come a long way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Does PokerStars VR Work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re probably familiar with the concept of\nVirtual Reality (VR) in gaming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of looking at your screen and directing\nyour character using a keyboard and a mouse, you are brought inside the game\nand control what\u2019s going on using head and hand gestures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PokerStars VR takes you inside a virtual casino\nwhere you can take your seat at the table. Other players are seated around you,\nand you can see their chosen avatars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the time being, avatars are represented by just a head and a torso with hands, so they kind of hover in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"PokerStars
Image: PokerStars VR<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It’s free to download and the games are just for play money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PokerStars VR is still not available for real\nmoney play, and the company has no plans to launch real money cash games or\ntournaments any time soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Virtual Reality environment is still in a testing\nphase of sorts, although it\u2019s now available to the general player pool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m guessing it will take a little while before\nStars decides that it\u2019s ready for real money action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the game is free, you’ll need to spend\nsome money to be able to enjoy it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PokerStars VR requires VR goggles, so you’ll\nneed to buy one of the Oculus products or something similar. This will cost you\naround $200-300.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VR equipment is still quite expensive, which is\nprobably why poker rooms aren\u2019t ready to go all out with it just yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To create a sustainable economy, you need a\nfairly big player pool, and the number of people willing to pay a few hundred\ndollars just to play virtual poker is still relatively small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, you can use your phone and Google\nCardboard, which will hold your phone to stimulate the VR set, but it surely\ntakes away some pleasure from the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter The PokerStars VR World<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The concept\nof VR poker is quite exciting as an idea.
\n
\nYou can pick your avatar and choose from several different locations, such as\nthe Monte Carlo Yacht, the Showdown Saloon, or Void \u2013 a pitch-black setting\nwhere it’s all about the game, and no distractions are allowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can roam around relatively freely with\nquite decent graphics, but at this point, PokerStars VR isn’t really an option\nif you’re looking for a serious game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say this for a couple of reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, people just aren’t used to this\napproach, and they’ll focus more on other possibilities, such as throwing your\nchips across the table, smoking a cigar, or having a virtual beer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It really is a lot of fun if it’s the\nentertainment you’re looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, these are play money games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Players aren’t risking any actual cash, so they\ndon’t have to worry about losing their stack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They can always reload and keep fooling around,\nthrowing virtual objects at you, so you should not expect to play serious\npoker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social Aspects Of VR Poker <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"PokerStars
Image: PokerStars VR<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While PokerStars VR doesn’t come through for\nthose looking for serious games, it takes social interaction to a whole new\nlevel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being able to see your opponents\u2019 avatars,\ngesture at them, talk to them while having a refreshing drink made of the\nfinest pixels, and even giving them high fives are all the things you just\ncouldn’t do online before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, the virtual setting lets you do\nwhatever you want as there are no consequences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throwing a bottle of beer at your opponent in a\nreal casino probably wouldn\u2019t go over that well. In the PokerStars VR world,\nthough, you can do whatever you like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to focus more on poker, you can do\nthat as well, and there are some \u201cphysical\u201d tells you\u2019ll probably be able to\npick off your opponents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll be able to see their hand gestures, the\ndirection they\u2019re looking in, and every time they double-check their hole\ncards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can provide you with a lot of information\nand help you win more virtual money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, to be completely honest, it\u2019s hard to\nimagine this being the primary concern for someone joining the action since it\u2019s\nmore about the fun aspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once the novelty wears off, perhaps the games\nwill become more serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PokerStars VR Controls & How To Go All-In<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most people know how to play<\/a> online poker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see your cards on the screen, and there are\na few sliders and buttons you can use to size up your bets and perform actions\nlike checking, betting, and folding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is none of that in PokerStars VR. You need to interact with your cards and chips, just like in a real casino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"PokerStars
Image: PokerStars VR<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So when you’re dealt a hand, you’ll need to\nphysically pick up your cards and look at them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is, it doesn’t matter how you go\nabout doing this. Even if you lift your cards all the way up in the air, other\nplayers won’t be able to see them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In heads-up pots, you can, if you want, show\none or both of your cards to your opponent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will require some practice, especially\nwhen you want to show just one card, but you\u2019ll get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can interact with your chips in a similar\nfashion. You can pick them up, hold them in your hand, rearrange your stacks,\netc. Chip tricks aren\u2019t available yet, but it\u2019ll probably come soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the betting, chips are quite responsive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you go for your stack, you\u2019ll see numbers\npopping up, indicating the amount you\u2019ve picked up. Once you\u2019re happy with it,\nsimply take the chips and throw them forward, just like you would at an actual\ntable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feel free to splash the pot<\/a> all you want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you feel like it or you want to intimidate\nyour opponent, you can throw the chips all the way across the table. Once the\nbet lands, the software will collect all of them and put them in the pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, what if you want to go all-in in\nPokerStars VR?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simply grab all of your chips and push them\nforward. Depending on the size of the stack, you might need to use both hands\nto do it. But it\u2019s really not that much different from what you\u2019d do in a real\ncasino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to add to the atmosphere, you can easily go to the store and purchase all sorts of stuff to add to the table. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"PokerStars
Image: PokerStars VR<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some of them make sense, and others don\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can take a cup of coffee, a beer, an energy\ndrink, a cigar, and even a little donkey. The donkey is alive, though, and likes\nto do its own thing – pretty funny to watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is PokerStars VR Worth Playing?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I have a kind of a split opinion on PokerStars\nVR. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the one hand, it’s really funny and\nentertaining. On the other, it feels more like everything else than a poker\ngame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, that’s probably because the concept is\nso new, and people just can’t focus the same way as when they play traditional\nonline poker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, play money games are rarely serious and\ntruly competitive (the VR aspect aside).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I don\u2019t think spending a few hundred bucks\njust to play Virtual Reality poker is worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, if you\u2019ve been thinking\nabout buying VR goggles anyway or have them already, you should definitely give\nit a go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you can get a couple of friends to log\nin with you, it\u2019s a guaranteed good time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One good idea that comes to mind is setting up\na home game with few friends in the VR setting. If you all agree to take it\nseriously or put some incentives behind it, it could be a really interesting\nand new experience!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might take you a little while to figure out\nall the controls, but developers have done a pretty decent job, so it won’t\nfeel too awkward. After a few hands, you’ll get the hang of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I guess it can also be a nice training ground for those who have never been to a live poker room. You\u2019ll at least get to see some aspects of live p<\/a>o<\/a>ker<\/a> and get accustomed to them ahead of time, which can be quite useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, you shouldn’t try any of the virtual\ngimmicks in the real world.. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spilling your beer all over the chips and the\nfelt is funny online but will probably get you banned from any respectable\ncardroom out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is PokerStars VR the Future?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"PokerStars
Image: PokerStars VR<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I guess this question is more about if Virtual\nReality, in general, is the future of gaming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at the current trends, it may well be\nso, but it feels like it’ll take at least a couple of more years before VR\nfully takes over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for Virtual Reality poker, it has its pros\nand cons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s nice to be able to \u201csee\u201d your opponents,\nchat with them, and play with your chips and cards. It adds to the overall\nexperience if you\u2019re looking to have some fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For serious grinders, though, VR poker isn’t\nthe answer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Live games are quite slow in general, and you\ncan only play one table at a time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtual Reality tables are even slower because\npeople can do whatever they want, and a hand can take a long time to complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if PokerStars were to go full VR tomorrow,\nthis would have a huge impact on the player base. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many pros would have no incentive to play, and\nmany recs just wouldn’t want to spend the additional money just to play some\nonline poker (which is costing them money already).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do think that PokerStars VR has a future,\nespecially as VR technologies become better and more affordable. At some point,\nwe\u2019ll probably see some real, serious games happening in the VR setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is still some way to go before that\nhappens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more poker content, check out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
PokerStars vs 888poker \u2013 Which Is Better?<\/a><\/blockquote>