Gambling On XBox
Have you heard any of those crazy rumors that live gambling on the Xbox 360 is soon going to be possible? Well, in all honesty it is probably still several years off, especially since it would require international support in order to be fully legalized. That doesn’t mean that it could not happen, however, but we’re guessing that Xbox will instead market casino gambling for money on a compatible handheld device instead.
In the meantime, that does not mean that your Xbox can not help you get ready for the tables. There are many great gambling titles available that simulate live casino action down to the very last details, but at the same time you’ll have to be willing to play the title just as you would if it was your own real money. That’s the tough part; resisting that $100,000 bet on a single blackjack hand because you know that you can start right back over again with your saved game…this type of mentality actually makes you build up poor habits and you’re far more likely to reproduce them down the road inside a real casino.
So which Xbox 360 gambling games are the best for practice? Well, our staff has narrowed it down to three titles; we will let you pick which one should take the top prize-
World Series of Poker 2008: Battle for the Bracelets
In this installment of the WSOP series, poker players are emerged straight into the most popular poker tournament on Earth and given a real-life feel of what it’s like to square off against the legends of the sport. While there are several other poker titles out there, WSOP 2008 stands out as the best choice because the graphics are excellent, the customization options make it real nice to pick the perfect tournament, and the computer AI when it comes to reading and adjusting to your play style is very good.
High Rollers Casino (2004)
Although this is an older title that was originally launched for the Xbox, it still covers all of the essentials that a smart gambler would look for in a practice game. High Rollers Casino allows players to enter a number of different tournament layouts that range from poker to blackjack, and the overall feel of each game is very similar to what you’d experience in real life. The graphics are also very good considering that this is an older game.
Bicycle Casino (2004)
Bicycle Casino is another great title that does a good job of capturing the industry with over 200 casino games and plenty of customization options. You can choose from slots tournaments, no limit Holdem, blackjack, craps, roulette, and hundreds of other popular games in this title, but those are truly only the beginning of proving your claim to fame. Once you have the betting down to a science, create a custom avatar and hop on Xbox Live where you can wager against your friends and show them who’s boss once and for all.
