Want a Change? How About California Hold’em?
Cardplayer.com has an article (links below) about a new game called California Hold’em, created by an incorporated company of the same name.
The game differs in only a few ways, but the general idea sounds good. It relies more on skill than the Texas version, due to the addition of 8 cards to the deck: four “11″ and four “12″ cards. These go between the 10 and J cards. For other subtle differences, go see Bob Pajich’s article.
From a game theory point of view, California Hold’em does sound harder to play, thus relying on a player’s skill rather than luck after the flop.
Good luck to the company, who have partnered with Poker Royalty, LLC, to promote the game. But with the condition of having to be licensed to offer this game in a cardroom - digital or otherwise - and having to purchase special decks, I wonder how this game will gain anything close to the popularity of Texas Hold’em.
Historically, derivative games are not usually as popular. On the other hand, one might argue that card games like Euchre are watered down versions of Bridge - which was popular into the early 1980s, but which you barely hear of nowadays.
Links: Cardplayer - Move Over Texas, California Hold’em Is On the Way.
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2 Comments to “Want a Change? How About California Hold’em?”
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californiaholdem
January 25th, 2006 at 2:20 pm
Hi. My name is Chad Andrews and I am the creator and CEO of California Hold’em. I hope to have a lot more to say about the game down the line. I see it as the only legitimate direct competitor to Texas Hold’em, though I’m not even dreaming of replacing Texas Hold’em. I simply want my game, which has its merits, to find a home as a viable alternative.
I just wanted to address the licensing issue, before it scares anyone away from the concept. If you look online, the biggest problem sites that offer poker face is the inability to retain players because there are so many new competitors. (Over 100 in 2005.) Because players will chase the best promotions, sites have very little protection, larely because they offer the same games, primarily Texas Hold’em, and those games have no protection.
My game is protected, so those who choose to license it will have an easier time retaining the customers who play it and will not have to give up a huge chunk of their margins to compete with hundreds of other sites.
All of this will not affect players at all. The rake will be the exact same, but what I have just said is an incentive for the industry to adopt the game, which has been test marketed considerably and really holds up as an interesting game on its own. There is a greater degree of skill, meaning the elements that make for a great player are more rewarded. Players who do not rely on the many factors that make a good player at all will generally lose at a higher rate in my game, though luck is still a factor. The game simply has a more fair balance of luck versus skill.
Hope you will try it when it is available. More on that at a later date.
Thanks for the opportunity to post!
Raj
January 31st, 2006 at 9:23 am
Chad,
Sorry it took me so long to moderate your comment. I didn’t see it at first. How about I interview you via email or messenger, and you can tell me more about California Hold’em?