360 Texas Hold 'Em dated

Free Xbox Live Arcade poker game set for release on August 23, according to Xbox.com; features support for tournaments, eight players online.

Microsoft recently announced that it will be releasing downloadable games in the middle of the week as part of its Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays program. The company revealed the first five games on the promo's schedule but didn't venture beyond that, ending with Pac-Man on August 9.

Now it appears that a fortnight after gamers are gobbling up ghosts and feeding on power pellets they'll be gambling on inside straights and reading players' tells. On Xbox.com, the product page for Texas Hold 'Em shows a release date of August 23, a date that has been confirmed for GameSpot by a Microsoft rep.

Gamers won't be able to play for money, but that shouldn't bother too many because the game itself is free, making it the second free game for the Xbox 360 after Hexic HD (available gratis on the optional 20GB hard drive). Card sharks will be able to play standard games, tournaments, and various scenarios, as well as create their own poker variants for up to eight players.

69 Comments

  • mabbasc

    Posted Jul 16, 2006 8:45 pm PT

    Whoa! The release date on the Xbox link has been changed to TBD

  • soulknight63133

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 3:24 pm PT

    remember the X360 cam will be out later too. I bet you some people are going to play "strip" poker too. lol

  • moocow21

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 2:59 pm PT

    Nice, I'll be able to practice my poker game on 360, for Free! Finally something free on the marketplace.. Nice!

  • Dic_Dasterdly

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 1:48 pm PT

    what are some of you fools bit#%en about? It will be free, be happy. If you think the game will not be taken seriously, then just play with your friends. Im sure it will be compatable with XBL vision. Just be happy. I sence some sony fanboys...

  • mike_mgoblue

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 12:38 pm PT

    Microsoft needs to give away EVERY arcade game for free in Japan!!!

    Either that, or just get Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.

  • _Sam_

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 9:52 am PT

    Not bad

  • rowletteagle09

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 9:01 am PT

    umm okay its free but this will be just like free on poker stars. No skill will be needed, it will be raise raise raise because no one will be losing anything. I hope later we can gamble Microsoft points :-D

  • juvinwo1

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 8:41 am PT

    FREE???? OH YEAH!!!!!!

  • Lillemanden

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 7:13 am PT

    You can't play poker proberly without money. It's imposible to bluff because people don't loose anything when they call. Even if there's a ladder system with points. You still wouldn't feel like really loosing anything.

  • Mr_Bodywave

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 6:21 am PT

    You know--MS could do those free ones without ads as a loss leader to get more people on XBL. Get them on there and they are more likely to buy other games (Uno, Monopoly (if it were available), Geometry wars, lumines, etc.)

  • Mr_Bodywave

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 5:04 am PT

    Rockrollr--THe problem is that a lot of simple games ARE "free" at Yahoo and other places. They have an ad at the top of the window. No big deal. Their free pool game which is very simple playwise and graphics wise use to have 30k people playing it at any given time. Chess, Checkers, etc. often had close to 10k. Spades is popular too. Backgammon. Heck--look at XP--it has free internet Backgammon, checkers, hearts, spades, reversi. Those adds don't seem to bother the often 100k+ at yahoo. Certainly I don't think all games should be free. But you have to look at the competition--Yahoo, MSN--the games that are free there, should be free at XBL. And basic games shouldn't really cost that much to develop. Since there is no 1-player, you don't need any AI, just the board and the rules.

  • rynmls

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 2:49 am PT

    is this game good?

  • samekila

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 12:28 am PT

    Awesome (Free) I love that word and poker is good cant wait!

  • Rockarollr

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 9:11 pm PT

    You all should know good and well that nothing in 2006 is FREE. You either have to give up something of personal value or pay money for it.

    In this case, you'll be giving up your time and attention so that you may be bombarded with advertisements and marketing campaigns. I'm quite sure this is going to be a test run for Microsoft. They're going to be trying to figure out if XB Live members would be willing to download and keep "free" games if they (Microsoft) can make money directly from advertisers instead. Billing would become much easier and much cheaper for Microsoft using this method.

    Remember what good ol' Mom said, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is."

  • Drudaddy

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 9:08 pm PT

    a poker game for free woot, its gonna rule get off of work and had a long tiring day and turn on the 360 and play some poker with friends and strangers on xbox live it doesn't get any better than that.

  • sundown70

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 8:18 pm PT

    did anyone notice how MS changed the date back to summer 06?

  • masskilla334

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 8:09 pm PT

    yay its free

  • runelord_1

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 6:46 pm PT

    It's about time, and it's free. Can't beat that

  • slayerver1

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 6:35 pm PT

    Some Poker video games out there can teach u the basics, but u will get better if u play more of it than learning it.

  • minime78362

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 6:02 pm PT

    I might just have to learn how to play Texas Hold 'Em.
    Why does it always seem easier to learn from a game?
    Oh well this'll be great.

  • NaturalBornGamR

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 5:44 pm PT

    I LOVE MY 360!!!!!!

  • SnuffDaddyNZ

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 5:08 pm PT

    This was always free, and Moore said it would be the first sponsored game on LIVE.

    It would be wonderful if people could put Microsoft Points on the line, but I guess if they did that it would be gambling.

    FINALLY.

  • Metron4

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 4:49 pm PT

    I can't believe how greedy Micro$oft is being! They charge too much money for these games. waugh!

    /sarcasm

  • paullywog

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 4:32 pm PT

    Yes! It's FREE! I'm so happy.

  • kinncolts

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 4:30 pm PT

    nice im definenetly gettin this.....

    and i agree with Mr_Bodywave.....microsoft shud hav chess, checkers, and other classic games for free (im not sayin every game shud be free, though that wud be sweet)....i remeber be4 360 they were promising that for XBL Arcade in the next-gen....

  • icebergstorm

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 4:28 pm PT

    FORTY-FORTH!! Go Texas Hold'n'Strip'em Poker !!! Wahoo!! :-p~~~

  • caesarbites

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 4:15 pm PT

    Good news. Hard for people to say they're being ripped off when they were never charged for the game anyway.

  • Mr_Bodywave

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 3:44 pm PT

    xbox really should look at Yahoo, MSN etc and get all those games on Xbox live PRONTO. I can't find it now (Yahoo redid their site), but they use to list how many people were playing each game. Pool, chess, checkers, spades, backgammon, hearts and some others continuously had high numbers. They should all be free (since they are at Yahoo, MSN, etc.). This would easily fill their wednesdays up for a year or more. Start with the most popular ones. They really should have more of these free games.

  • revelations

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 3:36 pm PT

    Anything free this day in time is awsome

  • rmu2867

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 3:31 pm PT

    Free rocks. I'm all in!

  • mis3ry

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 3:30 pm PT

    "Would it be safe to guess that a lot of the people posting comments on here being excited haven't found any of the many, many websites where they can already play free poker. Seriously, what's the point of playing on the 360. That's why MS made it free. They cannot charge for something that is already free in so many other places. "

    Voice chat and playing with your friends is reason enough for me.

  • mcgrawgamer

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 3:29 pm PT

    I'm just getting into poker and I love it..I play it all the time with my friends, now to be able to play it on xbl will sweeten the deal.

  • aqua_tv

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 3:24 pm PT

    Excellent. I assume that multiplayer arcade games still require the Gold service and not the silver; is this correct?

  • jhockey9

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 3:21 pm PT

    Would it be safe to guess that a lot of the people posting comments on here being excited haven't found any of the many, many websites where they can already play free poker. Seriously, what's the point of playing on the 360. That's why MS made it free. They cannot charge for something that is already free in so many other places.

  • smiley17O

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 3:15 pm PT

    hold on its FREE OMG OMG OMG I CANT WAIT I WONT HAVE TO PAY THANK YOU MS

  • smiley17O

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 3:14 pm PT

    my prayers have been answerd i was just watching the 2005 world poker tour and i was like they should have that on xbox live and now it will be YES!!!!

  • longhairbilly

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 3:12 pm PT

    Should be fun.. A free game will have many players online.

  • rl_41

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 3:09 pm PT

    It could be like all those poker websites, on 360. ooo

  • SteveTwo

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 3:07 pm PT

    I bet it'll have the Vision support like Uno. Go Strip Poker!! :-D lol

  • John_of_Fire

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 3:03 pm PT

    Free, now there's a price I can live with. Go Xbox 360! (makes me not so mad about a 10 dollar SF2T since at least some of this stuff is free.)

  • chibi-acer

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 2:50 pm PT

    Cool! Poker isn't really my thing, but I have lots of friends who will enjoy this feature. At the least it'll be a diversion from playing Uno.

  • CommanderKill90

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 2:46 pm PT

    great, it's about time for a poker game...and it's free!!!!

  • Dymedropp3r

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 2:41 pm PT

    pure awesome

  • nickdastick

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 2:37 pm PT

    That's pimp. I love Texas Hold 'em and I love free arcade games!

  • FRoStYisGoD

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 2:32 pm PT

    who cares if ppl go all in on everyhand its a free game and u dont get many free games from M$ at all so take what u can get

    its better then noting and poker is always fun

  • Buck_Hotep

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 2:28 pm PT

    They need to announce that players like Negreanu, Helmuth, Chan, Nguyen, Moneymaker, etc.. will sometimes play on Live as celebrity players to play against other XBL players.

  • denawayne

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 2:24 pm PT

    boring

  • soadnick947

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 2:20 pm PT

    Great news!! Cannot wait!

  • VFA-102

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 2:19 pm PT

    I wonder if the xbox live camera will work with the game. That would at least simulate the game better.

  • InSane_Snake

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 2:16 pm PT

    yay, I can't wait!

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