DD Poker No-Limit Holdem Software Game

This poker game was given to me for a review so I'm trying my hand at this. I think I may have found a new job so if you guys at Microsoft want to send me the new X-Box and some games I promise to do more reviews.

DD Poker is a tournament Poker Program for no-limit Texas Holdem. You can practice against the computer or play online against other opponents.
Introduction:
I’ve played a lot of Holdem, but not so many tournaments and with a game like this I was able to learn a lot about the strategy for tournaments because I could see a lot of hands in a short period of time. What I learned pretty quickly is that the majority of the time you do not need much of a hand to win. Be aggressive, bluff a lot. I think that is a good strategy, as long as you do not commit too many chips to the pot and are able to get off of a hand. At first, I ran over the games with some very aggressive play. When I turned up the skill level to high and got in a big tournament I had a harder time as the players would start to check raise and bluff. I bet a wired pair of sevens into a board of 2-4-Q rainbow and a pre-flop raiser raised me with 7-8! Either a maniac or a fairly astute player that had picked up on my aggressive play.
Player Guides
For brand new players this program is a wonderful introduction to the game. There are pop-up bubbles that will introduce new things as they happen and guide you through learning every facet of the game. The blinds, the betting structures, etc. In addition, there are tools which will show you your hand strength and a calculator that will determine pot odds for you. Not only will it introduce you to the game, but it will help you learn strategy. You can use cheat options to see players cards, view the odds for any given hand or set up hands and run them through a simulator up to 10 million times.
Skill Levels
There are 5 types of players the computer mixes into the games. Solid, Rock, Maniac, Fish and Weak-Tight. It makes for some interesting games, but on average I think the players fold too frequently on the flop and sometimes they call with very weak hands out of the blinds. Maybe it is set up like this so you can see a lot of flops. My flop percentage has been around 44% so it keeps the game fun. However, it is not easy to win the tournaments because when the limits go up it becomes much less predictable.
Design
Almost every option has been thought of in the design of this game. The pop-ups can be helpful, but you can click them off so they are not annoying. You can vary the speed of the game so you can stop, think and learn as much as you want or have the cards flash out almost immediately. You can pause the game at all-ins and there are many “cheat options”, which can serve as valuable learning tools, such as the option to see all the player’s cards.
Game Play
There is good music and I like the feel of the game. The mechanics of raising and betting are simple and easily done. The only thing missing for me was that the players only have names and avatars would have been an easier way to track players and help remember their betting patterns.
Other Options
In the Practice Mode there are 15 tournaments you can play, from heads-up, to 10 person satellites to a 5,619 2005 World Series Event. I only played the Practice mode. There is also an Online Mode where you can join online games. Every time I checked there was a game available. The other mode is a Clock Mode and that would let you host your own tournament, tell you when to raise the blinds and how to calculate the prize money.
Support
There is an online support center and a Forum you can join at any time. You can set up games with other players or ask questions. I posted a question in the Forum that was replied to within the hour by one of the guys who I think helped develop the game.
Conclusion:
This is the most effective program I’ve encountered for helping someone learn how to play No-Limit Hold Tournaments. And it is thoroughly enjoyable. Everything about DD Poker reveals an attention to detail and masterfully thoughtful simulation of real poker that you will not find in your average video game.