Over the past six months, the online card game has taken the gaming world by storm and almost instantly created a huge online community with countless blogs dedicated to strategy and game development. Developed by gaming giant Blizzard, Hearthstone is shaking the gaming status quo with its free-to-play model, which has already attracted tens of thousands of players. The designers at Magic The Gathering are probably worried and should have posted articles on Forbes such as How Hearthstone Can Change the PC Gaming Landscape and Five Reasons Hearthstone Is Better Than Real Card Game.
Hearthstone and online poker have nearly the same demographics. If a game like Hearthstone can create huge playing fields in a matter of months, there is no reason that online poker cannot do the same. Blizzard said Hearthstone's goal is to make collectible card games available, calling the game "deceptively simple yet insanely fun."
In video games, every new player is usually given a lot of help when they start, and various rewards before being thrown to the wolves. Many video games also provide players with money / gold / equipment to get started.
There have been some experiments in this direction in poker (for example, tables for beginners, signing up for bonuses or daily PokerStars competitions), but here it is still in its infancy.
Hearthstone and poker: what unites them
Now consider Hearthstone, where the game currency (gold) is required by the players because it can buy a deck of cards. Gold is given to beginners to complete various simple tasks. It is only much later that the golden shower stops and players have to start improving their skills or think about paying for cards in cash. But by that time they are already tightly on the hook of the game.
Experimenting with Pot Limit Omaha, 7 Card Stud, and 2 Triple Draws should be a way for new players to make easy money. The reward will keep them coming back again and again.
While speed and reliability are far more important in online poker than impressive (but system-clogging) graphics, there must be some trade-off. Online poker graphics have remained stagnant since about 2008, and it's worth wondering why more and more sites are not contracting with appropriate video game studios to create truly cutting edge software packages.
Play a quick game of Hearthstone, which is essentially a card game, and remember that you will be taken to one of the most detailed and colorful tables. The extra attention to detail allows you to even interact with small portions of the table while waiting for your opponent to play.
Why can't there be dynamic chips in online poker? Why can't you win a bunch of chips when you pull the pot? Why can't you throw your cards in the dirt? Why is everything so static on the poker table today?
Accessibility is the essence of Hearthstone. While it is currently in beta, if you have a Battle.net account, you can download the client for free and start playing. It is unlikely that this will change after the release of the final product.
From the first second you start playing, Blizzard is dedicated to player development and allows newbies to take down some relatively weak AI opponents, rewarding the winners with tons of gold before throwing them to the wolves. Hearthstone also has some very good social features, as each player's friend list is imported from Battle.net. This means you can always see who's online and chat with them. The game also has a unique way to combat profanity in chat. You are allowed some specific emotions, but that's about it. This is in stark contrast to poker, where many beginners are intimidated by malicious comments from other players who call them weaklings, donkeys, or whatever.
Despite the huge competition in the online CCG world, Blizzard immediately became one of the main, if not the biggest, player in this market. It happened almost overnight, thanks in part to the incredible power of the Blizzard brand.
There are many reputable online poker sites out there, but how would you feel if one of the true heavyweights in the tech world goes to poker? Someone like Yahoo, Google, or Facebook? There is no doubt that a poker beginner will feel more comfortable taking their first steps with the support of Yahoo and not Crazy Jacks Poker (which exists mainly in a hut in Lithuania).
In fact, this is somewhat reminiscent of the various free coaching that Jason "JCarver" Somerville is giving Ultimate Poker sponsored by Razor. It would be great to see more and more large companies fund poker players in the same unique partnership. For example, Red Bull can sponsor a player in a marathon to earn between $ 10 and $ 10,000. There are those who question the viability of poker as a sporting show. Meanwhile, the recent League of Legends World Cup in Season 3 was watched by 32 million people. The live stream generated more views than the NFL Super Bowl XLVII broadcast.
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