Greg J. Schloesser
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 Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 6:04 pm Post subject: [Review] Chicago Poker |
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Design by: Bruno Faidutti and Bruno Cathala
Published by: Phalanx
3 - 6 Players, 45 minutes
Review by: Greg J. Schloesser
First, let me state flatly that I am NOT a fan of poker. The game just
doesn't excite me, and the bluffing that folks say is critical to success in
the game is a skill I just have never properly learned. I don't necessarily
dislike the game, but it just doesn't do anything for me. Thus, in spite of
the impressive "Chicago speakeasy" booth decorations, I wasn't terribly
excited when Phalanx and Mayfair Games premiered Chicago Poker at the Spiel
in Essen, Germany.
The latest collaboration between well-known French designers Bruno Cathala
and Bruno Faidutti, Chicago Poker adds a few twists on the familiar card
game. Players assume the role of famous gangsters and battle to control
various speakeasies, gambling houses, jazz clubs and breweries, with the
victor being the player with the best poker hand. The poker rules enforced
by each establishment vary, however, each requiring different methods by
which cards are played. Some require a mixture of face-up and face-down
cards, while others require one or the other. In addition, the dastardly
card sharks can employ an assortment of resources and tactics to tilt games
in their favor, including bribes, weapons, police raids and even forced
liquidations. There is no honor amongst gangsters!
The establishments over which players will fight for control come in the
four aforementioned varieties, each being represented by a hexagon tile.
The difference between them is the manner in which cards must be played.
For example, the green breweries require the first two cards of each
player's
hand to be played face-down, with the final three being played face-up. On
the other hand, the tan jazz clubs require the first three cards to be
played face-up, with the remaining two face-down. These variations of card
play do give players some information, and helps make game play more varied
and interesting.
The deck of cards contains five suits, each valued 1 - 15. In addition,
there are six special cards, which allow the players to alter the heretofore
friendly proceedings. Players are dealt an initial hand of five cards.
Each turn, a player takes exactly three actions, which can include drawing
and/or playing cards. A player's hand limit is seven cards, so hoarding in
order to improve one's chances of gathering a winning hand is difficult.
Cards may be played to multiple establishments, and are placed on the hex
side corresponding to the player's character. Special cards are not placed
onto an establishment, but their power takes effect immediately. These
cards allow a variety of special actions, including the switching of cards
between establishments, the revealing of face-down cards, discarding an
opponent's card, or even searching the discard pile for a desired card.
When a player places his fifth card onto an establishment, it is marked with
a bullet and a shootout will commence at the beginning of that player's next
turn. This gives every player one more opportunity to place cards on that
establishment, if they desire. A shootout is simply revealing all cards on
an establishment and determining which player has the best poker hand.
Standard poker hierarchies are observed, with the addition of two special
hands: Chicago poker (five-of-a-kind) and the Rainbow straight (a straight
consisting of five different suits). The victorious player claims the tile,
which is replaced with a new one.
The game ends when one player captures either:
a.. three identical establishments,
b.. four different types of establishments, or
c.. five establishments.
The length of the game is dependent upon the number of players, with all of
my games playing to completion in 45 minutes to an hour. The game can be
shortened by altering the victory conditions as specified in the rules.
While the game hasn't improved my taste for standard poker, I do enjoy this
clever variation. There's more going on here than in standard poker, as
players have to keep their eye on numerous establishments. One cannot
effectively compete for each establishment, however, so a wise player will
choose his battles carefully, with an eye on achieving one of the victory
conditions. The ability to work on multiple hands at once as you play cards
to various establishments does give a player more options and opportunities
to build competitive hands. Plus, the fact that some cards are played
face-up does give some insight into the possible hands of one's opponents
without completely removing the bluff elements.
Poker purists will likely not enjoy Chicago Poker, as it does significantly
alter the game. However, in my opinion, it also makes it more "friendly"
and easier to play, yet still maintains some of the key elements of the
traditional card game. Whereas I will usually fold when presented with the
chance to play standard poker, I'll go "all-in" when Chicago Poker is the
option.
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Greg J. Schloesser |
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