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Yesterday there was a flurry of activity about, "Last Call", an online Texas Hold 'Em game.
I ignored it. But when it kept showing up I decided (from the sidewise comments) that maybe I'd look into it. I must confess I was wondering if it was a Tim Powers sort of deal.
Well, yes and no.
On it's face it's poker. Every week, at noon PST they reset everyone's chips to baseline (10,000, plus bonuses for having lots of money at the end of the week, bonuses for having friends, and the bonuses for, "Paying attention,", "Meeting The Dealer,", "finding cards," and doing favors for the undead.
It appears there is an, Alternate Reality Game going on. With codes, and mysterious conversations (apparently one can go and read the accounts, hand by hand, bet by bet and comment by comment [since the players can talk to each other, both publically and privately] pictures and videos, "phone posts" and Lord knows what all else.
It's free.
Oh, and did I mention they have some live action stuff too? Tombstone poker. A sort of strange Hold 'Em game where all five cards are flopped. Players, in teams of two, go about the graveyard (it has to be played in a graveyard, one with headstones, the shapes of the stones are the suits, and the number of names on it denote the value; all headstones are face cards). The idea is the team rushes to find the best hole cards to fill their hand. They have to be able to touch the headstones, and each other; at the same time.
There's a time limit and the winners have to show their "cards."
There are rounds of play from DC to L.A..
The hint board leads to stuff about codes, stegonography (the embedding of hidden information in digital/digitised picture) ciphers and all sorts of ways of hiding info.
So far, I am mostly clueless; about the ways in which one finds new information, but it's oddly intriguing, and I think (hah!) I am seeing some of the plotlines.
I need another timesink like I need a hole in my head.
On the other hand Chris (the roommate who doesn't eat vegetables) likes to play poker, and we spent last night in the same room, laughing at the other players (why engage in trash-talking and bad flirtation [my avatar is female, all the male ones look like idjits], as well as purely abusive behavior online? Most of them fail to understand when they've been smacked, but the rest of the table usually has someone who gets it) as they made stupid comments, or silly assumptions.
And some of the people seem to be pretty nice.
If anyone wants to play, let me know. I built a community for it, because I want all the help I can get, and I'm more than willing to share the few tips I've got to share.
I ignored it. But when it kept showing up I decided (from the sidewise comments) that maybe I'd look into it. I must confess I was wondering if it was a Tim Powers sort of deal.
Well, yes and no.
On it's face it's poker. Every week, at noon PST they reset everyone's chips to baseline (10,000, plus bonuses for having lots of money at the end of the week, bonuses for having friends, and the bonuses for, "Paying attention,", "Meeting The Dealer,", "finding cards," and doing favors for the undead.
It appears there is an, Alternate Reality Game going on. With codes, and mysterious conversations (apparently one can go and read the accounts, hand by hand, bet by bet and comment by comment [since the players can talk to each other, both publically and privately] pictures and videos, "phone posts" and Lord knows what all else.
It's free.
Oh, and did I mention they have some live action stuff too? Tombstone poker. A sort of strange Hold 'Em game where all five cards are flopped. Players, in teams of two, go about the graveyard (it has to be played in a graveyard, one with headstones, the shapes of the stones are the suits, and the number of names on it denote the value; all headstones are face cards). The idea is the team rushes to find the best hole cards to fill their hand. They have to be able to touch the headstones, and each other; at the same time.
There's a time limit and the winners have to show their "cards."
There are rounds of play from DC to L.A..
The hint board leads to stuff about codes, stegonography (the embedding of hidden information in digital/digitised picture) ciphers and all sorts of ways of hiding info.
So far, I am mostly clueless; about the ways in which one finds new information, but it's oddly intriguing, and I think (hah!) I am seeing some of the plotlines.
I need another timesink like I need a hole in my head.
On the other hand Chris (the roommate who doesn't eat vegetables) likes to play poker, and we spent last night in the same room, laughing at the other players (why engage in trash-talking and bad flirtation [my avatar is female, all the male ones look like idjits], as well as purely abusive behavior online? Most of them fail to understand when they've been smacked, but the rest of the table usually has someone who gets it) as they made stupid comments, or silly assumptions.
And some of the people seem to be pretty nice.
If anyone wants to play, let me know. I built a community for it, because I want all the help I can get, and I'm more than willing to share the few tips I've got to share.
