The game even integrates free audio and video chat (although my table has never broken the pandemic-era habit of using a separate Zoom link instead). There’s a Tournament mode that allows you to blend multiple tables and a Spectator mode that allows non-players to see each player’s pocket cards, much like when you watch poker on TV. Or how it jacks up the suspense on an all in by giving you real-time updates on every player’s chance of victory.

Or how it quietly ensures that even the most amateur player will have all the information they need to grasp their best possible hand. I could talk about how the game ensures bragging rights by automatically keeping a tally of hands won by each player. You simply don’t expect a game that asks for nothing - apart from an optional Patreon donation - to play this well.

In an age where every “free” game comes laden with ads or microtransactions, I still marvel at what Poker Now offers.