'Insta Poker': instructional game for iPhone, iPad - San Francisco Chronicle

I thought I was a decent hold 'em player - until pros Antonio Esfandiari and Huck Seed told me otherwise. These two pros are part of a new instructional poker game for the iPhone, iPod and iPad called "Insta Poker." Every time you act, text comments from a pro pop up to let you know if you made the right or wrong move, and why.

Released last month by Los Altos' Gamoz, "Insta Poker" rewards players not for winning but for playing the game intelligently. Based on the cards and other players' profiles, you decide whether to fold, check or raise. Decisions are multiple-choice; often there are two or three options for raise amounts.

Make the right move and you get applause and three "ProCoins" - which can be redeemed to purchase new hands. If you make a decent decision but not the best, you'll get one or two pro coins. Blow it and you get no coins, but the game will tell you why it's the wrong move. You'll then get to choose again or the game will proceed as if you made the right choice.

"Insta Poker" is targeted to people who play a few times a year in Vegas or occasionally at a local cardroom or home game, said Gamoz CEO Amos Barzilay. "It's for people who care about strategy and winning."

Almost all poker players "think they're good, but obviously a very small percentage of people are winning players," says Konstantin Othmer, one of the pros who developed hands for "Insta Poker."

Some players in the game, which takes place around a virtual table, have "character profiles" such as "Donkey" (not smart), "Experienced" (a skilled player) or "Loose Passive" (plays lots of hands but rarely raises). When choosing whether to bet, players should consider opponents' tendencies, Othmer said.

"If you love strategy, you'll love ('Insta Poker') because you have pros like Huck Seed" who reveal their strategies, something you don't get on TV, Othmer said. The hands in the game are real hands that took place in televised tournaments or at other high-stakes games, he said.

I found "Insta Poker" engaging and educational. It may not be as fun as playing live poker, but it provides tools to improve one's game.

Game packs cost 99 cents to $6.99; the pricier ones have an average of about 15 hands. There's a free game pack for those who'd like to take "Insta Poker" for a test drive, and one hand in each of the other game packs can be sampled for free.

You can replay hands, but they'll be the same each time - this isn't a dynamic game. However, replaying hands is a good way to learn strategic skills.

There is no release date yet for an Android version of the game.

For more information, go to www.instapokerpro.com.