MOBILE MONEY: New Skill-Based Game Mixes Poker, Solitaire, & Real Cash
There’s no shortage of players getting online for some poker at the moment. From regulated US online poker to sweepstakes social gaming to poker apps, players are heading online in droves.
A Swedish gaming company sees this flood of activity as an opportunity to reach American players. However, HexiGames has taken a bit of a different approach when it comes to poker gaming.
The company produces skill-based card games where players have a chance to win real cash. The latest is “5-Hand Poker,” which is now available in 41 US states.
What is 5-Card Poker & how is it played?
5-Hand Poker is a mashup between traditional poker and solitaire. The player has to create five separate poker hands from half a card deck of cards.
Cards are dealt similar as they might in solitaire. The tricky part is that players have to finish off each horizontal row of cards before they place new cards in another row.
This creates some interesting strategizing. Players can’t simply put each card into whichever of the five vertical hands is most ideal.
“A good poker player is able to quickly realize what hand to aim for depending on what cards they’re given and what cards to put in the hold pocket for later,” says Philip Carlson, HexiGames growth marketing manager.
“By finishing the poker hands quickly, you get a time bonus that boosts your score.”
For every new card, players have to consider if it’s worth aiming for a straight flush and an extra 2,000 points. Or maybe it’s better to play it safe and go for just a flush and 500 points.
There are definitely quite a few decisions to consider when getting in the action.
Play it right & win some real money
HexiGames is focused on bringing skill-based card games to the US market. Company founder Joel Wikell is a pioneer in the online casino market.
He started BossMedia in 1997, which became a market leader in casino software. The company was later bought by GTECH Gaming in 2008.
HexiGames’ gaming platform allows for all its games to run on. This enables thousands of users a chance to play and win real money.
The 5-Hand Poker platform allows users to choose between five different matches – $1, $5, $10, $25, $100. Every tier has an entry fee, so if playing to win the $100 game each player bets $55.
“You’re always playing other users on our platform, and if you lose, you can ask for a rematch,” Carlson says. “ If you want to challenge your friend for a cash game, you can do that.”
Carlson adds that the unique HexiGames platform allows for payouts the same day as the match. 5-Hand Poker is available for cash play in most US states.
However, players in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee can only use virtual currency.
Other card-playing options in the works
Beyond 5-Hand, the company is planning more gaming options appealing to poker players. A Blackjack-type also combining Solitaire called “Play 21″ has also been released.
More poker games are also in the pipeline and all apps are available for iOS and Android devices.
With so many players taking their games online, HexiGames hopes to take advantage of an expanding market.
For more information, visit hexigames.com.