No, it's not the prettiest bit of software you've ever seen. But if you're looking for a way to learn and master the game of Texas Hold 'Em poker, Turbo Texas Hold 'Em from Wilson Software is the proverbial "gold standard" by which other poker software is judged. And rightly so. At $89.95 it's also not the cheapest, but if you're serious about playing hold 'em poker you probably won't find better poker simulation software at any price.

Turbo Texas Hold 'Em allows you to learn, practice, test, and analyze strategies for playing in "cash" or "ring" games. (Wilson Software also publishes tools for Stud, Omaha, and tournament Hold 'Em play.) At each phase of play the software advisor is ready to guide you in the "correct" direction. You can set things up so that the favored option is highlighted on the screen's buttons and you can select the "Advice" button for a full explanation of why the advisor made this choice. You can also select the "Odds" button and get a quick look at the odds of improving your hand.

The software comes with an extensive batch of computer opponents to choose from. There are an enormous number of factors that go into each opponent's playing style and they're all modifiable. You can also create new player profiles to vary your components - and to test playing strategies. The ability to run simulations to test playing strategies is one of the biggest things that sets Turbo Texas Hold 'Em apart from other poker software. It lets you set up a full line-up of computer players and have them play a large number of hands to compare the effectiveness of different styles.

You could devote an entire book to describing all of the capabilities of Turbo Texas Hold 'Em and the ways that poker players can benefit from them. If you're serious about Texas Hold 'Em poker, we highly recommend Turbo Texas Hold 'Em from Wilson Software. Free demo versions of all the Wilson Software packages are available from their web site.