Geared toward beginners
PokerStars has launched a new, free poker training app to help players learn the basics of the game. Poker DoJo is available to people in the UK and the US and can be found on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
provides replay value even to those who have been playing for years
Poker DoJo consists of three mini-games: Grid Poker, Strongest Hand, and All-in or Fold. Each trains important skills that all poker players need, but that beginners, in particular, need time to learn.
While the app is designed for poker novices, it provides replay value even to those who have been playing for years. It uses the common mobile game mechanic of leveling; players earn points and “level-up” in each game separately. Reaching certain levels unlocks special challenges for each game type. The app also allows players to see their score charts, play history, and leaderboards for the past day, week, and month.
Grid Poker
Grid Poker is like a “word search” for building poker hands. A field of playing cards is presented in 5×5 grid. The goal is to trace a line connecting five cards to make poker hands. The better the hand, the more points the player scores. The cards do not have to be in a straight line.
High card does not count; the weakest eligible scoring hand is a pair. The hand rankings, along with the points that will be earned for each, are at the top of the screen.
Each game lasts two minutes. After the game is over, players can try a 15-second bonus round in which the goal is to find the one hand on the board that beats a full house.
Strongest Hand
Probably the mini-game with the least replay value for poker veterans, Strongest Hand tests one’s knowledge of hand equity, focusing on hole cards. There are ten 12-second rounds to each game. The goal in each round is to either pick the strongest hand or decide if the player’s hand is good enough to play.
Each rating is based on the hand’s equity
In some rounds, a pair of hole cards is shown with a random selection of community cards. The hand could be in the pre-flop, flop, or turn stage. The player has to decide if their hand is “weak,” “good,” or “strong.” Each rating is based on the hand’s equity. The hand then plays out against one or two mystery pairs or hole cards. Points are earned for correct answers and bonus points are awarded for winning the hand.
In other rounds, two or three pairs of hole cards are presented, sometimes with community cards. The player must pick which hole cards have the highest equity. Again, the hand plays out and points are earned.
In the 30-second bonus round, players try to make correct decisions as many consecutive times as possible.
All-in or Fold
In this game, players make one decision per hand: move all-in or fold. Players are given their hole cards and the board is randomly generated at any stage of a hand. If the player decides to their hand is strong enough, they can go all-in and see if they beat the computer opponent’s mystery hand. If they don’t like their hand, they can fold and move on, getting new hole cards and a new board.
All-in or Fold is about making the correct decision quickly, but like in any poker game, sometimes the right decision still loses.