Ah, gambling. The true test of every man. Reading minute facial cues and trying to outwit, outplay, and possibly bankrupt your opponents. Well, maybe you don't have any money. And you don't like people all that much. Time to play HOYLE CASINO 2002!

You would think that after a certain point there wouldn't really be a lot that could be improved upon in a casino game. And you would probably be right. However, if you actually take a look at this game you might be surprised. HOYLE CASINO 2002 has a large variety of games to play. Over 10 different card games, Keno, Horseracing, Roulette, Craps, plus tons of different slots - there is a lot to do with your "money." You can even try your luck in tournament play.

As an added bonus, you get to create your own character. You have your option of 23 pre-made characters, or you can use the "face maker" to mix and match facial features (nose, mouth, head, glasses, eyes - heck, you know what a face looks like). It allows for quite a few interesting combinations, I don't know if a regular casino would let you in with a rainbow wig, but this one does! Your opponents use the 23 pre-made faces, each with its own little animations to make the game more interesting.

In case the gambling and animation aren't enough to keep you entertained, your opponents will make "hilarious" and extremely stereotypical comments about things in general. "I'll place a bet on odd, because that's what all my ex-boyfriends were. Odd," is a common reference from the recently married woman with the veil at the craps table. "I just can't stop until I see that flop," is another golden nugget of humor from a guy playing Texas Hold 'Em. These might be good for a few strained laughs the first time. The players seem to forget what they have said and repeat their phrases every minute or so. Luckily, someone had the foresight to see this as an incredible annoyance and gave you the option of adjusting the amount of talking. Or you can take the CD out and lose the commentary altogether (the game doesn't require the CD to play, but you don't get all of the options without it).

The game doesn't have any music, but it does have general background noise that would accompany any casino, such as idle chatter, coins clinking, chips clicking, etc. You also get sound effects with whatever game you're playing at the time, such as the cards shuffling or the roulette wheel spinning.

If you like casino games, then by all means check out HOYLE CASINO 2002. It allows for a wide variety of ways to increase your virtual bankroll. Otherwise, I'd use my real money to buy something that is a little more entertaining and a lot less annoying.