Part 113: Poker
Today, we play Poker.
Well I'll be! They've got Poker, eh?
Raven, you know what this "Poke-her" thing is?
...Young'un, this is Poker. It's a type of card game.
Correct. In Poker, players are dealt from a deck of 54 cards, and compete to get the highest hand.
It sounds hard...
Well, it might be difficult for a little shrimp like you, but... No, no, not at all! I think you'll find it a nice, leisurely diversion. Just ask at any time if there's something you don't understand, so you needn't worry!
So, we'll need chips, right? You'll need at least one chip to play. However, the more chips you bet, the better your payout if you win! What do you say? Would you like to play?
I'm not sure what this variant of Poker is actually called, but it's very simple. (EDIT: Forums user BrightWing tells me it's just called Video Poker.) The rules are worded a bit confusingly, but here's how it works: You bet a certain amount of chips, get five cards, then may dispatch up to all five (or none at all) cards and get random new ones in return.
The hand you end up with decides how much you win. If your win is higher than what you bet (ie, Two Pair or better) you can decide to double up by simply guessing if the next card dealt is higher or lower than the current card on the table. Guess right your win is doubled, guess wrong you lose your win. You can double up multiple times in a row for a total win of 2^10, or x1024. Your maximum bet is 500, so in theory you could win up to 500 * 100 * 1024, or 51,200,000 chips in a single round. In theory.
We're actually not gonna play any Poker immediately, we just activate this "first time playing poker" cutscene, then exit and reenter the gym.
You always seem to be getting yourself into pickles.
Oh! Heh, no rest for the wicked... Though, I guess that doesn't really apply here.
Is something the matter? I've been helping with the festival here, you see. See that guy over there? He's been over there in the Casino Corner cleaning everyone out for a while now. Wow, he must be really good. Either that or he's cheating. And pretty skilled at it, too. Either way, at this rate, he's going to ruin the festival for everyone. But I guess this is something I can't really ask you to help me with, isn't it?
Oh? Can you do that? I'd be happy to give you a reward if you can manage to get him to go away. You could think of it as an official request to your guild.
A reward for a successful job, you say...? But Judith, can you really do that?
Hmm, I wonder. I won't know unless I try!
Huh? What the hell do you want? You seem to be doing very well... You're a pro, right? You don't see real professional gamblers around here very often. Gambling is my life. When I'm playing, time and space cease to have any meaning. All that remains is betting, then winning.
Oh, really? Then do all of these easy opponents do it for you? Or are you looking for more of a challenge, perhaps? What do you mean... Wait, you couldn't be... Ha ha. Judy's determined, all right. It looks like she's starting to put her strategy into gear.
When did Judith change into that outfit, anyway? Hey, come to think of it, that's a good question. That outfit's pretty over the top... You may have already noticed, but I'm not cheating or anything. It seems that way. But this place was set up so that everyone can have a good time. You know what happens when a pro like you gets serious against a bunch of amateurs? Hmph! I play 'em like I see 'em. That's all it is. If you're so intent on getting rid of me...
Heh...interesting. If I lose, I'll give up everything I've won and never come in here again. What about you?
Yes, hmmm... Then I'll bet... I can't hear too well. What did she just say?
I couldn't hear, either. I wonder what she bet. All right, it's a bet. What's your game of choice? Ah, yes... How about this? Cards, eh? Sounds good to me.
Also, we can both watch to make sure that neither of us cheats. Are you good on the rules now? Yes. Okay! Then allow me to begin!...
Hmph, looks like I ended up with 1200 chips. All right, now it's your turn.
Now, this is not actually a good strategy for this match, but I went for it anyway. Betting all chips at once!
Well that's a pretty decent starting hand, maybe we can get another J or 9...?
Nope, still good though.
Again, not a good strategy, but yeah might as well.
7, 8, 9 are the worst cards to get here, since the probability you'll get it right are pretty bad. I honestly never checked if the cards that show up here can only be cards that didn't show up in your poker hand before, but I assume it's the case. Usually, though, you can just wing it, and eventually get a good run.
Like this! I got pretty lucky there, winning in a single round. Although, it doesn't make much difference, the outcome of this event is the same either way, just with some dialogue changes.
Hmm... I lost. I'm impressed. So the legends are true... ... I admit defeat. As promised, I'll return my winnings, and I'll stop coming here for good.Instead, if you lose:
Hmph. Looks like I won, doesn't it? Yes. I lost. But you know, I'm tired of this place. I don't need the money here anymore, either.
What's gotten into you? Dunno. I guess a new casino is just calling my name, and I've gotta answer.Back to the combined dialogue:
You're a good sport. Eh? I was able to play against you. That's the most important thing.
H-how did you do it? Who the hell are you, anyway?! I'm just an average, run-of-the mill Krityan. Now, for your reward...20000 Gald!
I was surprised at how quickly he left. I thought he'd put up more of a fight, or something. Are all gamblers like that? Who knows? Not me. But he played honorably. It was a fun match. Hey, Judith! You bet something while you were playing against him, right? I couldn't hear what it was. What did you bet?
...Huh? He earns his living by gambling, after all. A bet of anything else would've been an insult. His very way of life was on the line!And this only happens if you lose:
Person from offscreen: Madam President! Madam President! A strange man is going around to all of the food stands and taking food without paying! And he keeps saying "put it on my tab." What do we do?
Uh oh. ...
This is a fantastic costume for Judith and we'll be wearing it for a while.
Now, before we actually go Poker, I'm gonna show off the remaining things in this gym that we can actually do at the moment.
Over here we have the music player, where we can listen to the music in the game.
It got a face lift in the PS3 version, but is as far as I can tell functionally identical.
On the other side we have these three small cabinets. All three are references to other Namco games, and by checking them you can play a music track from the referenced game.
At the very left is Bravoman, with this tune. I have never heard of that game before I looked it up today.
In the middle we have Metro-Cross, with this tune.
And to the right we have Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, with this awesome song from the first level. This is probably the one you want to have playing constantly while you're in the gym, haha.
Right next to these cabinets is this guy:
I'll show you something you don't see everyday! Hmm, just looks like a regular ol' model to me. This is why I don't like giving the presentation to amateurs! Meh! Anyway, have a look, will ya?
He's just talking to us like he knows us...and yet, it's really getting on my nerves... Try not to let it rile you up so much, Rita. Come on now, enough mumbling to yourselves! Look! Look! Huh? Huuh? Me?
Who better than the ever-curious Captain Karol? It's right there...just do it. Ugh... Okay, I'm going to look... I'm gonna do it!
See, I told ya! This isn't something you see everyday, now is it? This wonderful device has the all-too-appropriate name of the "Movie Player V"! Its only function is to let you watch events that've already happened. Easy as pie!
Blastia? That shabby excuse for a technology? You underestimate us!
Shabby? Whaddya mean shabby?! Rita, chill. So, we can look at this whenever we want, then? So long as you wash your hands before using it, yep! Oh, and try not to hit or kick it, either! You don't need to worry. We're all mature individuals here. We'll come and see it again!
You can watch all of the FMVs in the game here. Kinda neat, but not as good as the last thing over here:
What's this? It looks like a model...but what a strange shape...
Yes, yes! It's a model! A model!
Does this guy's way of talking tick off anyone else, or is it just me...?
No, I feel ya. It's heard...Everything that you've...Been saying... Everything... What you were talking about... Here and there... I don't know what the hell yer talkin' about. Put it in words we can understand! Peek! Peek inside! You'll understand when you see, no problem!
Hmmm, maybe we should just have a look? Yeah, good idea. For the experience, if for nothing else. Wha? Wha? Why's everyone looking at me? You're the closest, and the shortest, too. It's easiest for you to do it.
Once again, I'm sacrificed for the greater good... I'm always taking the fall for everyone else...
You're so lucky, Karol! Getting to experience new, mysterious things before anyone else, and twice! I'm so jealous! Ugh... Argh...here goes nothing!
Skit: Friends Make the Journey Fun
Having friends to talk to really makes traveling a lot more fun!
When I'm by myself, I get a little scare--
uh, I mean, bored!
Yeah, mm-hmm. Hey, Karol, there's a monster behind you. What?! Oh, my mistake. I must be seeing things. D-don't do that!
Our trip just got more lively.
Woof!
You can call it the "Skit Player V"! It shows you the conversations, the ones in your heads, from long, long ago! I'm totally lost, but...this lets you read conversations you had a long time ago, then? Yeees! Hey, this seems pretty handy. We should be able to put it to some good use. We can use it whenever we want, right? Yeees! You can use it whenever you like! All right, we'll come again, then.
Yes! The Skit Viewer is great, because there are so many good skits in this game, and you can listen to them all! Well, kinda. You can only listen to the ones you've already heard in your current save file, unless you bought the "Unlock All Skits" option in the Grade Shop. Which I did, so we'll end up showing off all the skits I may have missed over here at the end of this LP.
With that done, let's get back to the important stuff: Poker!
Like I said, with a bit of luck, those five chips you start with could be all you ever need. In fact, I would recommend that: The exchange rates for Gald and Grade for Chips are pretty bad. A single chip costs 300 Gald or 10 Grade.
And we're already at the maximum possible bet. I played this for a while, let's fast-forward over that.
Yep that should be enough.
Achievement/Trophy:
Jackpot
Let's go right ahead and buy everything we don't have yet.
Resurrect: Occasionally revive from KO automatically.
HP Recover: Increases the amount of HP recovered.
TP Recover: Increases the amount of TP recovered.
PS3 version only:
Guides claim the following scene triggers after you spend a certain amount of chips, but it would make more sense for this to trigger after you buy all of the one-off items -- that is, the attachments.
Oh, really? There was only one each of them, so I figured they might be valuable. Indeed! Out of all of the items we have, those were very special. Well, this was a lot of fun. We got a ton of chips, too. Yeah, and Judith had such a good time playing, too. The games are all so simple and fun... I guess they just suit me well. I've been watching you, too. It seems you're quite the experienced gambler! Oh, why do you say that? I was watching you while you played Poker, and the expression on your face never changed. You've got quite the poker face! You think something like a little hand of Poker could faze our Judy? Heh heh. Was that a compliment I just heard? Truly, truly, I am most impressed. You're the best gambler who's ever visited our establishment!Now, there's one final thing to tie up over here at the moment, over in the school building.
I've just been talking shop a little. No concern of yours, though.
Always the businesswoman, eh? Always tryin' ta cut a deal! Are you trying to charm me? It's having the opposite effect. That's the old man's MO, I'm afraid. So do you want to make other amusement parks like this one in the world? There could be an untapped market out there. Now here's a girl with a good head on her shoulders.
Ahh, so yer plannin' on providin' transportation here and turnin' a profit that way? Exactly. We were just discussing how to divide the shares, but... So what's the matter? Are they unhappy that their shares are too small? Quite the opposite, actually. They say they don't want any Gald at all. We have no need of Gald! It's enough for us if we can just make others happy. That's all it takes for us to be satisfied.
What's the problem? They say they don't want any Gald... Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for you. No! It would go against our guild's principles. Good people must always be dealt with fairly! Hmm... You kind of remind me of Leblanc, Miss Kaufman.
That annoying old fart? Are you serious? Did you just say "Leblanc?"
Y-yes, I did, but... Has he been bothering you, too? No...no, don't worry about it. It's nothing really. Hey hey, do you mind if I go? I've gotta go make some Milk Yakisoba! See ya!
Did you notice that? When she heard Leblanc's name... Yeah... I wonder what that was about.As far as I know, there's never any follow-up to the fact that Kaufman reacted to Leblanc's name, not even in the PS3 version.
But anyway, some of our future sidequests are gonna require a ton of money. How do we get to that money? Simple: Just buy out the prize exchange with your more or less limitless chips, fly over to a shop, and sell the items. Repeat.
Guides say that the best way to make money is to grab the Specifics and Treats (20 chips each) and sell them. However, I calculated it out, and:
code:
- Item ------ Chip Cost - PS3 - Sale Price - Profit/15 - Profit/99 - Profit/Chip - PS3 -
Miracle Gel 10 800 1,500 22,500 148,500 150 1.875
Barrier 10 300 500 7,500 49,500 50 1.6666
Specific 20 3,000 2,500 37,500 247,500 125 0.8333
Treat 20 3,000 2,500 37,500 247,500 125 0.8333
Special Gel 100 10,000 5,000 75,000 495,000 50 0.5
Limit Bottle 500 5,000 500 7,500 49,500 1 0.1
Holy Avenger +1 35,000 50,000 21,000 315,000 2,079,000 0.6 0.42
Miracle Bangle 100,000 100,000 25,000 375,000 2,475,000 0.25 0.25
Risky Ring 111,111 150,000 25,000 375,000 2,475,000 0.225 0.1666
Final Symbol 222,222 250,000 25,000 375,000 2,475,000 0.1125 0.1 Now, you may have noticed that the profit per chip has drastically decreased in the PS3 version. It's kinda annoying, but not as bad as what they changed in the Poker minigame: Your max bet has been decreased from 500 to 100. That means it takes, on average, five times as long to get chips in the PS3 version, and the best case scenario (Miracle Gel) has a PS3 chip worth 1.25% of a 360 chip. Again, no clue why they changed this, it just makes it way more tedious.
To close off this update, some game ripping stuff:
I did check out Nam Cobanda's textures, but didn't find that much interesting stuff. Maybe you can spot something?
http://lpix.org/1086334/I_NAM_I00_00_P00.png http://lpix.org/1086335/I_NAM_I01_00_P01.png http://lpix.org/1086336/I_NAM_I01_00_P03.png http://lpix.org/1086337/I_NAM_I01_00_P04.png http://lpix.org/1086338/I_NAM_I01_00_P05.png http://lpix.org/1086339/I_NAM_I01_00_P06.png http://lpix.org/1086340/I_NAM_I01_00_P07.png http://lpix.org/1086341/I_NAM_I01_00_P08.png http://lpix.org/1086342/I_NAM_I01_00_P09.png
http://lpix.org/1086343/MG_BS_BG.png http://lpix.org/1086344/MG_BS_BWL.png http://lpix.org/1086345/MG_BS_ENEMY.png http://lpix.org/1086346/MG_BS_FONT.png http://lpix.org/1086347/MG_BS_LOGO.png
http://lpix.org/1086348/T_NAM_T00_P01.png http://lpix.org/1086349/T_NAM_T00_P02.png http://lpix.org/1086350/T_NAM_T00_P03.png http://lpix.org/1086351/W_KANBAN.png
However, I found something very interesting in the audio while I was grabbing the three tracks from the game reference stands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W52ulbzYECs I don't remember this song playing anywhere in the game. It's bunched with the Poker and Tales of Draspi minigame songs, so maybe they had something else planned? Weird that it's not in the PS3 version either then. It's possible it's connected to this set of textures, which seems to be for a non-implemented minigame as well:
http://lpix.org/1091599/U_MINIGAMERACE00.png http://lpix.org/1091600/U_MINIGAMERACE01.png http://lpix.org/1091601/U_MINIGAMERACE02.png http://lpix.org/1091602/U_MINIGAMERACE03.png http://lpix.org/1091603/U_MINIGAMERACE04.png http://lpix.org/1091604/U_MINIGAMERACE05.png http://lpix.org/1091605/U_MINIGAMERACE06.png http://lpix.org/1091606/U_MINIGAMERACE07.png http://lpix.org/1091607/U_MINIGAMERACE08.png http://lpix.org/1091608/U_MINIGAMERACE09.png http://lpix.org/1091609/U_MINIGAMERACE10.png http://lpix.org/1091610/U_MINIGAMERACE11.png http://lpix.org/1091611/U_MINIGAMERACE12.png http://lpix.org/1091612/U_MINIGAMERACE13.png http://lpix.org/1091613/U_MINIGAMERACE14.png http://lpix.org/1091614/U_MINIGAMERACE15.png http://lpix.org/1091615/U_MINIGAMERACE16.png http://lpix.org/1091616/U_MINIGAMERACE17.png http://lpix.org/1091617/U_MINIGAMERACE18.png http://lpix.org/1091618/U_MINIGAMERACE19.png
Oh, and if you ever wanted to make your own Tales of Vesperia themed set of cards, here they are:
I have no idea why some of the characters are the card type they are. Repede as a Queen? The PS3 version changes the Estelle Queens into Patty Queens and changes the red Flynn Aces into Estelle Aces:
And that's it for today! Next time: More sidequesting, and spending all the money we just got.