If there is one thing I can say with certainty, it's that I know how to gamble. No, I didn't say I know how to win, but I know how to gamble. And since I am not a wealthy man, nor am I soon to be from benefit of an inheritance, it's best I scratch my gambling itch with the next best thing. That being the abiltiy to play gambling games without the potential of losing my home. 

Now I can honestly say that I have played darn near every game in the Reel Deal series and do so regularly. Their series of slot machine titles is a great source of entertainment for my family and whenever I do get a rare chance to go to a casino for real, I often warm up by playing the games featured in the Reel Deal casino series. Trust me, there is nothing worse to other players than when a person who has no idea what they are doing sits down at a table and then begins slowing up the tempo of the game or playing poorly so it affects the other players. A perfect example of this would be if someone took a hit on a 13 or 14 when the dealer is showing a 6 in blackjack. And for those of you who don't know, this is not a smart move since the odds are the down card is a face card and the chances of the dealer busting and everyone at the table winning are strongest.

Now when you load this game on your rig, you will notice that if you have had other Reel Deal games on there, it updates and shows that your family of Casinos is growing larger. Not exactly the reason to buy the game, but hey, I thought it was worth mentioning. Entering your casino you are given a stipend and then allowed to ply your trade on the casino floor.  If you are like me, you will start off at the Blackjack table and try and really pad your cash roll. From there I ususally go over to the Texas hold em' table and see if I can make a move to get some real cash. If it fails then I go to the roulette table. If I do well at the poker table then I may try playing at some of the slot machines. Now if you have played any of the slot machines in the series you will understand why they can be so addictive. Since the casino compendium only features 11 machines, you would be better off going to the slot titles in the same family. Otherwise, you can play any one of the over 30 gambling games, and trust me, it is to your benefit to try playing some games you are not familiar with since half the fun of this title is learning the new gambling games. And a word to the wise, there isn't a game that is so complicated you cannot learn.

"It may look complicated, but 2 billion people already know how to play."

What makes this title a bit more exciting than previous titles in this vein is the introduction of the sports and race book. Using fake money (the same you use on the casino floor) you can go online with this title and wage fake money on actual sporting events. Want to bet on this weeks World Series? You can, want to bet on this Sunday's football games? You can. You can even bet on horse races and greyhound races that are occuring all over the country. Pretty slick, and the fact that it is only fake money gives you all sorts of new challenges without any risk. Online play is free but to fully experience all there is offered costs you $7.99 a year. Really not that bad considering this is already a value-priced title.

The graphics are pretty much on par with all of the other games in the series. There isn't anything graphically demanding in this title and most systems in operation nowadays can run it. The graphics aren't bad, but because the game is primarily involving table games there isn't much demand for eye candy. The game does a fine job for what is being done. Now as you get better and better at the games, you begin winning trophies for your exceptional play. Think of it as a bonus as you work your way to the Grand Championship the coup de grace of the game.

 
 "Faro, the game played by James Bond in Octopussy, or was that Never say Never?"

The sounds you hear are the same you have heard before. The flick of the cards being dealt, the noises from the slot machines, the dice crashing on the table all sound well and good, there is nothing in this title that makes you weep for the sound produced, but hey, it's a decent and ample amount of sound effects.

The game features only the most popular of the gambling games, including:

Honestly, I have not been able to play every game available, the title is that big, there is an awful lot to like about Gold Rush and those of you out there curious about some of the more obscure gambling games can really learn them well with this one.

Gameplay: 7.8
The games are easy to learn and easy to control with the mouse, moving around, walking to different tables, all simple.

Graphics: 6.8
Ample graphics for what we are dealing with, it doesn't need to be fancy, just legible and non-eye burning.

Sound: 6.8
Again, ample but nothing so fantastic that you would write home to mom about it, even if she was a pit boss in Atlantic city.

Difficulty: Medium
You know, it's all how you choose to play. There are real world odds and dream world odds on some of the games, but playing the live sports betting is as real as it gets.

Concept: 7.5
The idea of a casino game is nothing new, but the online gambling that doesn't use real money is a surefire way to get some players online.

Overall: 7.2
I like these titles, they always bring something new as they come out, sometimes it's not so big, but this time I think they really made a leap forward with the book betting.