Offline Poker Costs

One of the things we learn very early on in our lives that almost nothing in life comes without a price. Although things on the internet these days may seem „free“, more often than not, there is a price attached to them, even if users don't necessarily pay it upfront.   When it comes to offline poker apps, the situation is similar to pretty much all other apps out there. There are three big categories describing if and how users pay for the privilege to play. We’ll briefly look into these categories to see what’s hiding under the surface.

Apps you have to pay for

Having to pay money upfront for an app is an idea most internet users cringe at these days, regardless of what an app might bring to the table. The reason is simple – there are usually completely or partially free alternatives, so who in their right mind would pay for something they can get for free? When it comes to offline poker apps, considering somewhat limited market, developers usually don’t dare put a price tag on their products. The only app we could locate that actually requires users to pay for the privilege is Poker for iPad, a poker simulator featuring eight different game variations. It only costs $3.99 to be fair, but it’s probably more than most potential users are willing to pay.

Free apps with in-app purchases

By far the largest group of all the apps out there are the ones that are nominally free but make money through in-app purchases. Users are free to download and install the app. However, by buying stuff inside the app they can improve their experience, add some cool items, progress through the game faster, etc. Nearly all poker offline apps belong to this category. Poker Offline, Live Hold’em Poker Pro, Texas Holdem Offline Poker, and many others will let you download and use the app, but if you ever run out of chips and don’t want to wait for them to reload automatically – you can simply buy them. Interestingly enough, people are much more willing to pay for in-app items than they are to pay upfront for the app itself. Additionally, most of these apps also feature in-app adverts, as this is another stream of revenue for their creators. Of course, most of the time ads can be completely removed by paying an upgrade fee.

Completely free apps

Going back to our opening paragraph, very few things in life are free. However, some app developers do decided to give their apps up for free, as they’re primarily interested in the feedback from the users. In the world of offline poker, PokerAlfie is one such app. Developed by company going under Giletech, PokerAlfie was designed as a poker playing artificial intelligence that aims to challenge serious players. Thus, it targets a relatively narrow audience and its biggest value resides with the player feedback. With this app, there are no in-app purchases, no ads, and no distractions of any sort. In fact, PokerAlfie has a user interface that is strangely devoid of any unwanted details, unlike most apps you get to use on a day to day basis. This offline poker app is just about the game and it will let you fully focus on your decisions without ever asking you for a single cent. That said, PokerAlfie is a poker simulator and not a game as such, so don’t expect to buy towns and amass riches.