Poker Night 2 Imdb

Poker Night at the Inventory is a poker video game developed by Telltale Games. It features four characters: Tycho Brahe from the Penny Arcade webcomic, Max from the Sam & Max franchise, the RED Heavy from Team Fortress 2, and Strong Bad from the Homestar Runner web series. The game was released on November 22, 2010.^[1] A sequel, Poker Night 2, was released in 2013. The game was delisted from Steam in May 2019.^[2]

Plot[edit]

Poker Night at the Inventory is a poker video game developed by Telltale Games. It features four characters: Tycho Brahe from the Penny Arcade webcomic, Max from the Sam & Max franchise, the RED Heavy from Team Fortress 2, and Strong Bad from the Homestar Runner web series. The game was released on November 22, 2010. Telltale Texas Hold'em is a poker video game released by Telltale Games.It is the only game by Telltale Games to use solely original characters rather than licensed ones. The game was hinted at by Telltale Games before release when they stated that they would release a mini game or two before the announcement of their first adventure game. Poker Night 2 is the sequel to the original Poker Night game starring Sam, Brock Samson, Ash Williams and Claptrap as the opponents with GLaDOS as the dealer. The game was released on Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade on April 24, 2013, then later released on April 26, 2013 for Windows and OSX through Steam and on April 30, 2013 on PlayStation 3's PlayStation Network.

The Inventory is a secret club built underneath a video game storage warehouse. It was established in 1919, after a first draft of the 18th Amendment was acquired by a group of connected gamblers. It was discovered that it could not only outlaw libations, but games and amusements that could decrease the productivity of the national workforce. Despite this never coming to pass, the club has existed since in secret, just in case Congress tried to set prohibition into law. As a newcomer, the player competes in a friendly game of Texas Hold'emPoker with Max of Sam & Max, Strong Bad from Homestar Runner, Tycho from Penny Arcade, and the Heavy from Team Fortress 2. The player is first greeted by Reginald Van Winslow, former captain of the Screaming Narwhal, and sidekick to Guybrush Threepwood in Tales of Monkey Island. He explains the back story of the Inventory, and raises the blinds in game. Other characters from Telltale's games make cameo appearances in the introduction sequence.

Gameplay[edit]

Poker Night is a computer-based Texas Hold 'Em poker simulation between the player as an unseen participant and the four characters, Max, Tycho, The Heavy, and Strong Bad. Each player starts with a $10,000 buy-in and stays in the game until they are broke, with the goal of the player being the last player standing. The game uses no-limit betting and a gradually-increasing blind bets over the course of several rounds. Randomly, one of the four non-playable characters will not be able to front the money but will offer one of their possessions as buy-in for the game. The player can win these items as Team Fortress 2 unlockable equipment only if they are the one to bust that non-player character out of the game. The game keeps track of the player's statistics over the course of several games, and by completing certain objects (such as number of hands or games won) can unlock different playing card or table artwork to customize the look of the game.^[3]

Development[edit]

On May 15, 2009, Telltale Games started a survey which was meant to gauge fan reaction to a sequel to Telltale Texas Hold'em.^[4] While the team liked the deep conversations that the characters in the original game had, they decided to not go down the same path for the new game, using recognizable licensed characters rather than original 'generic' ones.^[5]

Poker Night grew out of an idea from Telltale employees, wondering 'what video characters do when they're not 'on the clock' in the games we play', according to Telltale CEO Dan Conners.^[6] From there, they pitched the idea to other companies in the industry and were able to work out which characters they would be able to include.^[6] Telltale considered how the four characters would interact with each other, developing dialog, banter, and reactions to certain plays.^[7] The characters, they decided, would be fully voiced, and would have distinctive tells and dynamic responses that would manifest themselves as the game progressed.^[6] Conners stated that the goal was to create the experience of 'hanging out with their virtual buddies, shooting the breeze and playing a good game of poker'.^[7] Telltale is considering a potential series based on this game using different characters in the future, but would need to see sales exceeding 100,000 to 200,000 units to make it feasible.^[7]

Telltale Games have had previous experience working with several of the characters. Two of Telltale's episodic adventure series include three seasons of Sam & Max and Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People based on the Homestar Runner web series; both were developed in conjunction with the original creators, Steve Purcell^[8] and The Brothers Chaps,^[9] respectively. The appearance of Max and Strong Bad in Poker Night are based on the three-dimensional models from these games. The company's team were also fans of Valve's Team Fortress 2, including creating an informal team to participate in a competition between several game development studios; Telltale offered to create unique items based on Sam & Max to be given as a bonus gift for those who purchased the third season of Sam & Max through Steam, and formed a friendly working relationship with Valve as a result.^[10]

Telltale aimed to make the game dialog-centric between the four featured characters. To that end, they created a large amount of dialog for each character and possible interactions between the characters; according to Jake Rodkin, Telltale's graphic designer, they wrote more lines of dialog for the game than a typical Sam & Max adventure episode.^[3] Telltale always wanted to respect the original characters and worked with the individual creators and studios to improve the lines; they previously had gotten similar input from Matt Chapman for Strong Bad, while Jerry Holkins was extremely helpful to refine Tycho's character based on Telltale's draft dialog.^[3][11] The developers also wanted to avoid any forced interactions, and instead developed what they felt were natural relationships: Tycho dislikes Strong Bad while getting along well with Max, while the Heavy looks upon Strong Bad as a tiny Heavy.^[3] The characters are also written to be somewhat cognizant of their nature; according to Rodkin, Tycho and Strong Bad are aware of their video game nature, while Max is ambiguous and the Heavy remains blissfully unaware of his death-and-respawning cycle, simply attributing his memories of dying over and over again as dreams.^[12]

Poker Night is the first game to include a voice artist for Tycho; provided by voice actor Andrew 'Kid Beyond' Chaikin. The other three characters are voiced by their current voice actors: Max by William Kasten, Heavy by Gary Schwartz, and Strong Bad by Matt Chapman. The game uses existing 3D models for Max, Heavy, and Strong Bad, while Tycho's is built from scratch; at the time of the game's announcement near the Penny Arcade Expo, Telltale was still working on refining Tycho's model, though it was briefly seen during their Make a Scene panel at PAX.^[13][14]

The game was teased by Telltale Games a week prior to its official announcement through a short video on GameTrailers TV, showing the silhouettes of the four characters' official art.^[15] The game was officially announced by Telltale Games on September 2, 2010, the eve of the 2010 Penny Arcade Expo.^[7] Players who have also purchased Team Fortress 2 will be able to unlock unique items based on the four respective franchises within that game through progress in Poker Night; a special poker visor for Team Fortress 2 was also available for those that pre-ordered the game.^[16]

Reception[edit]

The game received favorable reviews. Review aggregator website Metacritic gave the game a 71/100.^[17] It has garnered praise for the memorable interactions between characters and their unique strategies, but received criticism for its relatively lacking animation quality and for numerous bugs, while having favorable praise for the game's sense of humor.

Poker Night 2 Imdb Trailer

Sequel[edit]

On April 1, 2013, Telltale officially announced a sequel, titled Poker Night 2, featuring Brock Samson from The Venture Bros., Claptrap from the Borderlands series, Ash Williams from The Evil Dead franchise, and Sam from Sam & Max as opponents. GLaDOS from the Portal series serves as the dealer. Other characters such as Max from Sam & Max, the Aperture Science turrets from Portal, and Mad Moxxi and Steve the Bandit from Borderlands make non-playable appearances.^[19] The game was released on Steam, Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in late April 2013.^[20]

References[edit]

1. ^'A Release Date. Poker Night Has One'. Telltale Games. November 18, 2010. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
2. ^https://steamdb.info/app/31280/history/
3. ^ ^abcdHerring, Will (September 6, 2010). 'PAX 2010: Poker Night at the Inventory'. GamePro. Archived from the original on September 12, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
4. ^'Telltale Texas Hold'em 2 no'. The International House of Mojo. May 15, 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
5. ^'How Evil Dead, Venture Bros. and Borderlands ended up at the poker table'. Polygon. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
6. ^ ^abc'Telltale Announces the Citizen Kane of Poker Games' (Press release). Telltale Games. September 2, 2010. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
7. ^ ^abcdMastrapa, Gus (September 3, 2010). 'Gamer Icons Talk Trash in Poker Night at the Inventory'. Wired. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
8. ^Harold, Charles (October 19, 2006). 'Dog and Rabbit Redux, and a Killer to Search Out'. New York Times. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
9. ^'Interview With the Brothers Chaps'. IGN. April 14, 2008. Archived from the original on April 21, 2008. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
10. ^'SnM + Steam = BFF'. Telltale Games. April 15, 2010. Archived from the original on April 20, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
11. ^'Poker Night at the Inventory'. Penny Arcade. November 24, 2010. Archived from the original on November 25, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
12. ^Rodkin, Jack (September 3, 2010). 'Poker Night at the Inventory (some sort of crossover game?..)'. Telltale Games. Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
13. ^Rodkin, Jack (September 3, 2010). 'Poker Night at the Inventory (some sort of crossover game?..)'. Telltale Games. Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
14. ^CyricZ (September 7, 2010). 'Make a Scene With Telltale at PAX 2010' – via YouTube.
15. ^Thompson, Mike (August 28, 2010). 'Telltale Trailer Hints At Greatest Adventure Crossover Ever'. The Escapist. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
16. ^'Telltale Games : Home Page'. Telltale Games. November 3, 2010. Archived from the original on November 5, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
17. ^'Poker Night at the Inventory'. Metacritic. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
18. ^'Poker Night at the Inventory'. GameRankings. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
19. ^Neltz, András (March 28, 2013). 'Rumor: Leaked Poker Night At The Inventory 2 Screenshots Reveal The Game's Cast'. Kotaku. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
20. ^'Ash, Claptrap, Sam and Brock Samson Ante Up for Poker Night 2'. Kotaku.com. Retrieved October 4, 2013.

External links[edit]

• Poker Night at the Inventory on IMDb

Tiffany Michelle (born June 4, 1984) is a professional poker player, television host, writer and actress named one of Maxim's Top 20 Hottest Celebrity Poker Players.^[1]

She is known for breaking records at the 2008 World Series of Poker as the last woman standing in the Championship Event, finishing 17th in a field of 6,844 players, which was the largest field beat by a female in live poker tournament history^[2], where she earned a payday of $334,534. She is also known for being the only all-female team on the Emmy Award winning 15th season of The Amazing Race^[3], where she and partner Maria Ho made up the 'poker girls' team, ultimately finishing in 6th place of 12 teams.

One of few poker personalities to cross over into mainstream media, Michelle has been featured on the covers of Steppin' Out Magazine, Ocean View Magazine, Rounder Magazine, and Casino Player Magazine. She has appeared on several television programs, including being a series regular on season 4 of the Emmy nominated online soap opera series DeVanity,^[4] portraying villainess Scarlett Kane, and competing on Food Network's Worst Cooks in America^[5]LA Ink, where she finished in Bobby Flay's final 3.

As a writer, Michelle's work has been featured as a sports columnist for All In Magazine, a lifestyle columnist for Bluff Magazine, an inspirational and relationship columnist for Converge Magazine, and in 2008 she co-authored a scripture reference book with her mother Merry Graham.

Career[edit]

Born and raised in Los Angeles County, California, it was while working as an actress that Tiffany got her start in poker, playing Hollywood house games with fellow actors, which included Zachary Levi and Joel David Moore. With a knowledge of poker, coupled with her television background she began booking jobs as an on-camera poker host and commentator.^[6]

In 2006, she was heard nationwide on Sirius Satellite Radio as an on-air reporter for Bluff Magazine's live broadcast of the 2006 WSOP. In 2007, she became the first ever female hired as the resident, and full-time on-camera host for Pokernews.com,.^[7] She traveled the poker circuit internationally providing tournament updates, player interviews and red carpet coverage for poker tournaments and events worldwide, on the European Poker Tour, World Poker Tour, and World Series of Poker tours.

On the heels of her 2008 record-breaking WSOP finish, Michelle made another deep run at the World Poker Tour season 7 Borgata Poker Open Main Event. Over the next few years she continued to put up results in live and online tournaments, including three final tables in November 2010; two at the North American Poker Tour and one final table at the Heartland Poker Tour.

In 2013, she wrote, produced and starred in the short film Breaking Up and Away - also starring Zack Conroy and CariDee English.

In 2014, she was a series-regular (and resident villainess) on the DeVanity.

In 2015, she returned to her on-camera poker hosting roots, as a guest host and sideline reporter for the Heartland Poker Tour.

In 2018, she signed on as the Director of Programming,^[8] Producer^[9] and On-Camera Host^[10] of The Gardens Casino's 13-week celebrity poker live stream series Gardens Poker Night^[11] and, subsequently, appears as a co-host on the CBS Sports televised Poker Night Live celebrity poker program^[12]

Acting[edit]

Tiffany began acting in theatrical productions at the age of ten. She performed in several productions at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center, with roles in musical adaptations of Pinocchio, Beauty and The Beast, Cinderella, and played the starring role in Alice in Wonderland. She was recognized by the Missoula Children's Theatre, two years in a row, as one of their 'Best Young Performers.'^[13]

In her adolescence, she competed on the pageant circuit, winning the titles of Miss Teen Newhall (2000), Miss Teen Santa Clarita Valley (2001), and was voted Miss Congeniality at the 2001 Miss Teenage California pageant, where she was a Top 10 finalist.^[14]

Poker Night 2 Imdb 3

While studying Theatre and Communications at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, CA, Tiffany continued performing in stage plays, as well as spearheaded the school's Speech & Debate Team. As the Speech & Debate team captain she competed, primarily, in Individual Events and won trophies nationally for her Dramatic Interpretation and Prose Interpretation performances. After two-years with the C.O.C. theatre program, then studying with UCLA's Film & Television Department, she embarked on a film and television career, booking roles on ER, Guilty or Innocent, Family Affair (2002 remake) and American Dreams.^[15]

One of Michelle's biggest roles, and most dramatic performances, came in 2005 when she starred opposite One Life to Live'sDavid Fumero in the award winning independent film Carrie's Choice, based on a true story.^[16] The following year she landed a lead role in the horror film The Thirst: Blood War, starring Sean Connery's son, Jason Connery. The production was later halted and put on hold until 2008, at which point it was recast.

After a sabbatical from acting (2008–2012), Tiffany Michelle returned to the screen in early 2012 with appearances on Days of Our Lives and a guest-starring role on the award-winning soap opera series, DeVanity.^[17] In 2013, she wrote, produced and starred in the short film Breaking Up and Away. In 2014, Michelle return to the fourth and final season of DeVanity, as a series regular. She portrayed the resident villainess, Scarlett (Kane) DeVanity, the TV daughter of acclaimed Dallas actor Steve Kanaly.

Music[edit]

Tiffany Michelle is also a singer/songwriter. She plays piano and guitar and has performed at several legendary Hollywood music venues, including BB Kings, and Hotel Cafe.^[18] In 2010, Tiffany headlined a special collaborative music show with guest performances by celebrity music artists and friends, including Maria Ho, American Idol's Chikezie and 90210 actor, Ryan Eggold.

Reality television[edit]

The Amazing Race[edit]

In 2009, Michelle was invited to compete on the 15th season of the CBS competition reality show, The Amazing Race.^[19][20] Alongside best friend and fellow poker player, Maria Ho the two made up the season's only all-female team and they traveled to Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Dubai, and The Netherlands, exiting the competition in 6th place.^[21]

Worst Cooks in America[edit]

In 2012, Tiffany competed as one of 16 contestants on season three of Food Network's Worst Cooks in America. She was picked by chef Bobby Flay to compete as a member of his 'Blue team.' Tiffany won the Main Dish breakfast challenge in episode one^[22] as well as a pizza making Skill Drill in episode three.^[23] She made it down to the final three contestants on Bobby Flay's team and was sent home in episode six.^[24]

References[edit]

1. ^'16 Hottest Poker Players'. Maxim.com. June 28, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
2. ^'Tiffany Michelle Eliminated from 2008 WSOP – Bodog Beat'. Beat.bodog.com. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
3. ^'Tiffany Michelle Gives the Inside Scoop on Amazing Race'. Pokernewsdaily.com. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
4. ^'Tiffany Michelle Joins Cast of DeVanity'. blogger.com. April 14, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
5. ^'Worst Cooks in America season 3'. MultiVu.com. January 3, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
6. ^'Tiffany Michelle Biography'. Tiffanymichelle.com. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
7. ^Daniel Negreanu. 'Tiffany Michelle – Poker Player Profile'. Pokerpages.com. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
8. ^'Poker Night In America To Debut New Live TV Show'. pokernews.com. March 8, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
9. ^'Gardens Poker Night cast'. imdb.com. March 28, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
10. ^'Tiffany Michelle To Host New Live Stream Cash Game Show'. cardschat.com. March 28, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
11. ^'Gardens Poker Night'. gardenspokernight.com. August 15, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
12. ^'Poker Night Live'. thegardenscasino.com. March 28, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
13. ^'Biography for Tiffany Michelle'. IMDB.com. August 15, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
14. ^'2001 Miss Teenage California Award Winners'. webspawner.com. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
15. ^'Tiffany Michelle'. IMDB.com. August 15, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
16. ^'Carrie's Choice Home Page'. Carrieschoice.homestead.com. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
17. ^'DeVanity Books Poker Hottie Tiffany Michelle for Season 2 Premiere'. Free-press-release.com. August 15, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
18. ^'Tonight's Top Five'. LA.com. September 1, 2007. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
19. ^'Tiffany Michelle Gives the Inside Scoop on Amazing Race'. Pokernewsdaily.com. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
20. ^'heck-yes-i'll-miss-wsop-amazing-race'-111209.html 'Heck Yes I'll Miss WSOP for Amazing Race'. Gambling911.com. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
21. ^Eng, Joyce (November 2, 2009). 'Amazing Race's Maria and Tiffany'. TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 30, 2012. Tiffany Michelle, 25
22. ^'Best of the Worst'. FoodNetwork.com. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
23. ^'Blue Comes Up Big'. FoodNetwork.com. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
24. ^'Butchered, Literally'. FoodNetwork.com. Retrieved March 30, 2012.

External links[edit]