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If you play DraftKings Casino in New Jersey, you can go heads-up against Kevin Hart. No joke.
The famous actor and comedian is the centerpiece of a new Texas Hold’em game on DraftKings Casino called “Hart-Race Hold’em.” The game features an animated version of him standing at a poker table, and more than 1,100 quips from the high-energy comic.
DraftKings noted in a statement:
“Built entirely in-house, Hart-Race Hold’em spares no detail from the comedy night club background setting to Kevin Hart’s animated gestures and competitive spirit, this game is entertaining and user-friendly. Hart-Race Hold’em is similar to Texas Hold’em rules but includes bad beat in-game bonuses for an additional chance to win.”
The game is only available to DraftKings Casino players who are physically in the state of New Jersey and are 21 years or older.
Gameplay is one-on-one with Hart
DraftKings has built Hart-Race Hold’em to mimic a real-life heads-up battle with Hart. The game’s opening scene is a street view of the fictional “DK Comedy Club” with a marquee that says “Playing Tonight! Kevin Hart.”
The player then gets a five-slide tutorial on how the game works:
- The game starts with the player making a bet. For example, $5.
- Then, Hart deals the player and himself two hole cards.
- Hart is always all in after the whole cards are dealt.
- The player chooses whether to fold and lose their bet or go all in.
- Hart then deals the flop, turn, and river, dispensing one-liners along with the cards.
- If the player wins the hand, they double their bet. If they lose the hand, they lose their bet.
Hart kicks off the first game by saying, “Good luck. Ha! I already won.” PlayUSA tested the game and heard the following from Hart through several hands:
- “What? You won with a measly high card?! Chicken fried (censored) is what this is.”
- “Foldus Maximus.”
- “Runner runner for the stunner!”
- “Without the river, there would be no fish.”
- “Double trouble on the bubble-like Barney Rubble”
- “It’s about time you found a hand.”
- “That’s the last one you’ll ever get against me, I’ll promise you that.”
In addition to the Hartisms, the game offers bad-beat bonuses if the player loses to a four-of-a-kind or better (1,000:1), aces full (100:1), or any other full house (10:1).
Overall, the game is a good middle-ground between live-dealer poker games and the monotony of online slots.
Hold’em game part of an ongoing partnership between Hart and DraftKings
Hart’s involvement with DraftKings goes back to 2022 when the star was a prominent spokesperson for DraftKings’ sportsbook. Hart promoted DraftKings’ Reignmakers football contest on the operator’s website and via commercials.
Hart also was the star of DraftKings’ first-quarter Super Bowl commercial titled “Kevin’s Bet,” in which he hosts a Super Bowl house party with big names such as Tony Haw, Lisa Leslie, David Ortiz, and Emmitt Smith. The ad cost around $7 million, according to PlayNJ.com.
