Texas Hold 'em for Live Arcade Free for 48 Hours After Launch

Texas Hold 'em for the Xbox 360 Live Arcade will be released on Wednesday, August 23, and will be downloadable for free for 48 hours after launch.

From 1:00 a.m. PST on Wednesday, August 23rd to 1:00 a.m. PST on Friday, August 25th, Xbox 360 owners will be able to download a complete version of Texas Hold 'em from the Xbox Live Marketplace free of charge. The game will be available to paid subscribers to Xbox Live's Gold service as well as members of the free Silver service. After the 48-hour period is over, the game be still be downloadable, but it will cost 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

Texas Hold 'em will include three game modes and support up to eight-person multiplayer on Xbox Live. It will also include a "persistent bankroll" that keeps a running tally of the player's chip count. Tied to the player's Xbox Live Gamertag, the bankroll feature is designed to "simulate the risk-reward of real poker gameplay, keep gamers honest, and discourage opponents from betting too recklessly."

Since July of this year, Microsoft has released one new Live Arcade game each week as part of its Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays program. Texas Hold 'em is the first game in the program to be offered for free on a time-limited basis.