We chat about videogames and videogame accessories.

Poker Night 2 is basically a more polished Poker Night 1 with more and different characters.

So better, but not by a whole lot.

A lot of little side notes:

SpoilerShow

• Unlike the previous game, there is no difficulty option and the only dialogue option is subtitles.
  
• Like the previous game, it’s single-player only.
  
• There are a good number of one-off dialogues. If you want to experience everything, don’t play in situations where you are likely to be interrupted. Or wait a while for someone to dump the game’s dialogue so you can just use Google, I guess.
  
• There’s a big, big, BIG Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse spoiler you’re not likely to avoid. Makes me a bit annoyed, since they are wonderful games and not as well known as they ought to be. But then, it was Telltale’s call and I already played those games, so whatever.
  
• You will eventually run out of dialogue, but not as quickly as the first game.
  
• Moxxi doesn’t move. Just stands there in the background, leaning over, reading the paper. She has no lines to my knowledge. If you order drinks, she serves them walking... slowly. Stiffly. It’s kind of creepy (okay, I guess that is pretty Borderlands-style animation). Oh, and this is the typical camera angle most of the time. Gee, I wonder what she’s doing in this game.
  
• You can unlock themed cards, chips, and felts. Change them to the same theme at the same time to watch The Inventory get all gussied up. Do it while playing, not between rounds so the players will comment on it. Do this twice for the first one you do so you can hear the dialogue as well as the general comment on the change.
  
• If you want to hear everything GLaDOS’ bounty item has to say (and it’s worth it! it’s a personality core that spouts off silly conspiracy theories), hold off on winning. That’s the only chance you get unless you want to start over.
  
• I’m not a big fan of GLaDOS in either Portal game, but other than the frequent non sequitur insults I find her much more likable in this game.
  
• Claptrap’s unrequited and unconditional but... not exactly innocent affection for GLaDOS is a little bit adorable.
  
• Claptrap is annoying like you’d expect, but not as annoying as you might expect. He’s seated where Strong Bad was last time.
  
• Claptrap comes with Steve. Steve usually only pops in when you least expect him. Sam comes with Max. Max gets lines fairly often.
  
• I was wondering where they were going to dredge up enough personality out of Ash to flesh out this game, since he is in less hours of media than the other players. Basically they exaggerate just how unhinged he is. Also, he’s often the first player out because he likes to buy the pot, but when he isn’t, you gotta watch out because he likes to buy the pot.
  
• Sam doesn’t have as much great dialogue as I’d hoped, but most of the times I’ve won, it’s come down to me and him (then Brock next most often, then Claptrap twice, and Ash not even once). He plays pretty tight, let’s put it that way... and that’s why he’s sitting where Tycho was.
  
• If you’ve watched The Venture Bros., you know Brock for most of seasons one and two (well, the only two seasons I’ve seen...) is about equal parts (1) moderately thoughtful guy with a surprising depth of knowledge in trivia and cool stuff and (2) over-the-top testosterone-leaking hyperviolent womanizing knife nut who lives to murder and survive all sorts of insane things. It seems they weren’t able to fit in very much of the latter.
  

So yeah, it’s pretty much worth the $5.