Even though you play against cartoon characters, the gameplay is realistic. The storyline/RPG element adds immensely to the enjoyment of the game. This game alternately has me laughing at the storyline, cheering at my big wins, and screaming helpless curses at the cartoon opponents when they smirk after taking my money. I played the free version for quite some time before paying for the pro version. I didn't see the point, with the free version being pretty much complete. So there are a couple venues I can't play. No big deal. WRONG!!