All good card games have many different versions and when you are looking at poker games for PS3 then you can be sure you’ll be entertained. With the PS3 full of processing power not to mention the online gaming it’s interesting to see what is on offer. There are a few games on the market that can keep you playing and relay that ‘one more hand’ mentality long in to the small hours. Choosing the right poker games for the PS3 will often depend how serious or how real you want it.
Some of the best that you’ll come across will be geared to both the new player and the seasoned pro alike. Features like a pot odds display will let people know if the hand they are holding has any chance of winning which is a great asset at any level. World Series of Poker or WsoP has a few versions over many platforms and the version they done for the PS3 was the World Series of Poker 2008. Although it’s a couple of years old it’s still a favorite with many players.
WsoP is a name we are all familiar with their much publicized international big money events. They have major tournaments that are covered by ESPN in the US and carried by other networks around the world. So to be able to play in the tournaments against all the big name players is an added facet this card game can provide. Activision the makers of WsoP for the PS3 have done the brand justice with a solid artificial intelligence engine. The on screen players can give you a really good game without you getting the feeling that you are being cheated.
Poker games for the PS3 differ from other platforms because of the capabilities of the machine and of course the PlayStation Network. For the first time with a games console you can actually play poker online with real life opponents. If you have the Sony EyeToy or PlayStationEye then you can even play face to face. So you can don your sunglasses and find out for sure if you can pick up on other player’s ‘tells’.
The title ‘High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition’ is one such game that is taking console poker games to the next level. There are online leader boards and it takes full advantage of the ability to see and talk to your opponents. Coresoft the makers of High Stakes have been astounded by the popularity and have vowed to keep producing add-ons to keep the game up to date and satisfy the demands of its players.
The good thing about poker games for the PS3 allowing you to play against real opponents this way is that you can learn how to play properly. Many people can become master tacticians at playing online poker because they get to know the right time to play a hand and the right time to fold. The trouble is that when they get someone that can read them they get very different results. That’s as real as poker can get without you being left broke at the end of the night.
It’s amazing to think that this game came out in 2007 and it takes full advantage of HD screens with resolution up to 1080p. Of course the actual video of other players is only as good as the camera used. While it’s good to get a clear picture, faster streaming and smoother game play is achieved with a lower resolution camera. Initially there some problems with the stability and people complained of being the game freezing on a hand. Those problems have long been ironed out and the PS Network is now robust.
A good thing about playing this game is the fact that it has been around for a few years already means that the online community is enormous. With players from all over the world accessing the tables you can get a game any time of the day or night. You can pit yourself against lots of different styles of players and learn to vary your own style in the process. You don’t have to worry about communication either as there are options to join a table based on language or region.
Ultimately a real life poker experience is hard to emulate but poker games for the PS3 are as about as close as you can get. With the ability to see and hear your opponent the only thing left to bring to your screen is the ability to smell their fear as you utter ‘all in’. It’s definitely going to take some beating and the games may be a few years old but they are probably going to be here for a few years more.
