High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition Review for the PlayStation 3

Poker, anyone?

High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition is perhaps the best poker game I have ever played on any system. Everything about this game is great, and it is packed full of features that make excellent use of the PlayStation 3’s capabilities. On top of that, you can download it from the PlayStation Store for a measly $9.99.

Features (4 out of 5)

This is a poker game, and that’s all you do is play poker. There are a bunch of different styles of game, though you’ll find most people playing Texas Hold’Em online. You can play against the computer to practice your skills, but the real fun is going up against other players online. I’ve never had any trouble finding people to play, and there always seems to be a bigger crowd online at night. After you buy this game, be sure to download a couple of free add-ons to give you more game options.

When playing online, this game makes use of the PS3’s EyeToy, if you have one. Some people only have a microphone, while others actually have the video going. It’s fun to go into a room full of people and actually see what they look like. Before you enter a room, it will tell you if the multimedia options are on or off. If you have a slower Internet connection at home, you can always find a room with no A/V stuff.

Graphics and Sound (4 out of 5)

I was pretty impressed by the graphics in this game. Everything is very colorful, and the skin textures on the players are pretty decent looking. However, all of the male characters have the same tall skinny appearance and mainly all you can change is their hair. I made my guy bald and he came out looking like a nerdy version of the guy from the video game Hitman. The sound is pretty cheap in that all you get is a boring voice to narrate the game, and there is no music. This is a good game to play with our own music in the background.

Online Play (4 out of 5)

Pretty much every game that has an online component will warn you that your ‘game experience may change’ when playing online, and this is the truth. I’ve met some very funny and entertaining people playing this game on the PS3, but I’ve also encountered some very rude ones. Don’t be surprised to step into a room hearing lots of profanity. One night, two guys were comparing their bags of weed on camera. I’m not kidding. If your kids want to play this game online, I suggest you monitor them very closely.

Overall (4 out of 5)

This game is so good that Sony could have packaged and sold it at 20-30 bucks a pop and it still would have been worth it. As far as what you get for the $9.99, this game is by far the best investment you can make when buying PS3 exclusives from the PlayStation Store. The bottom line here is that if you enjoy playing poker and own a PS3, you seriously need to consider downloading High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition.

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