With the release of 'World Championship Poker 2' featuring Howard Lederer, it's clear that the graphics and AI of console and computer video games trying to replicate the feel of the poker table are becoming more sophisticated. Big name players endorse a range of such games which promise everything from providing a 'safe' introduction for the beginner, to a 'challenge' as the more advanced players pit themselves against little animated Annie Dukes, Greg Raymers etc.
This sequel to World Championship Poker also has a Career Mode, where you try to get out of your parents' basement and onto the circuit, struggling just like in real life. I personally miss the point of video games which mimic in detail real life (take the super-popular 'Sims' where you make your little sprite get a job, go to their job, and buy furniture for their house) - I find it more fun to play a game where you do things you can't do in real life, like shoot zombies or fly a plane. It seems that there have to be a lot of bells and whistles on these new poker games to keep players interested - not that the experience isn't enjoyable in the short term regardless.
Poker isn't Sudoku - it's not really meant for one person. There are already exceptional AI programs being created and pitted against live players, but even the newest video games on the market fail to provide a truly immersive poker experience - a game which is at its heart a betting game played with cards cannot be successfully simulated without missing out its main feature. This doesn't seem to put people off, however.
Even on Yahoo games, amongst the solitaires and puzzles, lurks, for example, 'Poker Superstars - Invitational Tournament' based on the TV show of the same name. Eight whole poker champions are apparently awaiting being beaten in AI form, from Ivey to TJ Cloutier, and the three modes available are 'Round, Season and Cash Game.' And listed at the bottom are the 'Similar Games you Might Like: Super Solitaire 2, Ancient Tripeaks, and Lemonade Tycoon.'
This leads me to wonder exactly how to classify these poker simulation games - if you're going to get the same thrill pretending to run a lemonade business, you might as well just do that instead of learning about a game the whole point of which is to, eventually, bet and hopefully win money. If you are not keen on gambling in general, and just want to get a feel for the game now so prevalent on late-night TV, then one of these PC or console games would give you the understanding without the worry. But as a teaching tool it is limited - although I would say not more so than the online Play Money tables which provide a totally unrealistic view of poker in general.
Probably the most interesting aspect of the console games is the emphasis on knowing how to play more than one game - with No Limit Hold'em overshadowing the previously popular Seven-Card Stud and even Omaha, simply learning how to play those games can be difficult; people don't tend to play them in home or cash games, and the online availability of some of them (like Irish or Deuce to Seven) is very limited. It's good to see them being included as part of the simulated poker universe.