The World Series of Poker vs. the World Poker Tour
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First is the “World Series of Poker” by Activision. The World Series of Poker is a game that puts you, yes you, in the World Series, a long tournament of poker in which you are playing for a lot of money and a bracelet, which is the prestigious trophy of the WSOP.
The World Series of Poker isn’t that bad, but it feels like Activision put together a poker game just to see if the game would sell. The graphics aren’t so bad, but they could be better, especially the cards themselves. Since I have a regular sized television the cards were really hard to read, but thank God they had an option where you can change the colors of the cards. Blue diamonds, green clubs, black spades, and red hearts. Sounds like I did a Lucky Charms commercial.
The cover of the game says you can play the pros, which you can, but while some poker fans may see familiar faces, some famous poker players are not there. Players such as Johnny Chan, Doyal Brunson, who both have won a record tying 10 WSOP bracelet’s, why are they not in it? How about Phil Helmuth? Phil won 9 WSOP bracelet’s, and he’s the poker brat, why isn’t he in it? How about Greg “Fossilman” Raymer? He’s the 2004 World Series of Poker Champion. How about Annie Duke? She won the WSOP tournament of champions, and yet she’s not in it?
So, what pros are in this game? Scotty Nguyen, 1998 WSOP World Champion. Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, 2000 WSOP World Champion. Men “the Master” Nguyen, 6 time WSOP bracelet winner. While these pros seem familiar, some pros you may never heard before.
Another terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE, fact about the video game, World Series of Poker, is the commentating. If you ever watched the World Series of Poker on ESPN, you are familiar with the color commentators, Norman Chad and Lon McEachern. While Lon, a great commentator, is in the game, NORMAN CHAD IS NOT! If you haven’t watched the WSOP, Norman Chad, unless Phil Helmuth get’s a bad beat, is the entertainment value of the WSOP with his outlandish commentating. I love when Chad goes on an analogy of a bad bet to one of his divorces.
Norman Chad not being in it, and most of the pros not being in it makes World Series of Poker not a game for the avid poker player. Unless you want to play Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, any fan of poker should stay away from this video game.
Next, is the World Poker Tour, by 2KGames. If you watched the World Poker Tour on the Travel channel, then you are familiar with the hosts, Mike Sexton, Vince Van Patten, and of course the lovely and stunning Shana Hiatt.
The World Poker Tour is the game that the World Series of Poker should have been. Everything that was wrong with the WSOP, the WPT makes it right. Both commentators, Sexton and Van Patten, are in the game and do some great commentating that makes you feel like you’re really on the show.
However, one wrong that wasn’t right was once again the lack of poker pros. Once again, where is Doyal Brunson? Where is Johnny Chan? Where is WPT great Daniel Negreanu? Where is Phil Helmuth? Where is Jennifer Harman? Where is Annie Duke? Where is Ted Forrest? Where is Phil Ivey? Where is Phil Gordon? Where is Gus Hansen? Where are these pros?
Some pros are in the game. Such pros like Erik Lindgren, and Antonio “the Magician” Esfandiari, but I think that Doyal Brunson, Johnny Chan, and Phil Helmuth should be in both games. I wouldn’t even mind seeing Mike “the Mouth” Matusow in WPT, just because I like how he talks smack, and pretty much gives Phil Helmuth a run for his money as the “poker brat.”
In the WPT video game, one interesting tool you can use is the emotional tool. You can literally bluff your opponent by using these emotions in thinking you have a horrible hand, or a great hand. It does give you the feel of real poker in which other poker video games don’t have.
Another great segment I love about WPT is the artificial intelligence. The A.I. is great in WPT. Let’s say you bet a lot of money with 2 aces, they will fold, call, or raise in the right segment. If they have junk, they fold. If they have something that can give you a run for your money, they will call. Or, if they have something better, or don’t have a lot of chips and nothing to lose, they will raise or go all in. In WSOP, the A.I. is unpredictable. It seems like everyone goes all in with a 7 and a 2 off suited and STILL beat you, despite you have two aces. In WPT, the A.I. understands that a 7 and a 2 is junk and will dump it.
Another great segment of WPT is that when you start out on the tour you are an amateur and you play amateur’s. WSOP doesn’t do that. As you progress in the WPT you play professionals, and then you play the big poker pros that will read you like a book.
Another great segment in the WPT, especially if you have a PS2, is that you can use your “Eye Toy” in which your face is displayed on the game.
If you’re a fan of poker and you don’t like using the internet for your poker fix, yet you have a Playstation2, Xbox, or a Gamecube, then I suggest you get the World Poker Tour.
The World Poker Tour is the closest thing to the poker show then the WSOP. The WPT has the commentators, the tips, the basics, the AI, and of course Shana Hiatt. Enough said. If WPT had such great stars like Doyal Brunson, Chris Ferguson, Daniel Negreanu, Annie Duke, Jennifer Harman, Scotty Nguyen, Men Nguyen, and other great stars, then WPT would have been perfect.
However, for what it’s worth, which is actually ten dollars cheaper than WSOP, WPT is worth buying if you’re wanting a poker video game, but don’t know which one you want.
World Series of Poker = 3 out of 10
World Poker Tour = 7 out of 10
Source: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=3321
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