There are countless poker video games out there right now, from the WPT hand-held by Jakks to Negreanu's upcoming Stacked, to that old stand-by, Turbo Texas Hold'Em.

With the popularity of poker and the WSOP at an all-time high, it was only a matter of time before an "official" game showed up. enter Activision's The Official World Series of Poker Game.

It's available on every major platform including the PC, but I've been playing the Official World Series of Poker game on my PSP. Though I had high hopes, I am sad to report that I'm very unimpressed. While it's fun to sit at a virtual table with players like Men Nguyen and Chris Ferguson, and while the thrill of pushing all your chips in against Scott Fishman is undeniable, this game falls very, very short of the mark.

Activision's WSOP game features two modes: quickplay, where you can set up whatever game you'd like, at whatever limit you'd like, stock it with pros or amateur players, and play a freezeout, and career mode where you can design a character and spend over ten years (from 2005-2015) accumulating as many bracelets and as much money as possible, in a wide variety of games, including limit, no-limit, and pot-limit hold'em, razz, stud, and omaha. There are buy-ins as low as 1500 all the way to the 10,000 Main Event. There's also one free satellite qualifier, and several video poker variants. If you build a big enough bankroll, you can buy into single-table invitational freezeouts against pros, in exotic locations like Hollywood and Hawaii.

In addition to the standard goal of eliminating your opponents, you can also earn collector chips for things like busting a state champion (Like Minnie Sota, har.) eliminating more than one opponent on the same hand, or busting one of the various professionals in the game.

When you enter a tournament, you'll be greeted with a polygonal version of Lon McEcheren, and a color commentating sidekick who should be named, "We couldn't afford Norman Chad." A nice fly through of the tournament area settles on a table, where you meet your competition as the game gets under way.

It's a fair representation of an episode of WSOP on ESPN: the camera moves around the table as your opponents consider their next move, an overhead camera dramatically reveals the flop as the dealer spreads it out (there's nothing like getting all-in before the flop with AK vs. QQ and seeing that the king is the doorcard . . . but the queen is in the back!) and when you're all-in, you get the same graphic overlay that you see on TV, complete with percentages.

The game looks . . .  okay. While the camera moves are nice, and the limited commentary is, well, limited, the character models look pretty horrible. If I were one of the pros in the game, I'd get on the phone to Activision and ask to speak with the tournament director, but we're here to play poker, right? Maybe Activision skimped on graphics and put the budget into developing an amzing AI that is worthy of the WSOP brand, which will bring the very real thrill of playing against the top players in the world right into your living room! Maybe this video game will help you improve your actual poker game!

Uhh . . . wrong. The AI is really, really awful.

I will admit that I felt a bit of excitement when Chris Ferguson was moved to my table in the 2006 Main Event, but I was incredibly disappointed when I figured out that the AI has him playing about as intelligently as the average Party Poker .25/.50 player. I know Chris, and Chris just doesn't open raise with A-3o, check the flop, and fold to any bet on the turn. I've watched Scotty Nguyen play for hours, and I'm pretty sure he check-raises at least once, even when he's bluffing. In fact, I've moneyed in nearly all the events I've played, simply using the following rock-solid AI tell: if it checks, it's way behind. A big bet will buy you the pot Every. Single. Time.

Serious players will be alternately frustrated and bored with the awful AI, but I don't think this game is intended for serious players.

Kids and teens who like to watch poker on television will get a thrill out of making their full house, busting a pro, and hearing Lon McEcheren comment, "He will call quickly and decisively -- that seems to be his trademark." Recreational players who just want to play poker without any real financial risk will also have a good enough time to justiy the purchase.

While Activision's Official WSOP game goes all-in with the nut flush draw, they just don't get there by fifth street. I'll play my cards at PokerStars, and save my PSP for Liberty City Stories.

Clicky clicky to read a review from PokerNews.com