A New Horizon for the World Poker Tour

I'm "old school." The chips I'm used to playing with aren't silicon. I prefer holecards to memory cards. But as a commentator for the World Poker Tour, I've been involved in many things WPT-related, including the show, my book Shuffle Up and Deal, slot machines, table games, and even talking bottle openers.



Of all these opportunities, one of the most recent and memorable is my involvement in 2K Sports' World Poker Tour, the first WPT video game for home consoles like PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, and PSP. And with it comes a new level of public awareness of the game we know and love.



There's no denying the increasing popularity of no-limit hold'em. From newsstands to gift shop novelties, poker is out there. It has become a big part of our culture at large. It has moved out of cardrooms and into college dorms and homes across America. The phrase "all in" is turning into a mainstream motto; everybody's jumping on this bandwagon. So, where do we go from here?

World Poker Tour video game

Mike Sexton is one of the players in the World Poker Tour video game.

Providing an outlet for the casual poker player is what the World Poker Tour video game has arrived to do. The game enables you to take a virtual seat in some of the world's most prestigious poker tournaments. It takes the risks and stress of a live game off the shoulders of this new breed of fan, introducing the etiquette and protocol of the game while maintaining an atmosphere of excitement. We encourage new players to play, but we want them to arrive at the table with the knowledge and skills necessary to compete.



So, what sets World Poker Tour apart from other poker games out there? For one thing, you get the world-class quality that fans have come to expect from the World Poker Tour. This is the exclusive WPT video game experience, featuring real WPT member casinos such as the Aviation Club de France, Bay 101, The Bicycle Casino, Borgata, Commerce Casino, and Foxwoods. You also get to compete against some of the best poker players in the world, including WPT champions Antonio Esfandiari, Erick Lindgren, Michael Mizrachi, and Phil Laak, as well as the lovely Evelyn Ng and Lyle Berman (a member of the Poker Hall of Fame). In addition to providing the commentary for each table, Vince Van Patten and yours truly are playable characters in the game, as well.



With the World Poker Tour's learning artificial intelligence (AI) system, the video game counterparts of these pros are modeled to play each situation just like they would in real life. The AI will even learn how you react at the table and adjust to your personal style of play. The team at 2K Sports didn't leave out any details. The technology is amazing, and so is this game. The hard work of everyone involved shows up in the finished product.



The Borgata Poker Open presented the first opportunity to reveal the World Poker Tour video game to the world. I'm a video game novice, but after a short tutorial, I was putting on the heat to see if the video game versions of my colleagues could stand up to the test – and they did. Poker is all about making correct decisions. The World Poker Tour game provides you the opportunity to do just that – make strategic and tactical decisions against some of the best players in the world.



At the end of the day, what will make this game appealing for players is their ability to put themselves in the hot seat. Through World Poker Tour's player creation system, fans can do many things, such as create a fully detailed player, launch a virtual career, and strive to become a WPT world champion. From Quick Play and Satellite Tour Play to the WPT Season Play, players can build experience as they boost their earnings. As a player learns, his virtual player attains more success and accolades. (And with Shana Hiatt there to provide instructional WPT Poker Corner interludes, the learning curve is as good as it gets.)



If all of this isn't enough for you, World Poker Tour offers a limitless number of variations on the standard rules. In addition to the 14 popular community games that are available – hold'em, Omaha, stud, and draw poker among them – players can create custom rules and limits with the poker game editor.



This is as close to the WPT experience as you can get without putting up the big bucks to enter a WPT event. The World Poker Tour video game is fun and exciting. Playing it will make you a more educated, better-prepared player. Enjoy!



Take care.

Mike Sexton is the host of PartyPoker.com, a commentator on the World Poker Tour (which can be seen every Wednesday on the Travel Channel), and the author of Shuffle Up and Deal (which made The New York Times best-seller list and can be obtained at www.CardPlayer.com). His e-mail address is [email protected].