Complete with televised tournaments and its own set of celebrity players, the World Series of Poker has become something of a phenomenon in the US.

Not much of that has made it over here though.

'World Series of Poker 2008: Battle for the Bracelets' (WSP) on the Xbox 360 leans heavily on the actual world series of poker. A lot is made of the fact that you are playing with all the real stars and in all the real venues.

Of course, since names like Johnny Chan and Chris Ferguson will mean little to most South Africans, much of this will simply pass us by — something that puts a lot of pressure on the rest of the game to deliver.

Games like 'Madden' or the two 'NHL' series' all manage to be pretty good, despite a lack of familiarity with the subject matter. Sadly though, the same cannot be said for 'WSP'.

That said, part of the problem is inherent to making a poker game. After all, beyond the math, poker is very much a psychological exercise, something that is very hard to simulate in a game.

As with previous 'WSP' games, you can see your opponents. On the one hand this works pretty well. The quiet hum in the room, the occasional comments, the sighs, and the hand gestures, all manage to give the game a rather peaceful atmosphere.

But whereas showing you your opponents does something for the game's atmosphere, it is also the game's downfall. The essential problem is that it just doesn't feel realistic enough. That is to say that watching an animated character bluffing is nothing like watching a real person bluff — and it is this discordance that makes things fall apart.

The underlying AI is not bad, and there is a good deal of bluffing and the like going on. Still, it is hard to look past the game's rather unconvincing portrayal of human behaviour.

The game does feature a relatively engaging career mode, which will keep you going from tournament to tournament collecting points for the player of the year award. Add some rather extensive tutorials and a decent online mode and the package starts seeming quite substantial.

Visually, the game is also pretty well presented with a TV-style look and feel. A solid soundtrack and commentary rounds things off respectably.

Still, all of this helps little when the core playing experience is as unengaging as it is. If you know a lot about the real World Series of Poker, it may well be a bit more interesting. If you don't though, chances are you'll be cashing in your chips in no time.