After spending a good part of an hour downloading the 300+ MB title, I finally got to gaming with High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition for the PS3. For $10, this game is a steal.

When you first start play, you are prompted to create a character. The game has slots for 4 created characters, each of which will retain their own bankroll and statistics. Initially there aren’t a lot of customizations for your character, as you have to unlock these with further play. You’ll get new shirts, pants, shoes, glasses, and other paraphernalia.

Once you’re done with your customization, it’s time to hop into the game. You’re given options for what game type, arena, how to setup the blinds, etc. There are a lot of options here for a $10 downloadable title. Into the game, you get to sit with 5 other players at your table either online or offline and bluff your way through a round of poker to see who has the best skills. The game sports some funny voice overs for calling, checking, and folding, with opposing players taunting you if you take too long, etc. One of the better features in the game is the Turbo Mode and fast forward options. If you don’t want to wait for other players to deliberate their move, you can hold the R2 button to fast forward your way through until it’s your turn again. Or, if you’re going to fold, just hit the L1 button to Turbo Fold and go right to the end of the hand. This makes games as quick or slow as you want.

I didn’t find too many online games right away, but a lot of people are still downloading since the game was just released when I put it through it’s first tests (Thursday night at 9pm EST). I think I’m going to be putting a good bit of time in with High Stakes Poker. The features and game types it provides rivals those of more expensive retail titles, and far dwarf the basic modes of the Xbox Live Arcade poker title. If you have a PS3 and like poker, I definitely suggest picking this one up.

I’ll have a full review later next week.