Did they really need 3d?
As poker games go, this one felt the most like the last tournament I was in. I didn't do well there either, but I did stay a few hours and watched the end. I was amazed at how many times I didn't see a flop there either.
If you are fairly new to Texas Hold'em, this game might annoy you until you start paying attention to the little tips that are given here and there. I played like I usually play at friendly games (which is the reason I stink at tournaments) and it took me about 12 times before I finally beat week 1. The only reason I finally beat it was because I started played like the tips were telling me to and I took some time to learn the difference between good pocket cards and pocket cards that look good, but aren't. My wife and I agree, the level of poker that this game plays is far above the friendly games we have at home.
The mini games from the start menu are OK and help you learn the game terminology, lingo and what to look for in other players. The mini game during the game where if you lose you show a tell is totally annoying and I'm not even sure if it adds to the game at all. Once a game gets going, I hit the X button a lot to skip ahead to my turn and the speed is OK. The initial load times seem long and there is an occasional stutter during play. I do play with the volume off because if I had to listen to "I know I was going to win that hand" or any of the other repetitive sayings again I would throw my PSP against a wall. Just to be clear, I have never thrown a controller or a game system. That's how annoying the other players can be.
I would probably be happier with a game that offered the same learning system and level of play but without all the 3d graphics to improve the load times. Even though the little PSP has great graphics, not every game has to use them to their fullest.
Over all, if you want to learn more about serious poker and have $20 to burn this game is worth the $20