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DD Tournament Poker is IMHO the best poker sim software Currently, there are four 'legit' poker sim software apps out there, DDTP being one of them. IMHO, DDTP is overall the best one, hands down. Originally, there were only two-Acespade and turbo poker. The former, Acespade, has DOS-like graphics, its website is very amateurish, and there is no demo download option. Borrowed a copy from a friend and was underwhelmed. Graphics aside, the AI was inferior to DDTP's (more on DDTP, of course, later on in my review), the options left a lot to be desired, and the app itself was last updated in 2002. In today's day and age, that's inexcusable, no matter what. Oh, and the price is a cool $90. No thanks. The latter, Turbo Poker by Wilson Software, is like its rival Acespade, from the old school, and it shows all over. While the graphics are very nice and comparable to DDTP, and for that matter any 'modern' app, it pretty much stops there. It too costs cool $90 (the tournament format-only version a 'mere' $60), and it too was last updated in 2002. Old school. Also, again, its AI, despite all the dusty platitudes from the old pros on their book jackets, is no superior to DDTP. The third and last rival to DDTP, and a recent arrival to the scene, like DDTP itself, is Poki Poker. It is similar to Acespade and Turbo in its price, a neat $100 tag. The graphics are slick and modern, the website is professionally done, it has a support message forum (like DDTP), it regularly posts update patches on its site (new school thinking), but it's limited to ring games (no tournament format options) and, again, its AI is not superior to DDTP's. Finally, here's my two cents on DDTP itself and why I made it my personal choice to improve my game and practice for satellite and WSOP-format tourneys. From a technical standpoint, DDTP was a breeze to install (have two PCs-one a laptop with XP Home, the other a desktop with XP Pro) and run, no problems whatever. Oh, and DDTP's maker, Donohoe Digital, lets you install the app on two separate machines with your license. I like that. Also, the app is java-based and, as such, very 'light-footed'. My perennially slow laptop never crashed once, and, miraculously, I am also able to multitask with DDTP on it, something that I am not able to do while playing another PC game. DDTP is all substance and no fluff, graphics-wise and otherwise, and that's a major plus in my book. For someone like myself, who wants to prep for WSOP satellites and the WSOP main event itself, this app is it. Oh, and if you 'just' want to set up your home poker night game/tourney, DDTP can help you with that, too. It has full-range tournament management options. But its bread and butter is the tournament play. Against some 5000-plus AI players. They vary in skill level and play style, just like real-life opponents you will meet on that WSOP satellite and, should you be good/lucky enough to make it, on the WSOP main event itself. The AI is really, really good. After playing several thousand hands in the past month (mostly on the super satellite and WSOP 2004 format tourneys), I can attest to that. The AI players do (semi)bluff, checkraise and, which I found most surprising, 'learn' from your play patterns and adjust accordingly. In other words, you will need to mix it up, just like you would on the real-life satellite/WSOP tourney. And all this for a version 1.0. And the price? Real nice-$25 for a direct download from DDTP's site or $19 for a boxed version at your local brick-and-mortar retailer. For v. 2.0, tentatively slated for spring 2005, the good folks at Donohoe Digital, intend to, among other things, improve the AI (naturally, never enough in that area), introduce the Internet/LAN-playing option (another big plus) and, of course, introduce select new bells and whistles as needed. When I qualify for, and win, the WSOP main event, (one can hope, right?) I will credit DDTP for it.