Great bargain for the aspiring WSOP Champion in all of us. Highly recommended.
I found that the career mode was more realistic in that you had to win a certain amount of money before you were eligible to particpate in larger events. As with any event, there is a cost, so choose your events wisely. I opted for a Texas NL Hold-em Tourney that required a placing of 4th of better out of a field of 20 players in order for you to advance to the following week. I placed 3rd by getting beat on the river. Oh well, I at least moved on to the next week.
This game I feel is better served for those of us leary of the internet and ID theft or viruses that can attck your computer through open ports during your extended internet connection via cable modem. However, this game does offer XBOX Live, so you can play against others around the world just like Part Poker, Poker Stars, Full Tilt, etc.
The coolest part so far has been playing in a NL tourney against Amar Veheedi. I still working on my earnings in order to get the chance to play Lederer or Raymer at a special invite tourney. We'll see what happens. Overall, I woould highly recommend this game if you are thinking of playing in some tournaments in the future. It may not be the most realistic, but it at least will only cost you the $20 required to purchase the game versus the various buy-in amounts in Vegas, Reno or Atlantic City.
Enjoy!