Plenty of gamers don’t leave home without their PSP and for good reason, as there are a ton of great games to choose from. Fans of online slots games and poker have a wide range of choices available to them, as those genres have always been popular with developers and gamers alike; they translate well to portable devices as far as graphics and gameplay plus they appeal to the millions of gambling fans out there in the world.

Poker fans have multiple games to choose from, with rival poker tournament games from the World Poker Tour (WPT) and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) being two of the perennial favorites. You won’t be able to play for real money as you can at online poker sites but the WPT and WSOP games both provide the next best thing, as far as realistic tournament action that’s not only entertaining but also instructional. You’ll not only need to learn the basics but also be able to adjust your strategy to a variety of computer opponents at the tables, each intent on taking all your chips.

As far as the casino side of things, both Payout Poker & Casino and Hard Rock Casino bring all the popular casino games to your PSP. Both put players in the same basic scenario, as far as your character starting out from scratch with money in his pocket standing on the casino floor. From there you can unlock various rewards and build your bankroll from playing casino games such as slots, blackjack, craps, and poker, including options to upgrade and customize the appearance of your character as you move through the various levels.

It’s definitely a far cry from the real thing in Vegas but the two can actually go hand in hand, as many people will practice at online blackjack or craps before a visit to Vegas, with the same being true of brushing up your gambling skills on your PSP before you go (or even on the plane ride out there). It’s a great way to learn new games as you won’t be intimidated like you might be by stepping up to the craps or roulette table for the first time, and most games will even give you tips and hints to help the learning curve.