Social game developer Playfish is rolling out Poker Rivals, a new app looking to "take Texas Hold 'Em Poker to a whole new level", on Facebook, setting up a Beta version of the game that you can already jump in and start playing (though I had disconnection problems when I tried it out).

The game will challenge the already established Texas HoldEm Poker from rival developer Zynga, currently the seventh most popular app on Facebook with over 19.5 million monthly active users. Zynga also has a Live Poker iPhone app that uses Facebook Connect to allow players to hook into their Texas HoldEm Poker account while playing a portable version of the game.

With Poker Rivals, players can learn about the game with a tutorial, play with their friends, step into a table with up to nine other strangers, and even enter tournaments. They can also customize their character by using their winnings (or Playfish Cash purchased with real money) to customize their look, buy accessories, or upgrade their house to a condo or yacht.

The game will be Playfish's first release since mega publisher Electronic Arts confirmed its $300 million acquisition of the UK-based developer earlier this month. Playfish's other titles on Facebook include Pet SOciety, Restaurant City, and Country Story, the last two of which Zynga also has more popular equivalents for -- FarmVille and Café World.

You can see screenshots of Poker Rivals after the break.