How to Play Poker in Red Dead Redemption 2
Currently struggling to make money at the poker table in Red Dead Redemption 2? Here’s what you need to know about how to play poker in Red Dead Redemption 2, along with some strategies for winning.
Getting Started
In Red Dead Redemption 2, poker tables lie in many parts around the world. Right off the bat, the game table in your main camp will rotate between each of the different gambling mini-games on offer. This means you’ll be able to play Five Finger Fillet, and Dominoes here, too.
Poker tables appear easily throughout the world with the poker chip symbol on your mini-map. Generally, these poker tables lie in saloons, which can be found in most major towns.
What the Rules Are
If you’ve ever played Texas Hold ‘Em poker in real life, the same rules apply to the tables in Red Dead Redemption 2. Three players are selected before the round begins. The dealer shuffles the deck and passes players their cards. The small and big blind is posted by the players directly to the dealer’s left. Each player then gets dealt two cards to form their hand. After the initial deal, players may decide whether to match the ante, forfeit their hand, or raise the stakes for the round. This process will continue until the three card flop.
After depositing the initial ante, the dealer will reveal the top three cards from the deck. Another betting round will ensue, followed by the turn. A final round of betting occurs on the fifth round, a turn commonly called the river card. If at least two players remain, they must turn over their hands to reveal the winner.
The winner shall emerge from the following hand values, in order of lowest-highest:
- High Card – With no other matching cards, the player with the highest card value wins. The lowest value of 2 to the highest value of Ace.
- Pair – Two cards with the same value.
- Two Pairs – Two different pairs of cards with the same values.
- Three of a Kind – Three cards with the same value.
- Straight – Occurs when five cards are lining up in sequence. Ace holds a double value and can either precede a 2 or follow up a king.
- Flush – Five cards of the same suit – Spades, Clubs, Hearts, or Diamonds.
- Full House – Matching three of a kind alongside a pair.
- Four of a Kind – Four cards with the same value.
- Straight Flush – Five cards lining in sequence, but also of the same suit – Spades, Clubs, Hearts, or Diamonds.
- Royal Flush – The most coveted/rarest hand. A straight flush sequence from Ten to Ace.
Once the winner receives the pot, the dealer, small blind, and big blind shift clockwise and a new round will begin.
The Best Strategy for Winning
Poker’s rules rely mostly on the player’s ability to read other participants. Knowing tells – ticks which give away the player’s feelings – can allow players with lesser hands to bluff their way to victory. Knowing when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em remains a core tenant to poker games even today.
The same strategies for winning poker today can apply to Red Dead Redemption 2. Calculate whether your initial hand will remain viable, and remain within the game at least until the three card flop. Taking this approach will ensure you get an idea of where your hand can go -and whether you can beat your fellow players. NPC’s will often have facial tells like a slight smile or grimace to reveal if their hands will win. Remember to look around the room, playing the remaining players as well as the deck.
Patterns will emerge to the observant player of poker in Red Dead Redemption 2. NPC’s will often fold if a large bet occurs and their hands aren’t up to snuff. Keep that fact in mind -if an NPC remains in a high-stakes pot, they likely have a decent set of cards.
Rather than going all in for every round, try incrementally increasing pots after the flop. All too often, the NPC players will drop out and net you a decent reward. If the stakes get too high for your terrible hand, remember to cut your losses for another match. On the flip side, if you’re confident in your hand, going all in is the fastest way to get the NPCs to match your bet, so you can take their money quickly. After all, even if you lose the bet, the buy-in cost isn’t that steep.
In the end, poker in Red Dead Redemption 2 isn’t about winning a single hand. It’s about hanging in for the match’s entirety, outlasting your opponents, and making safe decisions. Keep that in mind, and you won’t lose a single poker game played.
How to Make Money Fast
Generally, Red Dead Redemption 2’s poker tables have higher stakes and lower stakes buy-ins. If your goal is to make money fast, opt for the higher stakes poker tables and apply the above strategies.. After getting a feel for how poker works in Red Dead Redemption 2, put your skills to the test by adopting an aggressive stance with your bets.
A general warning: you’ll likely require a few hands to determine each of your opponent’s dispositions and risk aversion. Once you accomplish this, begin a campaign of high stakes bets to weed out your competition quickly. If opponents become wise to your aggressive bets, play it cool for a few hands before ramping the stakes up again.
Be cautious only to adopt this practice with decent hands. Bluffing can backfire if an opponent fails to fold after your bet. But realizing this strategy successfully can net you fistfuls of cash to use around the world in Red Dead Redemption 2.
That’s all you need to know about how to play poker in Red Dead Redemption 2. Be sure to check our Red Dead Redemption 2 guide wiki for more information on the game.
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