Poker, card games, and video games have long enjoyed a relationship together, particularly in the online poker world. The hand-eye coordination required to play multiple online poker tables simultaneously can be improved by playing video games.
Indeed, some of the poker’s world’s biggest stars were professional gamers before switching to poker. Team partypoker’s Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier was once one of the most prominent Star Craft players of his generation. Grospellier was a superstar in South Korea, where scores of professional gamers live, before making the switch to poker and winning more than $13.7 million from tournaments.
Griffin Benger of Canada is another player who honed his skills playing video games professionally. Benger was one of the top Counter Strike players in his youth before embarking on a poker career that has seen him win more than $10.5 million.
Dozens of video games, past and present, allow the player to enjoy poker and other poker variants as part of the game, or as mini-games. These are our five favorites, how many have you played?
Poker in Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar Games’ epic open-world cowboy game Red Dead Redemption – think Grand Theft Auto in Western times – is one of the greatest video games ever made. Full of action backed up by amazing storylines, Red Dead Redemption and its sequel have legendary status.
What good would an outlaw simulator be without being able to play some poker in a dark and dingy saloon? Thankfully, Red Dead Redemption does not disappoint. Texas Hold’em is available in both the original and the sequel, although the former makes it possible to cheat! Acquire a specially tailored suit and you can cheat your way to victory in all but the highest stakes games.
Gwent in The Witcher
Polish video game developer CD Projekt struck gold when they created The Witcher series. Now part of a fantastic trio of games, The Witcher series is one of the most popular Role-Playing Games (RPG) on the planet. The Witcher 3 is viewed as a masterpiece and one of the greatest video games of all time.
You control a monster hunter by the name of Geralt of Rivia who embarks on dozens of missions and side missions. While exploring the vast open world, Geralt can play a card game known as Gwent. Each player starts with a 22 card deck and must randomly draw 10 cards. Players can swap up to two of these cards prior to the game starting.
Each game consists of three rounds, with the winner being the first to triumph in two rounds. Every card has a special ability that can be used to boost their own team or damage their opponent. Think of it in the same lines as Hearthstone and you will not be far wrong.
Caravan in Fallout
Another set of amazing RPG games are the Fallout series by Bethesda. The Fallout series of games see you traverse massive maps in a post-apocalyptic world. Las Vegas even gets its own game.
You can play a game called Caravan in Fallout, a one-on-one card game that can be played with any card you find on your travels. The goal is to outbid your opponent by building three caravans of numbered cards. You need to try and keep your points above 20 but below 27 and prevent your opponent from doing the same.
In the game, Caravan is a great way to make money, a commodity that is scarce in the deserted Fallout worlds.
Triple Triad in Final Fantasy VIII
Yet another famous RPG (are you sensing a trend here?) is the Final Fantasy series with Final Fantasy VIII featuring a game called Triple Triad. You obtain these cards by defeating in-game monsters in battle or by using a special ability called Card.
Your cards are displayed in purple and your opponent’s cards are pink. Each card has a number in each of its four corners. Each card also has an element to represent Earth, Water, Wind, Ice, Fire, Holy, Lightning, or Poison. The aim of the game is to play all 10 of your cards by placing them adjacent to your opponent and beating their points score and element type. If your card is better, it turns your color. Fill the board with your color and you win.
Pazaak in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
What type of game is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic? You guessed it, an RPG; one of the very best ever made. Pazaak is extremely similar to blackjack in that the aim it to reach 20 without going over. Winning all three rounds secures you the match. Rounds ending in a draw do not count towards victory or defeat for either player.
Players use two decks of 10 cards. The main deck of cards numbered 1-10 and players draw from the side deck. The game starts with a player drawing from the main deck, with the highest number going first. Some cards add or subtract from your total, making this mathematically challenging in addition to being great fun.
Share
Matthew Pitt
If it’s something you can play online for real money, chances are Matthew knows a bit about it. He’s been writing about slots, craps and poker for the better part of the last decade. He’s written for PokerNews, PartyPoker and many other respected online gambling websites during the last nine years.