As a kid who wasn’t old enough to be playing Red Dead Redemption back in 2010, I never understood how to play the poker minigame, even with tutorials. I wasn’t too bothered to learn, either, and just continued with my life, to the point of being 20 at the time of RDR2’s launch and still not knowing how to play poker. I was okay with that, too.

And then along came Balatro, a deck-building roguelike that engrossed almost everyone who gave it a shot - and, like many people, Balatro taught me how to recognise the varying poker hands used to score in poker despite not actually being a poker game.

To my surprise, as I returned for an annual replay of Red Dead Redemption 2, I could suddenly play poker. At least a bit, anyway.

Wait, I Don’t Even Like Poker

I’m not someone who cares for gambling. Sure, I understand the rush of chance and winning big, but I’d rather do that vicariously through buying some Kirby blind boxes imported from Japan or something like that.

Weeb-iest thing I’ve ever said, caught in 4K.

I don’t really want to run the risk of playing with money to get more money, and the minigames in Red Dead Redemption, amongst others, have never had enough of a draw for me to get involved. Still, if I’m going to give it a go, I’ll do it in video games. I’m willing to take a chance there because it’s not my actual money. Well, in terms of these minigames, at least, not loot box microtransactions or gacha games - that’s a slippery slope in and of itself.

I Was Late To The Table With Balatro

While people were praising the Joker-prominent card game throughout 2024, I only got around to giving it a go in December while booting up my Steam Deck in a hotel in Paris. I needed something simple to pass the time, and Balatro was still waiting for me to call.

A week later, I was waiting in the airport for boarding, glued to my screen, trying to get a higher score. I was invested, and thanks to the fast-paced, repetitive nature of the game, I was already recognising the poker hands at a glance. I didn’t think much of it - it just seemed like a cool thing I’d learned through playing the game - and I became increasingly familiar with the structure of the hands.

Earlier this year, while playing through Red Dead Redemption 2 again, I was on my way to find Reverend Swanson at the nearby train station, ready for the drunken antics of the man and the close-call bridge incident. But this time, before all of that, when the men who were playing poker with Swanson asked Arthur to take his place - something I usually decline - I thought ‘yeah, why not?’

The tutorials for poker appeared as they always have - betting, raising, folding - but this time, something clicked. I knew what I was looking for in my hands. I knew the value of what I had at a glance and could make an informed decision about my chances of success. I won’t take pride in winning that game, as it’s intended to be easy as the tutorial for the minigame, but it does make me curious to see how far the knowledge can take me, now having access to these parts of the game that I never got involved with before.

Sure, I’m not going to plan a trip to Vegas or anything like that, but now I can play poker with the cowboys. Ain’t that just fine, partner.

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Balatro

Strategy Digital Card Game Roguelike Systems 9.7/10 Released February 20, 2024 ESRB E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Gambling Themes Developer(s) LocalThunk Publisher(s) Playstack
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DIGITAL
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