RDR2 Poker Guide: How To Play Poker in Red Dead 2 & Online

In this guide we cover everything about the mini-game of poker in the Red Dead Redemption 2, from the rules, to the hand rankings and locations you can play the game to help anyone playing through of Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online.

Poker is a great way to earn some quick cash if you study the game and learn the effective hand combinations in the single player of Red Dead Redemption 2, and even the online portion of the game.

But beware, as much as you can win a lot of money, you can also lose it all very quickly if you don't pay attention. This complete guide will help you know when to bet and know when to fold.

RDR2 Poker Locations

Where to play Poker in Red Dead Redemption 2

The available locations to play poker are scattered around the map. Places like Valentine and Flatneck station have a lower buy-in and is easier for new player, but nicer and more fancier locations like Saint Denis and Blackwater have a higher buy-in and can be challenging for new players until you get an understanding of the game.

Below are the the locations you will be able to find poker games.

Main camp: Times vary, but you can play with your fellow gang members.
Valentine: There are two saloons in Valentine, the saloon beside the general store is the one you will be able to play.
Flatneck Station: to be able to play poker you must progress throughout the main story until get to chapter 2 and finished the reverend Swanson mission "Who Is Not Without Sin" after then is poker available in every location. Poker is available from the start for online.
Saint Denis: There are two saloons also in Saint Denis the one available for poker is near the middle of the city.
Blackwater: Located on the main street.
Tumbleweed: Located upstairs in the saloon in town.

Note: You won't be able to reach Blackwater and Tumbleweed in the main story until you reach a certain point further into the story.

In Red Dead Online, Poker can be joined from various Saloons across the open world. Players can play Poker against other players in both Public and Private matches, and all poker tables seat up to 6 players.

RDR2 Poker Guide

The aim of Poker is to win the pot by having the best cards at the end of the game, or by convincing other players you have the best hand so they drop out.

Each player is dealt two cards. These are known as hole cards, and are kept secret from the other players. Over several rounds, shared cards are dealt to the center of the table. These can be seen by everybody and are known as community cards.

A player's hand rank comes from the strongest five-card hand they can make, using any combination of their hole cards and the community cards. See the “Hand Rankings” section below for a full list of combinations.

After each set of cards is dealt, there is a round of betting. Players take turns to place a bet in the pot, which the other players must match (call). If they don't want to match the bet, they must drop out (fold), losing any chance to win the pot

After all betting rounds are complete, the players reveal their cards in a showdown and the player with the best hand wins the pot. Or if only one player remains before the betting rounds are completed, the remaining player steals the pot, winning it without having to reveal their cards.

RDR2 Poker Rules

To start, the two players to the left of the dealer must put in a mandatory bet each, called the small blind and the big blind. The dealer then deals two hole cards to everyone present, and the first betting round starts.

During a betting round players take turns, with play moving clockwise around the table. On a player's turn, they must at least match the bet of the previous players in order to stay in, or they can fold to drop out. On a player's turn, there are five possible actions: check, bet, call, raise and fold.

Check

If no bet has been made, a player can choose to check or bet. A check is equivalent to betting zero and passes the action to the next person clockwise. A player who checks remains in the game and reserves the right to call or raise later. If all active players check during a round of betting, the round is considered complete.

Bet

If no bet has been made, a player may bet any amount they wish. If a player bets, subsequent players must at least match this amount to remain in the hand.

Call

If there has been a bet in the current round, a player may call. To call, the player matches the current bet made by his or her opponent(s).

Raise

If there has been a bet in the current round, a player may raise. A raise means the player is increasing the amount of the current bet. A raise must be at least double the amount of moeny of any previous raise. Subsequent players must at least match this amount to remain in the hand or fold if they do not wish to match the amount.

Fold

A player can always fold, forfeiting all interest in the pot. A player who folds cannot wager any further chips during the current poker hand, and cannot win that hand and is out until next round.

Going All In

If a player places all their chips in the pot, this is known as all-in. They will not be able to take any further action during the hand, but can still win it at the end.

If a player doesn't have enough chips to call the current bet, they can still go all-in. In this case they will only be eligible for the portion of the pot they can match, as they have placed less chips in than the other players. The rest of the pot will be contested by the players who bet the full amount.

Auto Bet

When waiting for your turn, you can use auto-bet to preset what action you want to take. Hold and select the action you would like to take. You can cancel that action at any time before your turn by holding again.

Note, that if conditions change so that your preset action is no longer valid, your auto-bet will be canceled automatically. You can set and unset an auto-bet as many times as you like.

Betting Rounds

The first betting round is known as the preflop. After the blinds have been posted and the hole cards dealt, the betting round starts. It continues until all players who remain have bet the same amount, or are all-in.

Three community cards are then dealt as the flop. Another betting round takes place, with players using the new community cards to better understand how strong their hand is. Again the betting round continues until all players who remain have bet the same amount, or are all-in.

Then, a fourth community card is dealt, known as the turn. Another betting round takes place.

Finally, a fifth community card is dealt, known as the river. A final betting round takes place.

Showdown

On reaching the end of the final betting round, the showdown takes place. The players reveal their cards. Taking the best five-card combination of their hole cards and the community cards, each player has a hand ranking (for example, a pair). The player with the best hand ranking wins the pot. See the “Hand Rankings” below for the full list.

If several players share the best hand ranking, the remaining cards in their five-card hands are taken into account. These are known as kickers. If one of the players has better kickers than the others, they win the pot. If even after taking kickers into account, several players still share the best hand ranking, the pot is split between them.

If a player doesn't want to reveal their cards at the showdown, they can muck. This simply forfeits without revealing the hand. When playing against experienced players, this helps to prevent them from learning your style and being able to predict your decisions.

Stealing The Pot

If all players but one fold before reaching the showdown, the final remaining player has stolen the pot and wins all the chips.

Side Pots

If a player has gone all-in during the course of the hand, and so has placed less chips into the pot than the other eligible players, this creates a side pot.

A player is only eligible to win the amount they have wagered themselves from each other player. When a player goes all-in, this amount is separated off in the main pot and the remaining active players can continue betting into a side pot. The all-in player is only eligible to win the main pot.

The other players are eligible to win both the main pot and side pot. If several players go all-in in one hand, this can create several side pots.