Poker in Video Games: From WSOP Simulators to Red Dead Redemption

World Series of Poker (2005)

With poker booming and feeling the full wrath of the Moneymaker Effect, the game developer Activision decided to get a slice of the pie by developing an officially licensed World Series of Poker game in 2005 for multiple consoles. Additionally, aided by Raymer’s win in 2004, the dawning of the online poker revolution, and ESPN’s slick and clean coverage, it was the perfect time to release a video game to captivate and intrigue potential newcomers and experienced players alike, as they got to emulate that final table feeling from their living rooms, or in the palm of their hands on the go

Released on the PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, PSP, and PC, the game was a trailblazer, as it was the first fully licensed poker simulator. It was a must-play for poker fans around the world, and arguably still is, for nostalgia and reminiscence of poker’s Golden Age. It is not the most graphically advanced game, as you would expect from a 21-year-old video game, but the gameplay is simple and perfectly replicates the feeling of being at the table. Players weren’t limited to No Limit Hold’em. They could play Limit, Pot Limit Hold’em, as well as PLO, PLO8, Seven Card Stud, and Stud 8. Razz and No Limit 2-7 Draw also featured. This offered players a chance to learn new games for free, further fueling intrigue and contributing to the popularity of poker in the mid-noughties.

As expected with a WSOP-themed game, there is a tournament simulation feature that gives you a chance to play out your bracelet dreams in the video game streets. It is made even more immersive with the inclusion of real players: Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Men “The Master” Nguyen, and Jennifer Tilly were just three of the pros included in the game. These characters appear with distinct play styles, as they do in real life. The AI was quite advanced for its time. It was designed to emulate a range of play styles, from tight‑aggressive pros, loose‑aggressive gamblers, and conservative amateurs.

The game also features a career mode, where you create your own player and enter events across the WSOP schedule to earn bracelets, which was a first-time offering for a poker game. It proved a hit with the fans. It spawned two later games: WSOP: Tournament of Champions (2006) and WSOP 2008: Battle for the Bracelets. These later titles featured Norman Chad in a limited form, as well as generic announcers to help add to the slick production feel of an ESPN broadcast. By all means, not a perfect game, with slightly clunky, mechanical gameplay that can be tedious after a while, it is certainly worth dusting off the old consoles purely for the experience.

World Poker Tour (2005)

In the same year, the World Poker Tour game also dropped. Developed by 2K, the same developers providing the NBA and NHL franchises in video game form, it is this poker writer’s favourite standalone poker video game. It was released in the same year on PS2, Xbox, Gameboy Advance, and on the PSP in 2006. One of the key features that puts this above the WSOP game is the inclusion of iconic commentary duo Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten, the voices behind the WPT broadcasts.

Similar to the WSOP game, the WPT game emulated the production style seen on TV, using the same camera angles and real casino venues that hosted WPT events. Commerce Casino, Bellagio, Foxwoods Resort Casino, Bay 101 Casino, and Aviation Club de France were the main locations emulated to give players a more premium feel and gaming experience, further enhancing immersion and variety on offer.

The range of games was extensive and more varied than the selection in the WSOP game. As well as Hold’em in all forms, Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple were included, as well as PLO variants. The PSP edition had more variants on offer to players, with 2-7 Triple Draw, 5 Card Draw, Stud and Stud 8 finding their way onto the handheld console version and not on the console editions. Tahoe and Billabong also featured, as well as Shanghai, three very uncommon poker variants.

WPT came with its own set of pro players in pixel form: Erick Lindgren, Evelyn Ng, Phil Laak, and Antonio Esfandiari being just some of the notable inclusions. The AI was stronger than the one included in the WSOP game, with over 1,000 opponents, each coming with different tendencies and profiles. Online multiplayer was also included, as well as a career mode. It is well worth checking out if you’re a poker fan or looking to get into the game. If you have a PSP and travel frequently, it is a worthy addition to the library to help pass the time on commutes or longer trips.

Red Dead Redemption Series (2010 + 2018)

Everyone’s favourite cowboy simulator, courtesy of Rockstar Games, includes the game we all know and love in saloons across the map, with each venue requiring more capital to buy into the game. This gives players a realistic feel in an old-school environment. Players can cut their teeth in the low-stakes games at MacFarlane’s Ranch in the first game, with the New Austin area being host to all the lowest stakes games. The highest stakes games occur in the West Elizabeth region, with the biggest happening at the Blackwater Hotel, which requires players to pony up $250 to enter, a considerable amount of money in the Wild West.

The games play like a hybrid of cash game and tournament, with each game having a fixed buy-in. Players leave when they bust, and you can leave whenever you would like to take a profit off the table. New players can join at any time, which keeps the game fresh and immersive. If you are a nefarious individual looking for a bad karma run, you can choose to cheat in the low-stakes games if you wear the elegant suit. This can be palming cards and distracting opponents. However, your opponents won’t take kindly to this behaviour, and you could die in a gunfight in the saloon.

In the second game, poker takes more of a focus and is even included in one of the missions in the main storyline. Protagonist Arthur Morgan is tasked with infiltrating a high-stakes riverboat tournament to con one of the players, and is regarded as one of the most, if not the most, cinematic poker sequences in any video game.

The AI saw a vast improvement, and aren’t as exploitable as their counterparts in the first game. They’re more cautious, reactive to bet sizing and more personality-driven. As well as playing against the NPCs, players can play fellow humans in the online world. Players can join public tables or make private ones to play with friends.

The inclusion isn’t just tacked on, and it’s clear a lot of effort and detail has gone into making the poker experience one worth playing. It also serves as a nice break between intense gunfights (or starts a new one, depending on how you play) and travelling across the map, and ultimately, it fits the western setting down to a tee. The gameplay is great, and the NPCs feel genuine, and it is easy to sink many hours into the tables at one of the many saloons.

What’s Next?

There is plenty of video game-based poker on offer for players looking to step away from the grind for some free-to-play entertainment. Whether that’s in the saloons in the old west in Red Dead Redemption, or 20 years ago in the WPT and WSOP games. Outside of the games mentioned, Zynga Poker remains incredibly popular across social media platforms like Facebook and the standalone app, and still serves as a great place to start for beginners.

That’s all for now, folks. Until next time.