Some video games involve poker to improve its credibility or earn a higher certificate and make gamers think that the ‘18’ rating adult content is going to be sassier that simply bad guys swearing at each other as they pull out their guns.

In the case of 2010’s Red Dead Redemption, widely acclaimed to be one of the best, if not the best video game of all time, there was no need. John Marston, the main protagonist who you enjoy the game as, was a foul-mouthed sharp-shooting gang member who was prepared to kill or be killed in pursuit of saving his wife and young son.

There was no need to add in poker to make his seem more hardcore.

Possibly due to the unnecessary addition of the game, the poker in Red Dead Redemption is great. Not only can you play the game pretty close to how you might if you really were out in the Old West toting around a revolver and riding to the poker table on horseback, but the games are good. There are several challenges in the game that require Marston to prove his poker chops at the table and while any experienced poker player won’t take long cracking them – you’ll have to bluff, make profit and get the better of an opponent heads-up – there is a lot of fun to be had in doing so.