Meta game: the game within the video game

What better way to test your gaming skill than to play a game within a game? 

Since poker is one of the games that involve skill and can be pretty tense to play, it makes sense to make an appearance. 

Mini-games have become par for the course in many of the most popular games. They add an extra layer to the gameplay. 

Some mini-games allow players to advance in the game, unlock new weapons, or simply add more dimension into the story. 

Mini poker games are seen less often, which is why they are more attractive. 

Poker as a stand-alone game is exciting enough; combining it in some of the most popular titles adds something new to the mix. 

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Far Cry 3

The poker games in Far Cary 3 are exciting because there are four levels to choose from. 

The poker game of choice is texas holdem poker – the game many of us are familiar with. 

The different levels offer varying difficulties, but you should keep in mind no matter how great you are in the practice games – you won’t win any cash. 

Your virtual opponents will call a lot, so it pays for you to play aggressively. 

If you managed to win more than $1,500 cumulatively, you would unlock the Poker Bully award – which is pretty neat. 

Don’t worry if you mess up your game; you can re-load until you get it right. Just make sure you save the game before you take a seat at the poker table. 

The Witcher

It doesn’t matter if you know The Witcher from the TV show or from the game itself – you have probably got a soft spot for Geralt of Rivia. 

The poker game in the Witcher isn’t like other poker games that you may be familiar with. Instead, it is a game of dice poker. 

This side mission poker game uses dice instead of cards. Each player is given five dice, and any play can re-roll a dice after the initial roll. You are free to select any dice that you like in the re-roll. 

To win, you’ll need to get the strongest hand twice out of three times. The most significant difference between dice poker and real poker is that you will get 5 of a kind if you are lucky. 

Dice Poker: The Professional is the name of the subquest, and it is an optional quest. 

In order to unlock it, you need to beat four novice players. The stakes are raised, but winning is worth it. 

Just like in regular poker, two-of-a-kind of seven would beat two-of-a-kind fours. 

Ties can happen, so what happens here is it will default to the next highest dice. 

Red Dead Redemption 2

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the mini-game in question is Texas Hold ‘Em. Combining tournaments and cash games, you have an option of different locations to play in. 

Each location has its own buy-in, and it holds close to how poker was in the Wild West. 

Red Dead Redemption 2 is an open-world environment and set in 1900’s North America. There are gangs and small communities dealing in both legal and illegal ways to get by. 

The first game of poker you play is in one of the main story missions, set in Chapter 2; you stumble into a clergyman who is a little worse for wear. 

As a charitable act, of course, you step in to help him keep some of his cash. And that is the start of your RDR2 poker career. 

Keep in mind that the second hand in the poker game is genuinely as random as in the real world. 

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Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball

Rather than spending two weeks fighting, Zack invites the ladies from DOA to a vacation island. 

The game is a range of smaller games, and there are simulation mechanics related to casinos, fashion, volleyball, and friendship/dating. 

You choose three significant events for your day, and that is pretty much it. Each of the lady characters starts and ends their vacation in a single session, and you can’t switch between toons either. 

While the central part of the game is playing volleyball, the casinos play a significant role. 

Of the mini-games on offer in DOAXBV, you can play poker, slot machines (one-arm-bandits), and Blackjack. 

DOA has some excellent features in the casino; the chip colors match the favorite color of the girls’. The slot symbols had images from the cast of DOA too. 

And you’ll notice that the soundtrack Brazilian Sugar only plays while you are in the casino. 

You can access the casino anytime, unlike the other games that have it as part of a main or side quest. 

And, if you’ve played Dead or Alive Paradise, then you might notice Rio is the casino’s hostess and the blackjack table dealer too! 

Even though Fallout: New Vegas used poker in almost all of their game advertisement, it features Blackjack. Still fun nonetheless!

If you love a shoot’em up, then check out our coverage of the Duke Nukem Begins appearing on YouTube.