The Poker Player's Guide to Mastering Card-Based Minigames in RPGs

Card-based mini games in role-playing games have long been a popular feature that adds a new dimension to gaming. While some card-based minigames have a simple format, there are also many that have more strategic mechanics.

In some cases, the minigames within RPGs have been such a hit that they have been developed as standalone games in their own right. One such example is the Gwent game in The Witcher 3 RPG, moving from a simple side mission to a full game option.

We have also seen RPG games that incorporate card games to add to the thrill of gameplay, such as poker games in Red Dead Redemption. High-stakes card games help to boost engagement, and they play perfectly into building up tension.

For poker players, playing card-based minigames is a natural extension of their hobby and they can use their experiences in playing poker tournaments to be more successful in the minigames.

These are some of the ways they can use poker experience to master card-based minigames in RPGs:

Practising Patience

Experienced poker players have already mastered the art of patience and knowing when to walk away or go all in. They have an innate understanding of how to avoid making mistakes through emotional betting, and this can help in card-based minigames. Knowing the right timing for playing cards or choosing actions is a skill that poker players can use in minigames too.

Experienced card game players also know that practising games will help them to improve. Some players spend time developing their poker skills on free demo games before they start playing for real money, so they build up experience before the stakes are high.

Casino games like poker are easily available at online casinos, where you can register and start playing straight away. Many games also offer the chance to play for free to develop experience of the game mechanics before using any deposit.

Analyzing Risk

Just like poker, card-based minigames are developed around weighing up risk vs reward. Poker players are good at analyzing risk and deciding whether the risk is worth the reward. They know when the required outcomes are likely to happen and base their strategy around this rather than going off gut feelings.

Learning Rules

The key to becoming successful at poker starts with building a good understanding of the rules. There are lots of rules to become familiar with in poker and if you can understand the complexities of poker rules, then you stand in good stead with rules for minigames within RPGs. Poker players know that success hinges on rules knowledge and they will make the effort to learn the rules rather than trying to play the games blindly.

Strategy Planning

Many minigames require strategic thinking, and this is an area that poker players tend to excel at. They can use their strategic mindset to work out the best approaches to take, often planning moves well in advance rather than playing reactively.

Regular players of poker and other table games like blackjack use strategic planning to try and optimize their results. They might use tools such as a blackjack calculator that helps to assess odds for different card situations, rather than leaving their decisions to a simple hunch. Card-based mini-games in role play games often include blackjack as it offers a quick side mission compared to poker and other table games.

Why Minigames in RPGs are Popular

Minigames add an exciting side mission in RPGs to help maintain interest in the game for longer by providing variation. Games can become repetitive if all of the gameplay follows similar mechanics. With card-based minigames, players get the chance to play two completely different types of games.

Games like Grand Theft Auto are great at providing variations within the game, from card games to becoming a taxi driver to boost funds. If players are feeling like they need a change, the side missions give them that option without leaving the game to play something else.

Minigames increase player loyalty and hold attention for longer, providing a variety of gaming experiences within one game. When people start to get frustrated when they are struggling to complete a particular challenge, they can revert to playing minigames to give them a break. Minigames are often less intense compared to difficult challenges, so players can reset their minds and step out of a more serious element of gameplay.

Playing minigames within RPGs also increases immersion, as players get to explore different game dimensions and have the freedom to choose a different path.

Conclusion

Poker players can enjoy the best of both worlds when they play RPGs that have card-based minigames. There are plenty of games that have poker rounds as a choice in gameplay but the skills developed in poker also help master other types of minigames, not just cards, but other types of side missions.

Risk management, taking a strategic, patient approach and developing a good understanding of rules in games are all beneficial in mastering minigames.