While you explore the massive open world of Red Dead Redemption 2, you may come across various saloons that contain different mini-games. After completing a short prerequisite quest, these card games will be instantly unlocked worldwide, providing a great way of making money outside the story missions.
Since the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is so large, there are many different towns and cities for you to explore, each offering a unique setting for these mini-games. If you have experience playing games such as poker and blackjack or want to learn the games in this southern setting, stop by any of these saloons to instantly enter a game.
8 Tumbleweed - Poker
Located on the far left-hand side of the map, Tumbleweed is a classic western town complete with a saloon that hosts poker matches. Sadly, since this area is west of Blackwater, you can only access this town after completing the main storyline.
Since this area is so isolated from the rest of the map, traveling to Tumbleweed only to play poker is pretty much a waste of time and effort. With that being said if you happen to be completing the epilogue and are looking for a quick mini-game to play, then the Tumbleweed saloon will always have a poker match available.
7 Flatneck Station - Poker
Located next to The Heartlands, Flatneck Station is a train stop that connects the entire map together and also hosts a lively poker table. To unlock this game of poker, you must first complete the quest 'Who is Not Without Sin,' which will also unlock every other poker mini-game on the map.
This story quest requires you to help a drunk Reverend Swanson win two rounds of poker and then protect the preacher from various threats in the open world. After you complete this quest, you can use the poker table at the train station whenever you want.
6 Van Horn Trading Post - Blackjack
As you play through the story mode, the narrative's conclusion will take you to the upper right-hand side of the map. Van Horn Trading Post is one of two dreary coastal towns in this region that focuses on industry and trade to drive a profit.
In the saloon of this dilapidated outpost, you will find a blackjack table complete with a dealer that will openly invite you to a game. Although there is certainly nothing wrong with this location, there are simply other areas on the map that offer better services and prettier views.
5 Campsite - Poker
As you progress through the story of Red Dead Redemption 2, you and the gang will create various campsites across the map whenever you travel to new cities. Typically, these campsites are located on the outskirts of the city where the current storyline is taking place and host different activities like fishing, eating, and resting.
Occasionally, you can partake in a game of poker at these campsites against different characters from your gang. Since this option is not consistently available, other poker tables are always much easier to access. Still, nothing is as fun as beating your fellow gang members and taking their money.
4 Valentine - Poker
The quaint town of Valentine is located in the center of the entire map, and this village is the first location that you and the gang visit in the story mode for Red Dead Redemption 2. The saloon of this muddy frontier town is equipped with a hair salon and a poker table.
Since this location is unlocked very early in the game, you may have to remind yourself to complete the quest at Flatneck Station before you can partake in a game of poker at the saloon. Since Valentine is in such a central location, stopping at this poker table is always a great choice if you happen to be riding through the area.
3 Rhodes - Blackjack
The town of Rhodes is an iconic location from the game where Dutch and his gang entrench themselves in a generational conflict between two southern houses. Rhodes also stands out among the other towns on this list since the location has distinctive red-tinted dirt and is filled with classic southern architecture.
The saloon in Rhodes is the most grandiose part of the town, and this large two-story building houses a game of blackjack on the second floor. If you want to live a sophisticated southern fantasy, then this is the perfect location for some dignified gambling.
2 Blackwater - Poker And Blackjack
If you have played even a small portion of Red Dead Redemption 2's famous story mode, then you will know that Dutch and his gang are wanted criminals in Blackwater, a city located in the south of the map next to the ocean. This bounty is only lifted after completing the main story, so you will not be able to play poker or blackjack in this area until then.
That said, this is still an excellent place to play either of these card games since it is the only location in the game where the poker table and blackjack table are in the same saloon. Furthermore, the poker table in Blackwater is considered a high-stakes game since it costs five dollars to join instead of the usual two-dollar entrance fee.
1 Saint Denis - Poker
The largest city in the game is Saint Denis, an industrialized cityscape on the bottom right of the map that is inspired by New Orleans. After completing the story quests in Rhodes, you and the gang will travel into this city to rescue a missing member and plan more schemes.
Since this area of the map is so large, Saint Denis hosts every single type of shop in the game. If you ever find yourself traveling into the city for supplies or upgrades you can also rest up with a quick game of poker. Furthermore, the poker table in this city is also a high stake table, requiring you to use more money when you play, thus increasing the overall prize pool.