Activities and Minigames

Arm Wrestling

Arm Wrestling is available once you've unlocked access to Nuevo Paraiso after the story mission "We Shall Be Together in Paradise". From then on, it is marked by an arm icon on the map and can be attempted at 4 locations:

• Plainview, New Austin
• Agave Viejo, Nuevo Paraiso
• Casa Madrugada, Nuevo Paraiso
• Pacific Union Railroad Camp, West Elizabeth

When you sit at a table to Arm Wrestle, you'll take on one single opponent in a best-of-3 match (first to 2 wins). There may be other people hanging around the table who will also get involved after your first match is finished, so to fully complete the task and "win" you'll need to defeat all opponents at the table until Marston stands up in victory.

You can ward off other challengers by running or jumping into them as they stand around waiting to play. If they are knocked over, this usually causes them to walk off and leave the area which means you can "win" the game by defeating the one and only opponent, speeding up the process.

When you start, the game explains "In arm wrestling, the first arm to touch the table loses. Wager an amount according to how strong you think you are".

You'll need to choose a bet amount between $1 and $5. If you win, you'll receive double the bet amount, if you lose, that bet money is gone. For the purposes of winning a game of arm wrestling - and the fact you're playing for very low stakes - we suggest you just bet $1, making your opponent the weakest they can be.

Once the game starts, you're told to "Tap X to push. Hold X to defend and restore your strength. Watch the opponent to counter his actions".

As things get underway, you'll see a "Strength" bar on the left of the screen. The more you tap X, the lower your strength bar will go and if you hold X, it will gradually refill.

You're told "The opponent's face shows when he is charging. Your pushes will have minimal effect". In other words, don't waste your strength tapping X when he's defending.

If you keep defending while your opponent attacks, you'll eventually be told "Your opponent's face shows that he is tired. This is the opportunity to push".

You are also told "Your opponent's face shows that he is pushing. You must charge to defend against it".

"Your strength determines how hard you push so be sure to recharge when you can. A full strength meter allows for a slam move when near the table. Hold X to restore your strength".

"A special 'slam' move is available when you're close to the table and your strength is full. Your strength is shown by your wrist position. Press Square when your strength is full to execute the 'slam' move."

Tap X when possible and slowly push his arm closer to the table, then hold X to defend and prevent him from knocking you back. Be patient and eventually you should be able to get his arm down and win.

You'll need to defeat all opponents at the table before the minigame is considered "won". You'll know you're done when Marston stands up at the end of the match.

Tips

• When your Strength bar is full, mash X until you're about half-way empty, then hold X to defend until you're full again and repeat this process.

Blackjack

Blackjack is available from the start of the game (after completing "New Friends, Old Problems") and is marked by a card symbol on the map. It can be played at 4 locations:

• Rathskeller Fork, New Austin
• Thieves' Landing, New Austin
• Chuparosa, Nuevo Paraiso
• Blackwater, West Elizabeth

Approach the table and press Circle to take part in the game.

You'll then place a bet. If you win, you'll double the chips you gambled.

Winning at Blackjack

For the purpose of the game’s objective to “win” at Blackjack, you need to play at least 1 hand and leave the table with more chips than you started with.

Each location has a different buy-in and number of chips:

• Rathskeller Fork: 200 chips ($20)
• Thieves' Landing: 400 chips ($40)
• Chuparosa: 300 chips ($30)
• Blackwater: 500 chips ($50)

If you win your first hand, you’ll immediately be in profit. Quit the minigame and it will be marked as completed.

If you lose your first hand, you can either keep playing to win back your losses or simply quit and start over.

Save your game before you start and you can just reload and try again without losing any money.

General Rules of Blackjack

We're not going to cover every aspect of blackjack, but here are the basics you need to comfortably clear the minigame.

Your Objective

Create a hand total of 21, or get as close as possible without going over, and beat the dealer’s total.

How a Hand Works

• You're dealt 2 cards at the start.
• The dealer also gets 2 cards, but only one is face-up.

• On your turn you can:
  • Hit – take another card, adding to your hand total
  • Stand – keep your current total and wait to see what the dealer ends up with
  • Double Down – double your bet and receive only one more card. If you win, you'll receive double the returns.
  • Split – only when starting with a pair. Allows you to essentially play 2 hands at the same time (for double the price) but offers the chance to win on both of them. Similar to double down, you'll pay 2x to enter twice but can win twice as much back, only with more say on how you reach your hand totals.

Card Values

• Numbered cards are worth their displayed number (e.g. 8 of hearts = 8)
• Face cards (Jack, Queen, King) = 10
• Aces = 1 or 11
  • Example: If you're on 18 and pull an Ace, it's automatically counted as 1 (putting you on 19), because 11 would bust you (with 29)!

A perfect starting combination would be an Ace + a 10-value card (10, J, Q, K), which equals 21 and is an automatic Blackjack.

Soft vs Hard Hands

Although not really necessary to know, this can help you make safer decisions if you're worried about losing your cash:

• Soft hand: Contains an Ace counted as 11
  • Example: Ace + 6 = Soft 17 (safe to hit because the Ace can drop to 1 if you'd bust with the new card).
• Hard hand: Either no Ace or the Ace must count as 1
  • Example: 10 + 7 = Hard 17 (dangerous to hit because you can bust immediately).

Dealer Behavior

In Red Dead Redemption, the dealer follows fixed rules which makes the game predictable:

• Dealer always hits until reaching 17 or higher.
• Dealer always stands on all 17s (including soft 17) or higher.

This means:

• If the dealer shows a 2-6, they’re more likely to bust, making it safer for you to stand on 12+.
• If the dealer shows a 7, 8, 9, 10, or Ace, they’re likely to end up strong so you should generally hit until at least 17.

Quick Rules

When it's your turn, if you have...

• 11 or less - Always Hit (you can’t bust).
• 12-15:
  • Stand if the dealer shows 2-6.
  • Hit if the dealer shows 7 or more.
• 16:
  • Stand if the dealer shows 2-6.
  • Hit if the dealer shows 7+.
• 17 or higher - Always Stand.
• Soft hands (Ace is '11') - Hit until you reach a "soft 18" or better.

Tips

• If you have a fair amount of money in the game already, you're best off quitting out of Blackjack if you lose your first hand, then rejoin to start over fresh.
• Keep doing this until you win your first hand then quit out with a profit to complete the objective.
• The game doesn't base "winning" on your overall history of Blackjack - for example if you lost 10,000 chips over multiple games, you won't need to win 10,001 to "win" the minigame - you simply need to start a new Blackjack game and leave it with more chips than you started with.

Five Finger Fillet

Five Finger Fillet is available from the start of the game (after completing "New Friends, Old Problems") and is marked by a hand symbol on the map. It can be played at 5 locations:

• Armadillo, New Austin
• Thieves' Landing, New Austin
• Torquemada, Nuevo Paraiso
• Escalera, Nuevo Paraiso
• Manzanita Post, West Elizabeth

Intro

Five Finger Fillet is a reflex-based timing game where players must press the correct buttons in sequence to guide Marston as he rapidly stabs a knife into the table between his fingers.

Walkthrough

When you sit at a table to play Five Finger Fillet, you'll take on one single opponent at a time in a best-of-3 match (first to 2 wins). There may be other people hanging around the table who will also get involved after your first match is finished, so to fully complete the task and "win" you'll need to defeat all opponents at the table until Marston stands up in victory.

You can ward off other challengers by running or jumping into them as they stand around waiting to play. If they are knocked over, this usually causes them to walk off and leave the area which means you can "win" the game by defeating the one and only opponent, speeding up the process.

Approaching the table, you're told to "Press Circle to play Five Finger Fillet".

When you start the game, you're told to "Enter your bet. Large bets are more difficult than smaller bets". The amount you bet will affect the pattern / button combo you'll need to enter, although you'll need to complete the 4th pattern regardless.

• Pattern 1: Bet $1–$4
  • One repeating button
• Pattern 2: Bet $5–$9
  • Two alternating buttons
• Pattern 3: Bet $10–$24
  • Three alternating buttons
• Pattern 4: Bet $25–$100
  • Four alternating buttons

When you reach the final opponent, or you're only battling one opponent, the minimum bet will be set at $25 which means you'll need to complete the most complex pattern in order to win the game.

Luckily, you can remember the pattern as it's always the same. Once you memorize it and your fingers' muscle memory kicks in, you can repeat the pattern over and over without even looking at the screen. In actual fact, I recommend you don't look at the screen at all and just look at your controller. This can eventually help you win plenty of money in Five Finger Fillet without even thinking about it.

Back in the day I used to write down the entire combo, then just read through it pressing the buttons in order without looking at the screen, but you can use our button combos below to do the same. Once you remember the pattern, muscle memory will do everything for you.

Winning at Five Finger Fillet

When you start the game, you'll place a bet. As mentioned above, the amount you bet affects the difficulty of the combo you'll need to enter.

Once the game begins, you'll watch your opponent perform the pattern first. Keep an eye on him to get an idea how quick you need to be.

When it's your turn, you'll have 5 lives to enter the combo in its entirety without running out of time. If you stab yourself in the hand by pressing a wrong button, you'll need to start the combo from scratch.

You'll play a best-of-3 game, meaning you'll ultimately need to enter the most complex combo twice in order to win the minigame.

The final combo is as follows:

PlayStation:
X, Circle, X, Triangle, X, Square, X, Circle, X, Triangle,
X, Circle, X, Triangle, X, Square, X, Circle, X, Triangle,
X, Circle, X, Triangle, X, Square, X, Circle, X, Triangle, X

Xbox:
A, B, A, Y, A, X, A, B, A, Y,
A, B, A, Y, A, X, A, B, A, Y,
A, B, A, Y, A, X, A, B, A, Y, A

Nintendo Switch:
A, B, A, X, A, Y, A, B, A, X,
A, B, A, X, A, Y, A, B, A, X,
A, B, A, X, A, Y, A, B, A, X, A

PC:
1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3,
1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3,
1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1

You should enter it at a reasonably quick, but consistent pace. Once you remember the combo you should just get used to entering it repeatedly. Don't forget there's an extra button on the end, although this is the first button of the combo so you'll probably press it without thinking about it.

If you're successful, you'll win double the money of your initial bet. Once you get the rhythm down, you can easily bet $100 and win $200 each time, racking up cash quickly. Although it's repetitive and challenging until you learn and remember the pattern, this is one of the fastest ways to make easy money in the game.

Horseshoes

Horseshoes is available from the start of the game (after completing "New Friends, Old Problems") and is marked by a horseshoe symbol on the map. It can be played at 3 locations:

• MacFarlane's Ranch, New Austin
• Rathskeller Fork, New Austin
• Las Hermanas, Nuevo Paraiso

Intro

Horseshoes is a turn-based minigame where two players take turns throwing horseshoes toward a metal stake driven into the ground approximately 40 feet away. Each player throws two horseshoes per round.

At the end of each round, points are awarded based on how close the horseshoes land to the stake.

Scoring Rules

• The player with the closest horseshoe to the stake scores 1 point.
• If both of a player’s horseshoes are closer than the opponent’s closest horseshoe, 2 points are awarded.
• A Ringer occurs when a horseshoe lands directly around the stake.
  • A ringer is worth 3 points, regardless of the opponent’s throw.
  • If both players score a ringer in the same round, they cancel each other out and no points are awarded.

Winning The Game

• The first player to reach 11 points wins.
• Games usually last several rounds, but can end quickly if ringers are scored consistently.
• In theory:
  • Maximum rounds: 21 (if only 1 point is scored per round)
  • Minimum rounds: 4 (if a player scores a ringer every round)

Tips

• Ensure you manually aim every throw by holding L2. You want to position the stake right in the center of the horseshoe as you hold it. Marston's finger should be pointing an inch or so from the stake.
• Never skip the opponents throw. Although this will make the game take at least twice as long to complete, if you watch him, he's usually quite inaccurate. If you skip his throws, he is usually awarded much more accurate throws which makes it harder for you to win.
• When throwing the horseshoe, pull back on the right stick until it reaches the bottom, then push forward in one single motion. As soon as the power bar reaches the half way point, press R2 to throw.
• If your aim was good and you released the throw at the correct point, you'll be very close to the stake. Whether you get a ringer or not is more down to luck. I was able to get a ringer that bounced before it hit the stake so it doesn't need to be a completely perfect throw.
• Keep trying and eventually you'll get the win. Practice makes perfect!

Liar's Dice

Liar's Dice is available from following the completion of "Man is Born Unto Trouble" and is marked by a dice symbol on the map.

It can be played at 3 locations:

• Thieves' Landing, New Austin
• Escalera, Nuevo Paraiso
• Casa Madrugada, Nuevo Paraiso

Intro

Liar’s Dice is a bluffing and probability-based minigame where each player starts with five six-sided dice, hidden from other players under a cup. At the start of each round, all players roll their dice simultaneously and secretly check their own results, but can only guess at what everyone else has rolled.

Players then take turns making bids about the total number of dice of a specific value that they believe exist across all players combined. For example, a bid of "three sixes" means the player believes there are at least three dice showing the number six on the table.

On each turn, the next player must either raise the bid (by increasing the number of dice, the face value, or both), or challenge the previous bid by calling a bluff or declaring it spot-on. Once a challenge is made, all dice are revealed and counted.

If the bid turns out to be incorrect, the player who made it loses one of their dice. If the bid was correct, the challenger loses a dice instead. If a spot-on bid is correct, all other players lose a dice. Players who lose dice continue playing with fewer dice in subsequent rounds, making each future bid more risky and more predictable.

The game continues until only one player has at least one dice remaining, at which point they are declared the winner.

Tips

• Your AI opponents aren’t particularly clever, so winning isn’t overly complicated, although there is still an element of luck involved.
• At the start of each round, always check your own dice and base your first bid on what you actually have.
  • For example, if you have two sixes, opening with a bid of two sixes is always safe.
• Avoid bidding anything too unrealistic unless you have a good reason to believe it could be accurate.
  • If you have three of a number, you may get away with bidding four.
  • If you have none, don’t bid high quantities of that number unless you’re intentionally bluffing late in the round.
• Although Liar’s Dice involves luck, successfully calling Spot-On is one of the fastest ways to win.
  • A correct Spot-On call causes all other players to lose a dice, which can dramatically speed up the game.

• It’s much easier to win when only one opponent remains, or if you're able to start the game against a single opponent which is even better.
  • In one-on-one games, you can often play very conservatively by telling the truth.
  • Your opponent will frequently call your bid as a bluff if they don’t see that number in their own dice, causing them to lose a dice instead.
• If an opponent bids four or five of a specific number, it’s almost always a bluff - especially early in the game.
  • Call them out unless you personally have several dice of that number and feel it could be true.
• When you’re down to the last opponent and they only have one dice remaining, their behavior becomes predictable:
  • They will always tell the truth about the face value of their die (e.g. 6 spots).
  • They may still bluff about the quantity on the table ("two sixes").
  • If they bid two of a number and you have none, calling their bluff is guaranteed to be successful.
  • If they bid one of a number and you also have none, declaring Spot-On will usually succeed.
• A reliable general strategy is to either:
  • Tell the truth consistently where possible, or
  • Bluff by adding one extra dice to what you actually have (e.g. if you have two sixes, bid three).
• To win the game and complete the objective, you must be the last player remaining with at least one dice.

Poker

Poker is available from the start of the game (after completing "New Friends, Old Problems") and is marked by a casino chip symbol on the map.

It can be played at 6 locations:

• MacFarlane's Ranch, New Austin
• Armadillo, New Austin
• Thieves' Landing, New Austin
• Chuparosa, Nuevo Paraiso
• Casa Madrugada, Nuevo Paraiso
• Blackwater, West Elizabeth
  • Regular game in the Saloon
  • High Stakes game in the hotel, only while wearing the Gentleman's Attire.

Intro

Poker is available throughout Red Dead Redemption and is one of the most common gambling minigames in the game world. Poker tables are usually found inside saloons, and while it can be a reliable way to earn money, it also carries the risk of losing large sums if you play poorly.

The version of poker used in-game is No-Limit Texas Hold ’Em, meaning players can bet any amount of their available chips at any time, including going All In.

Poker Basics

Poker is a community card game. Each player is dealt two private cards, which only they can see. Over the course of the hand, five community cards are dealt face-up in the center of the table. All players use these shared cards, along with their own two cards, to make the best possible five-card hand.

You are not required to use both of your private cards - the best hand can be made from any combination of the seven available cards.

Because multiple players share the same community cards, it’s common for more than one player to end up with a strong hand, which often leads to heavier betting.

Winning Hands (Lowest to Highest)

Poker hands are ranked as follows:

• High Card – No matching cards
• One Pair – Two cards of the same value
• Two Pair – Two different pairs
• Three of a Kind – Three cards of the same value
• Straight – Five cards in sequence (e.g. 9–10–J–Q–K)
• Flush – Five cards of the same suit
• Full House – Three of a kind plus a pair
• Four of a Kind – Four cards of the same value
• Straight Flush – Five sequential cards of the same suit (e.g. 3–4–5–6–7 of Hearts)
• Royal Flush – 10, J, Q, K, A of the same suit

The player with the highest-ranking hand at the end of the round wins the pot.

Betting Basics

Each hand begins with two forced bets:

• Small Blind – A small automatic bet
• Big Blind – A larger automatic bet (twice the small blind)

The size of the blinds varies by location. In Red Dead Redemption, big blinds generally range from $6 to $20, depending on the table.

After the blinds are placed, players take turns betting. On your turn, you can:

• Call – Match the current bet
• Raise – Increase the bet
• Fold – Drop out of the hand and lose what you’ve already bet
• All In – Bet all remaining chips

If you fold, you take no further part in the hand, which is often the safest option when your cards are weak.

At any point, you can leave the table and cash in your chips.

Poker Locations

Poker tables appear at multiple locations, each with different buy-ins:

• MacFarlane’s Ranch: $10 (100 chips)
• Armadillo: $25 (250 chips)
• Thieves’ Landing: $25 (250 chips)
• Chuparosa: $50 (500 chips)
• Casa Madrugada: $50 (500 chips)
• Blackwater Saloon: $100 (1000 chips)
• Blackwater Hotel: $250 (2500 chips)
  • Known as High Stakes Poker - Requires wearing the Gentleman’s Attire, and therefore prevents cheating as you can't wear the Elegant Suit.

High Stakes Poker is the most expensive gambling activity in the game. With a full table, it’s possible to earn over $1000 in a single session, but losses can be just as severe.

Cheating at Poker

If you wear the Elegant Suit, whenever you're dealing during Poker you'll have the option to press Triangle to play a mini-game where you must keep an arrow balanced in the center of the screen.

If you're successful, you'll be given an extra cars which you can swap out with any of your other cards at any point in the game.

If however you fail the mini-game (which sometimes just seems to happen automatically - particularly when there are fewer opponents) you'll be taken outside and challenged to a duel.

Failing the cheating mini-game on purpose can be a good way to force duels. In the duel, try to disarm your opponent (instead of killing them) and you'll receive an Honor bonus.

This can be used as a quick way to boost up your Honor ranking.

It also helps you remove a player from the game. If you head straight back to the poker table, you should be able to play again, with one less opponent making it easier and quicker to win.

Cheating isn't really necessary for the purposes of winning the minigame, but can be useful if you intend to play "properly".

Tips

I'm no poker expert, but given you're not playing with real money, I find it's much easier to take big risks.

My personal preference is to raise by 10-50 chips every time, regardless of my cards. Ideally you want to raise by enough to encourage the opponents to raise too without making them fold, in order to build up the prize pot.

After 2 or 3 rounds, I'd either raise by a large amount (100+ chips), or go all in.

This often scares off the other opponents and they'll fold, meaning you win all of the chips they put in.

If your opponents are feeling confident, they might match you and go all in too.

If you get lucky and you actually have decent cards, you might beat your opponent with better cards and you might clear them out too.

If you lose, just try it over again, it's not real money afterall! In fact, save your game before you even attempt it, then you can just reload your save and you won't have lost anything.

If you want to play poker properly I'm sure you can win with a much better strategy, but for the purposes of winning in RDR, my tactic has never really failed. You'll win eventually without even thinking about it.

You need to be the last man standing in order to complete the minigame objective for winning at poker. It's easier if there's only one opponent to start with, otherwise games can go on for quite awhile.