I was playing the PS2 game Gun the other day and stumbled upon the poker mini game. After playing more of this addictive sidequest than the story missions, I began thinking to myself “What other console games have gambling minigames?”. 
 

First off, let’s talk about Gun’s minigame. It plays out like a regular game of poker. There are four sketches strewn out across the top of the screen with their cards laid out in front of them. The characters change from game to game, but that’s about as sophistocated as it gets. With the gorgeous in-game graphics throughout the rest of Gun, I feel like the poker minigame could have been so much better.

 
Next, I thought Afro Samurai did an amazing job of putting a spin on a poker minigame. It’s called Body Part Poker and it’s just about the best thing ever. When you get into a scrap with some thugs, you can opt in to play the game. Three cards then pop up in the corner of the screen, which will turn over whenever you cut off a particular body part of a player. For example, a straight flush is a leg, a head and a hand. When you get a great hand, you obtain certain key items and upgrades.

 
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas also has a great selection of casino games. When you get to Las Venturas, you can play traditional versions of blackjack, video poker, roulette, slots and wheel of fortune.

 
Check out Tales of Vesperia for PS3 for a cute video poker game. It runs exactly as regular video poker would, but with each face card representing a different character. Its also rumoured that this is the best way to make money in the game.

 
For some interesting slots, you can play Bioshock or Pokemon. Both are pretty basic slots games, but Bioshock has amazing graphics, so its just fun to experience it.

 
And, of course, there are many console games solely dedicated to poker and casino games, but I find gambling mini games a lot more fun. They’re a great way to earn extra cash and incentives throughout the game, while taking a break from story missions, so try them out!