Ideas: Gamblers, Gambling, and Money-Changing Games

O

OrcFighterFTW

Mentor
I'm posting this to get ideas for gambling games that would be in-period/Alliance-flavored. I need ideas for gambling games that are fast, portable, use minimal equipment (equipment used for multiple purposes would be best), and most importantly have a simple and explicit system of betting/gambling controlled by a single dealer or "house" person to potentially make money (or lose a lot as the case may be, haha!)

To clarify, my character is a gambler (CM: Gambler ftw) basically starting a "casino" (also, what would be an appropriate in-game term?) in the tavern for during downtimes/add flavor to the game. I've been actively working on this in-game during the last two weekends (the tavern keeper, sheriff, and royal magistrate have all approved so long as all local laws are followed), but I need ideas for what would be acceptable/in-period in terms of the games played. I want to do better than just taking modern games and renaming them.

My character already takes bets as the "house" on duels and other competition-based wagers. Also, "liar's dice" is relatively popular locally but is not something that can be controlled by a "house" so multiple-player games like that are not so good, but could potentially work (perhaps something like Blackjack).

I humbly request more ideas along the lines of cards, spinning wheels, dice, and similar things. :D
 
Mini-baccarat is quick and simple once the rules are explained, and people can swap out at any time.
 
You can take a modern game and give it a fantasy name. I play a lot of 5 card draw (Dragon Poker), Texas Hold Em (Goblin Hold em) and 31 (Luck's Gambit).
 
Drew (i think),

Unfortunately, what you are seeking is going to take research which I am of no use. The best options is probably to take something people are familiar with (which is what you don't want to do), and maybe add a small twist to it - such as 21 but going for a new number, such as letting J = 11 , Q = 12 , K = 13 , and A = 1 (and only 1) and a goal of 25 (K and Q), double kings can be split.

The best way to get people is to take something they know how to play already (people of Alliance-world would probably have played it before and also be familiar with it). While it is kind of cheezy just renaming it, it is probably how you'll get more people to play

As for house odds, you would need to figure that out so it looks enticing for people to play, but in your favor. Figuring it out for something newly created gets tricky as soon as variants start getting added.
 
Nerves of Steel poker, or hobling hold'em as we used to call it (made up by my hobling way back in the day). It's basically five card stud, but here's the twist. You deal two cards to each player, both face up, then place one card in the middle of the table face down. There is a round of betting, everyone gets another card face up, more betting. Fourth card around face up, more betting. Fifth card around face up, final round of betting. No, you're not crazy, everyone's entire hand is visible to all players, you all know what everyone else has. Here's the kicker: after all the bets are placed, the card in the middle of the table is flipped face up. That card is now Wild. So you may have had three queens to my pair of twos with an ace kicker, but now twos are wild and I have three aces. Now, I may not have had the *ahem* guts to stay in and find out that the twos were wild, or it could be the wild card doesn't impact the hands in any way shape or form. Question is, did you have the nerves of steel to stick it out till the end knowing that unless that one card was the exact one you needed to make your hand a winner?

Yes, it's every bit as mind blowingly stupid as it sounds. Enjoy!
 
Look into craps (dice) which can be a bit complicated but might be able to be slimmed down for ease of use. Also, faro (cards) is supposed to be an easy, fast paced game, but I have never played it.
 
A couple of years ago, Wizards of the Coast put out a series of articles regarding dice games you could implement into your D&D game. You should be able to access the archives for it through this link: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/dg.

Also, when I play my Gypsy seafarer, I make a habit of bringing my deck of Three-Dragon Ante that WotC put out (granted I had to remove certain cards due to their religious aspects, but it's still playable regardless).
 
Liers Dice
Two player minimum. suggested no more then 5
Each player has one dice non see threw cup and five dice.

To start the game, players shake their cups with the dice in them, and slam them on the table with the openings downward, so no one can see how the dice fell.

before any one can look at there dice every one throws in a coin to make the pot, lets say 1 silver each.
now Players can peek at their own dice, but they can't see anybody else's.
After you peek at your dice, based on what you found you can make a call about how many of any number of dice there are on the table. For example, you can say "three 2s," meaning you think that there are three dice on the table that rolled a 2. Your guess includes all the dice belonging to all the players, not just your own dice ... so you're making a guess that includes dice you can't see!

Players can "up the ante" by changing their calls. you start with the yngest player, and move to the left around the table, the 1st person makes their geuss and then the next must make a geuss that beets the last person's guess or call the last person who made a guess a lair.

The calls must be in order to the player on the left. its normal for the 1st player to guess low even if they have a cup of high dice, though this is just the most common strategy.

once the 1st round of guesses is over a 2ed set of coins in thrown in and the guessing and raising of the values guesses keeps going a round and a round till some one calls someone elis a lire. and the dice are shown

Eventually somebody will make an impossible call (such as saying there are six 6s when there are only eight dice on the table and the other player can see none of his are 6), and somebody will say the caller is a liar. At that point, the dice are revealed. every one lifts there cups and the one being called a lire must be proven or dis proven on there call.

if the person called a lair is not lying they win the pot, if they are laying the prize goes backward a round the table to the right till some ones call is true, therefor finding the winner.

The highest correct call wins. For example, "four 3s" is worth more than "three 3s," but only if there really are four 3s!
If you call somebody a liar and they weren't wrong, you lose.

it is a game of counting the odds and making judgments off the dice you can see and reading the bluffs of who is playing much like Texas hold-em or regular poker is.

Any player who makes a call that is shown to be wrong loses. For example, if you call "five 6s" and there aren't at least five dice that show 6 on the table, you've lost.

If nobody says "You're a liar!" then the highest call wins and the dice don't have to be shown.
the highest call that one can make is the max combined number of dice in play of 6s counting wilds if in play.

see below for rules on using wilds.

like in regular card games 2 of a kind beets 1 high card the same can be said of dice.

two 1s, beets one 6 and so on

advanced rules

wilds be for a game begins house rules can declare wilds, such as 2's are wild therefor if u have a guess of 4 , 5s and there are only 3 fives and all u need is there to be one wild and u are not lying... this allows for higher maximum combination of nice numbers and in the end more betting chances.

declaring straits be for the game starts the person running the game or who has supplyed the dice may declare if straits are on or off, meaning that a call of 12345 can win over a call of all 6s the maximum normal guess.. but only if the strait of 12345 is with in the person declaring the strait's cup counting no other dice.

if you have a strait you can lie your way thew rounds of betting to raze the value of the pot, but if some one calls another or you a lair you will not get the opportunity to call your strait and automatically win.

a great game to play if you like lying to your friends and getting a way with it.

(more games to come soon)
 
Dice game called "4, 3, 2, 1."
can be played with 2 players to as many as you like, however gets complicated with more then 10 players...

The game starts after every one puts in a coin to the pot. I like to stick with the example of one silver each...
every one gets 5 dice and every one rolls at the same time all 5 dice.

In this round if you have not rolled any 4s you can do nothing if you have rolled a 4 you set it a side and scan your roll for any 3s, if you have no 3s you stop, if you have a 3 you set the 3 to the side with the 4 and scan your dice for any 2s... a 3 can not be played with out a 4 first being rolled, and a 2 can not be played with out a 3 first being payed and so on.
After all eligibly dice have been played from this round every one re rolls any dice that where not set a side, also called played...

Example i roll a 2 a 1 a 6 and two 3s i cant play any of them because i have no 4 in play in the 1st round so i will end up re rolling them all.

Vary simply the rounds of every one re rolling at the same time go on till some one wins, ties are decided by the remaining 1 die or by setting the pot to the side and playing for double or nothing, the pot being increased by the lossing player... u can all so just do a play off with out it being double or nothing...or you can pick to just split the pot between the people who tied.

advanced rules

if you play this game as 3, 2, 1 you will use 4 dice and the game will be much shorter normally but the odds will not be in your fever.

if you play this game as 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 you will use 6 dice no more then, each.
this option will result in a more evenly spread odds of who can win,and normal results in longer games.
under this 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 there is no extra dice to brake ties so you must play a play off game, or split the pot between the people who tied.
 
3 man war
you will need 2 decks of cards
played with 2 players at a time.

1 deck of cards is given to each player and is vary well shuffled, then the other player cuts the apposing players deck. and the game begins after each player puts in a coin to the pot. this game i recommended a much higher bet to start with such as 1 gold, seeing as the game is longer to play and limited by how many can play. and that the odds for winning is 50/50.

to start the war both players set there deck in front of them face down and draw the top three cards face down they line them out so that each others cards are lined up "head to head" randomly in to 3 sets of apposing cards.

then the cards in there pairing s are flipped from one side to the other down the line, the person with 2 wins takes all 6 cards to there trash bin.

the higher card is the wining card ace must be declared as low or high before the game starts.

the rounds repeat till the decks are completely drawn and all cards are in one or the others trash pile.
the trash piles are stacked neatly and the taller one declares the winner and takes the pot.

the winner mush sort and separate the cards back out, you get the coins but you allso get the work...

advanced rules

jokers can be left in as automatic wins.
in this case when a joker is flipped over on your side no mater what pairing it is in, you win all 3 wars, and take the 6 cards as if they where a clean sweep, this can lead to a faster win and more fun with odds of chance.

coin up rules befor the game starts you can decare coin up rules on or off.
when on this means if you win all 3 mach ups in a singal hand with ouy the use of a joker then the lossing side must put another coin in to the pot , normaly a coin of less value then the oppnening bid, such as a silver or 2 rather then the oppening gold peace, this a mount is desided on when the coin up rule is declared on at the start of a game.

bounty rules can be declared at the beginning of a game, bounty is set at a smaller coin value then the opening bid such as a silver if the opening bid was a gold.

Then each player declares a number and suit such as the king of harts, or the 7 of clubs, each player should pick a different card then the other. the 1st player who's bounty is flipped face up on the table wins there bounty payed by the other player to the pot. no added coin is given when the 2ed called bounty is revealed on the table. in the case where both show up in the same flip, no bounty is payed by ether player.
 
Odd or Even.

this game can be played with cards dice or a coin
some times called hot or cold or heads or tails, the game rules are easy and universal.
if using cards face cards should be removed as well as jokers, if using a coin the side with the # on it is the even side the side with out is the odd side.

there is a house. and players. the house hosts the round being played for a cut of the pot.

This game can be played with 3 or more players in addition to the person representing the house.

Each player puts one coin in to the pot, such as for example one silver.
for the remainder of this explanation lets use the example of there being 4 players and the house.

the house asks odd or even each player declares one or the other and the dice card or coin is flipped/rolled, if you called incorrectly then you are out.

next round the same, the dealer asks odd or even, then the players pick one or the other and the cards, dice or coin is flipped/rolled.

Again if you chose incorrectly your out. if for example the game has 2 players left and both pick odd, and even is drawn nether one is out... however they must both put another coin in to the pot. before the next round. to avoid this it is a wise strategy to always best in opposition to the other players, this also increase your odds of winning.

When the game has a winner the house takes 1 coin of equivalent value to the original bets placed by the players, this is the houses fee for running the game for the players. this game lasts longer and is more fun the more people playing it in one sitting.

For the house this game is most profitable when there are no more then 4 players because you will have short fast games and gain more coins for the raped turn over.

for many cases if this game if offered by a gambling house a limit on the number of players will be set for any one sitting, or a minimum bet is placed for games over a set number, such as any game with more then six players is considered high stakes and the mimimum bet is 3 silver or a gold or what you like.

the same gos for games with only 3 players sky's the limit and the higher the coins bet the more the house takes in per game.
 
nobles and presents
a card game

Face cards are the nobles 10 and below are the presents
aces count as trumps

This game is played with a house and players normaly in groups of 3 or 6 players due to the houses cut... being 1/3ed the ante. allowing for easy math.

All players wager in a coin to start the game, again i recommend a silver.
the house or dealer shuffles and one of the players cuts, then the game begins by the dealer dealing out 3 face down cards to all the players and them self's.

then one face up card to each player.

then a round of betting or calls proceeds from the dealers left to right a round the table, at this time no one may look at there face down cards.

another round of face up cards, this time players may peek at there face down cards, before betting proceeds from the dealers left to right a round the table. the house or dealer may not look at there face down cards till the end of game.

if at this time the dealer had a face card showing face up the game is called and all cards are shown, the player with the highest face card wins, if there is a tie on say two people with kings the present cards are added up and the highest count wins.

If on the 2ed round the dealer doesn't have a face card face up the players may cause to declare victory or for another round to be played of face up cards and betting..

when a player declares victory, at the end of a betting round the dealer and all players flip over there face down cards and a winner is found.

what an ace is used for as a trump card... an ace takes on the value of the next lowest card in the pile of the players cards, so if the next lowest card you have is a 7 for example the ace is a counted as a 7 when the cards are counted, the best hand you can have at the end of round 2 is a king and a mix of all aces and tens or other face cards.

face cards in a players pile that are not the highest face card they have are counted up as a value of 10.

in the extremely rare cases of a equal tie say of both players having a king a 10 and a 4 as there hands as the winning hands, the players can choose to do a deal off where both are dealer a card and the higher one decides the winner, or they can choose to split the pot after the house takes its cut, as a draw.

when a winner is found the house takes its cut. the houses cut is 1/3ed the original antes

so if there are 3 players and the house and the original ante was 1 gold each the house takes 1 gold and the rest of the pot gos to the winner. this 1/3ed is normally removed by the house before the start of game after every one antes in, to avoid confusion.

the object of this game is to have the highest nodal and most presents fallowing you the fastest and out number your foes
 
I suppose it sucks i play someone who is a little jaded and anti gambling due to her back story... yet in real life i love coming up with or playing such games with freinds...

i Mean my healer can be talked in to playing a game but will never seek out, or suggest a game be played, she plays to fit in or be social only...
 
OrcFighterFTW said:
I'm posting this to get ideas for gambling games that would be in-period/Alliance-flavored. I need ideas for gambling games that are fast, portable, use minimal equipment (equipment used for multiple purposes would be best), and most importantly have a simple and explicit system of betting/gambling controlled by a single dealer or "house" person to potentially make money (or lose a lot as the case may be, haha!)

To clarify, my character is a gambler (CM: Gambler ftw) basically starting a "casino" (also, what would be an appropriate in-game term?) in the tavern for during downtimes/add flavor to the game. I've been actively working on this in-game during the last two weekends (the tavern keeper, sheriff, and royal magistrate have all approved so long as all local laws are followed), but I need ideas for what would be acceptable/in-period in terms of the games played. I want to do better than just taking modern games and renaming them.

My character already takes bets as the "house" on duels and other competition-based wagers. Also, "liar's dice" is relatively popular locally but is not something that can be controlled by a "house" so multiple-player games like that are not so good, but could potentially work (perhaps something like Blackjack).

I humbly request more ideas along the lines of cards, spinning wheels, dice, and similar things. :D
Click to expand...

There are a great deal of Asian dice games, which require a dice cup and three dice. If you're going for something that is extremely old and house driven you may want to look towards that area of the world they have had a lot of solid gambling games for a while and have also had gambling houses. Some of the games are a bit...different then ours however but ymmv.

For a dice example look into Sic Bo, the concept is old, but that particular name is new. If you want something with a lot of flair and old feeling to it the original version of PaiGow uses tiles(dominoes) instead of cards and doesn't include the Western poker concept (IOW the hands aren't judged by Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a kind, etc etc). It is a bit esoteric, but after a few rounds of it people usually get the hang of it.

I could rattle on for a while on ideas on this subject. I hope to be able to have enough money to cover bets and do this sort of thing my self. If you'd like to talk more on the subject just drop me a pm I can send you some links and info.
 
Which version? I've seen like four: one based on what was played in Asprin's Myth series, one that is a variant of Between The Sheets, one that is a modified Omaha Hold 'Em, and one that had cards all it own.
 
jpariury said:
Which version? I've seen like four: one based on what was played in Asprin's Myth series, one that is a variant of Between The Sheets, one that is a modified Omaha Hold 'Em, and one that had cards all it own.
Click to expand...

I think that one. In short, 2 cards are played, and the current player bets based on how likely the third card will fall in between them.
 
Ahhhh. Yes, I've played. That's how my gypsy obtained his first knighthood. We didn't pay for paltry coin though, we played for minutes of service. Being a gypsy owed over 20,000 minutes of service from a Baron can be quite handy.
 
Oh, That's dragon poker. Meh. I think the dragons I once knew would oblit the dealers for naming such a simplistic game after such complex creatures.

I once won my life with 3 card monte though. When I showed the other gypsy how I did it (It was part of the deal) he said, "In other words, you cheated." My response was, "In other words, I played the game as a Romani would when his life was on the line."
 
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