How to Play Sabacc

Learning the Basics

Acquire your own Sabacc cards. A traditional Sabacc deck has 76 cards with unique suits and values, so you can’t substitute it with a regular deck of cards. Search online for a customized deck, so you can play the game as it’s meant to be played in the Star Wars universe. You can find printable Sabacc cards here: http://www.swagonline.net/sabacc-swag-way. You can also buy Sabacc cards online.

Review the special card values in a Sabacc deck. Sabacc cards traditionally fall into the saber, flask, coin, or stave suits. While a Sabacc deck has regular numbered cards, it also has “ranked cards” known as the Ace, Master, Mistress, and Commander, along with “face cards,” which are known as “The Star,” “The Evil One,” “Moderation,” “Demise,” “Balance,” “Endurance,” “Queen of Air and Darkness,” and “Idiot.” Keep in mind that Sabacc cards have both negative and positive values, unlike traditional cards. The Commander card is worth 12 points, the Mistress 13 points, the Master 14 points, and the Ace 15 points. The Star is worth -17 points, The Evil One is worth -15 points, Moderation is worth -14 points, Demise is worth -13 points, Balance is worth -11 points, Endurance is worth -8 points, Queen of Air and Darkness is worth -2 points, and Idiot is worth 0 points.

Aim to have a card total of 23 or -23. Like Blackjack, Sabacc revolves around players trying to collect multiple cards that equal a 23 or -23, or “Pure Sabacc,” that will win them the round. You can also win the round by getting an “Idiot’s Array,” which includes the “Idiot” card, along with a 2- or 3-valued card. If your hand is higher or lower than 23 or -23, you’ll “bomb out,” or be disqualified from the round. If 1 player has an Idiot’s Array and another player has a Pure Sabacc, the player with the Idiot’s Array will win the round.

Identify the Main Pot and the Sabacc Pot. Sabacc has 2 “pots,” where bets are collected throughout each round. The Main Pot automatically goes to the winner of the round, while you need a perfect score of 23 or -23 or earn a special card combination to also earn the Sabacc Pot. Do your best to separate these pots into separate piles.

Choose a dealer and start gameplay to the left of them. Pick someone to distribute the cards throughout the game. With this in mind, always keep playing going in a clockwise direction, with the player left of the dealer starting each round. This will help you keep track of who has or hasn’t gone throughout the game. Any person can be the dealer, as long as they’re okay with a little extra responsibility.

Starting the Pot-Building Phase

Distribute equal amounts of betting chips to each player. Grab some betting chips that you’d use for a regular poker game. Rename these chips as “credits,” like they’re called in the Star Wars universe. You can assign different “credit” values to each chip color, which will apply to the rest of the game. For instance, blue chips can be worth 5 credits, white chips can be worth 10 credits, and so on.

Put a preliminary bet in the Main Pot and Sabacc Pot. Ask each player to put a small amount of game currency into both the Main and Sabacc pots. These don’t have to be huge wagers—just enough to get the game going and add a little incentive. You’ll add the same amount to the Sabacc pot during each hand. You and the other players can decide what this wager is before the game starts. For instance, some players put 5 credits into the Sabacc Pot each hand. It may take a few rounds before anyone wins something from the Sabacc pot.

Distribute 2 cards face-down to each player. Shuffle the Sabacc deck thoroughly and pass out 1 card at a time to each player. Place the cards face-down, reminding players not to share their card totals just yet. Once everyone has 1 card, deal another card face-down to all the players. In this way, Sabacc is very similar to traditional poker games.

Draw, trade, or stand the cards in your hand before betting. Go around the circle once, giving each player a chance to draw a new card, trade in 1 card with the dealer or keep the cards they have, which is known as a stand. You’ll need to use your wits during this part of the round—while you can draw new cards to get yourself closer to a score of 23 or -23, there’s a chance you can deflate/inflate your score with a positive or negative card. You also don’t want your hand to be too high or too low, or else you’ll bomb out. A score higher than 23 and lower than -23 will disqualify you from winning the round.

Start the betting round by raising or bluffing. Go around the circle as you would in traditional poker. Invite the first player to create a bet, which other players can “raise.” Continue around the circle, raising the bet to add more more currency to the Main Pot. A single “round” occurs when every player has made a bet.

Build the pot with at least 4 more betting rounds. Continue around the circle, raising and bluffing as you see fit. Use these rounds to predict and potentially outfit your opponent’s hands. You need to play for 4 rounds to collect enough currency in the Main Pot. No player can “call” until 4 rounds pass.

Shifting the Cards

Roll a pair of dice after each individual play, each betting round, and after a game call. Get in the habit of rolling 2 identical dice frequently throughout the game. Remind each player to roll the dice after their initial turn, then roll the dice again after each betting round concludes. After the game is “called” by all the players, the dice must be rolled again to see if a shift will occur. In the Star Wars universe, androids send out a pulse that automatically changes the value of your cards. In the regular universe, dice replace this randomizing pulse. The dice add another unpredictable element to the game.

Collect and redistribute the cards if doubles are rolled. Check the result of each roll. If the dice show different numbers, continue with gameplay as usual. If the dice are identical, encourage all players to return their cards to the dealer, where they’ll be reshuffled and dealt to the players again. Before handing in your cards for the “shift,” count how many you have—the dealer needs to give you the same amount of cards that you had before. For instance, if you had 3 cards in your hand, the dealer would give you 3 cards back.

Place your card in a separate area to prevent them from “shifting.” Choose an area in front of you that will serve as a “disruptor field,” or a zone where your cards won’t be affected by the dice. Once each turn, you can place a card face-up in this area, which will allow you to use and play this card later on. Keep in mind that you can only “lock” 1 card into this zone at a time, so choose wisely! Other players will be able to see whichever cards you lock.

Remove or place additional cards into the field 1 at a time. You can adjust the number of cards you currently have in the disruptor field. Add or take out cards from this zone at your own discretion as the game continues. Keep in mind that the same 1-card limit applies each turn, preventing you from removing or adding more than 1 card at a time.

Choosing the Winner

Wait for a player to “call” the hand. After betting for 4 rounds, 1 player can “call,” which means that they’re ready to compare and reveal their hands. The remaining players can call or “fold,” which prevents them from winning the round.

Compare your hand total with the other players. Wait for all players to place their hands face-up and share their total value, so everyone can compare. At this point, disqualify any players who bomb out, or have a total higher than 23 or lower than -23. Pay close attention to see if anyone has a Pure Sabacc or an Idiot’s Array.

Give the contents of the Main Pot to the winner. Invite the current winner to collect everything from the Main Pot. If the player won with a Pure Sabacc, invite them to collect everything from the Sabacc Pot, as well. If no one scores a Pure Sabacc, then no one collects from that pot.

Place the amount in the Main Pot in the Sabacc Pot if you bomb out. Double-check the amount of currency that was in the Main Pot after the round. Instruct any losing players to put the same amount out currency into the Sabacc Pot. For instance, if the total Main Pot winnings were $20, any players who bombed out would put $20 into the Sabacc Pot.

Perform a Sudden Demise round if there’s a tie. Create a bonus round for any players who tied. Give each player an extra card, then compare the resulting hands. The player with the highest hand (that doesn’t bomb out) wins the round. If both hands end up bombing, give the Main Pot winnings to the player with the next highest hand.