Yarith Bespin Casino's Corellian Spike

At the Yarith Bespin Casino, a challenging wrinkle is added to the game: In addition to each player's hand cards, they also have a spike card. The spike card sits face-up on the table in front of each player and must be used as part of their hand.

Gameplay

• Choose one player to be the dealer. That player deals for the first round. The dealer rotates to the left in subsequent rounds. The dealer also plays.
• Each player puts two credits in the hand pot and one in the sabacc pot to enter the hand. This is the ante and can increase later on in the game, especially in tournament-style play. (At some tables, there is only a hand pot and no sabacc pot. At these tables, the ante into the hand pot usually starts at one rather than two credits.)
• The dealer deals two hand cards to each player. These cards are kept secret from all but the player who holds them. The remaining cards are placed face-down in the center of the table and constitute the draw pile.
• Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player checks or bets (the bet must be at least equal to the hand pot ante -- typically two credits). If a player bets, all subsequent players must either call (match the bet), bet (increase the bet in increments of the hand pot ante), or junk (discard their cards face-up and exit the hand). Betting continues around the table until all players have either called or junked. (If all but one player has junked, that remaining player wins the hand.)
• After the initial betting phase, the dealer places a third card -- the spike card -- face-up in front of each remaining player.
• Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player may now choose to buy a card by adding the hand pot ante amount to the hand pot (typically two credits). The player draws the top card from the draw pile and can either discard it, swap it with one of their hand cards, or swap it with their spike card. In any case, at least one card is discarded so the player ends their turn with two hand cards and one spike card. (At some tables, players may choose to swap a hand card with their spike card, with or without buying a card. This action can be performed at any time during that player's turn. There is also an optional rule where players may buy the top card from the discard pile for twice the hand pot ante instead of buying from the draw pile. Another optional rule allows players to continue buying new cards until they run out of credits.)
• Once all players have taken a turn, another betting phase begins -- identical in rules to the first betting phase -- and continues around the table until all players have either called or junked. (If all but one player has junked, that remaining player wins the hand.)
• The dealer then rolls the spike dice. If the symbols on the dice match, all players discard their two hand cards and are dealt two new cards. If the symbols on the dice are both spikes, players also discard their spike card and are dealt a new one.
• Everyone gets another chance to buy a card, and then to bet. If more than one player still remains, the spike dice are rolled again, following the same rules as before.
• Players then get to buy and bet one more time. If more than one player remains, the spike dice are rolled a final time.
• The remaining players reveal their hands (unless there is only one player left, in which case they have the option to keep their hand a secret). The player with the best hand wins, collecting the hand pot. If the winning hand's value is zero, the player with that hand also collects the sabacc pot.
• If play is to continue, the dealer rotates to the left and the above steps are followed again.

Winning Hands

In a tie, a positive total beats a negative one. After that, the hand with the highest positive card total wins, then the hand with the single highest positive card. However, with the hands yee-haa and sabacc with one pair, the hand with its pair closest to zero wins.

Idiot's Array

A sylop, a two, and a three.

0, +2, +3 or 0, -2, -3 or 0 +2, -3 or 0, -2, +3

Prime Sabacc

Zero with a positive ten, a negative ten, and a sylop.

+10, -10, 0

Yee-haa

Zero with one pair and a sylop.

Examples: +2, -2, 0 or +7, -7, 0

Sabacc with One Pair

Zero with one pair.

Examples: +1, +1, -2 or +6, -3, -3

Sabacc with Highest Value Cards

Zero with the highest positive card total.

Example: +4, +6, -10 beats +4, +5, -9 because 10 (sum of +4 and +6) is higher than 9 (sum of +4 and +5)

Sabacc with Highest Value Single Card

Zero with the highest single positive card.

Example: +1, +8, -9 beats +4, +5, -9 because 8 is higher than 5

Nulrhek

Closest to zero.

Example: +1, +3, -5 beats +3, +5, -10

Nulrhek with Positive Score

Closest to zero with a positive score.

Example: +1, +3, -3, beats +1, +2, -4

Nulrhek with Highest Value Cards

Closest to zero with the highest positive card total.

Example: +4, +8, -6 beats +3, +4, -1 because 12 (sum of +4 and +8) is higher than 7 (sum of +3 and +4)

Nulrhek with Highest Value Single Card

Closest to zero with the highest single positive card.

Example: +2, +10, -6 beats +4, +8, -6 because 10 is higher than 8

Single Blind Draw

If players are still tied, they must draw one card from the draw pile. The player whose card is closest to zero wins. If tied, the positive number wins. If still tied, draw again until a winner is determined.

Examples: -1 beats +4 and +1 beats -1

Winning Hand Variations

At some tables in the Yarith Bespin, you'll find a slightly different set of winning hands. These tables drop the idiot's array, prime sabacc, or both. Another variation: when it comes to yee-haa and sabacc with one pair ties, the hand with the highest pair wins, rather than the pair closest to zero.

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