Texas: Playing Poker
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Contents
A Disclaimer[edit]
First off, let's be clear - this isn't your normal game of Texas Hold'Em.
If you want to know how to play that game, check here.
The Texas rpg uses its own version of that classic game designed for a role playing purposes rather than to satisfy poker purists.
The Stakes are Set...[edit]
As we described in the previous chapter, every participant in the conflict should be going into a conflict aware of what the stakes are.
The GM is the ultimate arbiter.
In two-man conflicts, win/lose is easy enough to determine - when you're out of chips, you lose and the other guy wins.
In multiplayer conflicts it works a little differently; if you're out of chips you suffer the lose condition. If everyone except you and your allies are out of chips, then you and your team gain the win condition.
This means that a Conflict can actually come to an end while there's more than one man at the table - so long as they all share the same win condition.
Setting Up the Game[edit]
Receive Chips[edit]
Once you know who is part of a conflict and what the stakes are you set up the game. Each participant first takes a pool of poker chips. Each player gets nine chips by default. If the conflict suits a character's aptitude, then that player gets twelve chips instead.
The GM will always let you know which aptitude gets the bonus chips.
Chips aren't held between conflicts - every conflict gives each player a fresh pool of poker chips.
Determine Initiative, or "Who drew first?"[edit]
The player who initiated the conflict has initiative. For example, if a gunfight is started the guy who pulled his gun first has initiative.
This participant gets to open the betting each round. Also, at the start of the conflict, he either calls "clockwise" or "counterclockwise" and the betting order passes round in that direction for the rest of the conflict.
Its worth noting that regardless of who has initiative, the GM is always the dealer. He should deal cards to the participant with initiative first and then rotate in the declared direction of play from there.
The Conflict Round[edit]
Conflicts are divided into rounds. Each round has the following stages:
1) Ante Up![edit]
At the start of a betting round, every participant must throw 1 chip into the pot.
This is called the ante chip and is mandatory.
2) Deal hands[edit]
Each participant is dealt two cards, face down in front of him.
Then, each participant whose shtick matches the conflict gains an additional card.
Everybody can look at their own cards. You are not allowed to show your cards to anyone else, even allies. You can say what your cards are out loud if you wish, but only if its loud enough for everyone to hear.
3) Pre-flop bets[edit]
Starting with the participant who has initiative, bets can be made.
As with all games of poker, you have three options:
- You can Raise, to increase the value of the bet to a new level. All bets from that point on must be of that level or higher.
- You can Call, to meet the current bet, putting in chips until you reach the level of the bet.
- You can Fold, backing out of the conflict, but putting no more chips in. Any chips you have already put in remain in the pot, of course.
- You can Check, not putting any more chips in, but not folding either. You can only check if you have already put enough chips to meet the bet's current level.
There's also a special sort of raise called "all-in", where you put all your chips into the pot. This is treated as any other raise.
If you run out of chips from betting, you are not forced to fold, but the pot is "split into two piles." One pile has all the chips you've put in, plus any chips others have put in to meet that level, and the other has all other chips. Should you win the hand, you can only win whats in that first pile, and the rest goes to the next highest hand.
If you make a full circle of the table with no raises being made, then the betting round ends.
4) The Flop[edit]
The dealer deals three face-up cards onto the table. This is called the flop.
After this, another betting round begins.
5) The Turn[edit]
One more card is dealt face up onto the table. This is called the turn.
After this, another betting round begins.
6) The River[edit]
One more card is dealt face up onto the table. This is called the river.
After this, another final betting round begins.
7) The Showdown[edit]
Starting with whoever has initiative, hands are revealed. Anyone who has folded before the Showdown doesn't (and can't) reveal their cards.
Whoever can make the highest five card poker hand from a combination of their cards and the ones on table wins.
For reference, the poker hand hierarchy is here:
- Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Full House
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of a Kind
- Two Pair
- One Pair
- High Card
You then loop back to step one, and keep going till the conflict is resolved!
Withdrawing / Getting the Hell Out of Dodge[edit]
You can't walk away from a Conflict easily, but it is sometimes possible to escape.
If you win a hand, you can choose not to take your winnings and instead Withdraw. If you do so, then all the chips in your pool and the pot are removed from the game. Your character is considered to have escaped the Conflict, and neither gets the win condition or suffers the lose condition of the Conflict.
The problem is, of course, that if this leaves no-one but enemies in the conflict, then they will gain a win condition anyway.
If its mutually incompatible for you to not suffer a loss and for your enemies to win, then your escape takes priority. For example if your lose condition is "don't get shot" and their win condition is "shoot you", then you don't get shot.
