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The Game Crafter News
22 September 2020
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Thread: Tarot:: Variants:: Arcane Poker: Tamriel Hold'em (playtest concept)
by Marinealver
So just looking at concepts for poker using a tarot deck since we all know the 52 card deck derived from Tarot. For the most part all Ii could find that uses the 56 card minor arcana as a poker deck, and the 21 card major arcana as a deck that just determines which cards are wild. I was thinking more of a well full 78 card deck of hands. So my concept is sort of a 6-card Texas Holdem with all cards shuffled in, and the concept is with the minor arcana you uplay sort of 6 card texas hold'em and the Major Arcana you play solid suit black jack. I assume most people on this forum are familiar with the Tarot deck but for those not here is the breakdown
Major Arcana 22 cards blackjack
number 0(fool)to 21(world)
Minor Arcana 56 cards 6 card poker
4 suits (swords, wands, cups, pentacles/rings)
14 cards per suit (Ace, 2-10, Page, kNight, Queen, King)
setup
Shuffle both major and minor arcana into a complete tarot deck. Then set up as a 6 card Texas Holdem with each player being dealt on card face up and one card face down and then 6 cards face down on the table.
Play after using blinds each player may make their first bid or fold. Then the dealer asks players with a face up major arcana card if they want to declare anything. A Player with both dealt cards that are from the Major Arcana can Double Down if they have a sum that is over 21, or may declare Arcanium (a winning hand) if the 2 cards from the major arcana sum up to exactly 21. If the sum is less than 21 or they only have a single card (or no cards) from the Major Arcana then the player cannot make a declaration.
Arcanium Is a winning hand as in the cards from the Major Arcana in ones hand and on the table sum up to exactly 21 (do not count minor Arcana cards). If Arcanium is declared only if a player is dealt 2 major arcana cards that sum up to 21 before the flop (first 3 are flipped) or after any table cards turn face up if a player reaches exactly 21. Arcanium is the winning hand and is only beaten by another arcanium (say on a later card turn) a 5 of a kind (i.e. a 7 from each of the Minor Arcana suits and the 7 from the Major Arcana) or a 6 card hand (6 card straight or flush, 3 pair, double trips, full motel, ect.) Upon declaring arcanium the player will stay in the round but any more major arcana cards will not count to the players hand. If another player is able to declare Arcanium later then that player may fold as a later arcanium beats an early arcanium.
Minor Arcana is the only one with suits, so a flush must all be in minor arcana. Same for a straight flush. Now there is an Arcane Straight which is a 6 card straight all from the major arcana. As the suits have an extra face card a Royal Flush from the Minor Arcana is the 10, Page, kNight, Queen, King and Ace. They are not used for Arcanium in adding up to 21.
Major Arcana can be used for pairs, x of a kind, straights, full motels and Arcanium (add to 21). They cannot be used for a flush or a straight flush as they have no suit. Their number can pair with a face card of the same value (Ace & 1, Page and 11, kNight & 12, Queen & 13, King & 14). note: I haven't set the ace 15 even though it is used as a royal flush. I may change that or not.
6 card hands rank
Arcane Straight (all major)
Royal Flush (all minor)
Straight Flush (all minor)
Double Arcanium (all major)
full motel
double trips
5 of a kind
flush (all minor)
straight
3 pair
Arcanium (all major)
3 of a kind
2 pair
single pair
Closest to 21 without over (all major)
highest card
note: these have been arranged more in order of simplicity more than in order of odds from rarest to most common. I haven't crunched out the numbers and someone might find that one hand might be more common than a lower ranked hand (especially with the major arcana). Depending on how the odds are this order could be rearranged.
A round goes like a Texas Holdem round with one extra card flip on the table. On the flop, you flip the first 3 cards n the table face up, if anyone reach 21 without going over after all 3 are flipped they may declare arcanium and will have to match until someone else declares arcanium or after the last flip (the sea).
On the turn reveal the 4th card face up, start bids then declare arcanium (if able). On the river reveal the 5th card then bid, and may declare arcanium. The last phase of the round will be the sea flip the 6th and final card. Bid, Call, Declare Arcanium or hand.
as of now I have all bindings before the declarations or arcanium in the phases, that could be switched depending on gameplay flow.
closing Well these are my rules for Arcane Poker Tamriel Hold'em. If anyone has suggestions (to include a name change from Tamriel Holdem) or questions please leave a comment below.
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