Kessel Sabacc is a new variation of sabacc that is featured within the video game Star Wars Outlaws. It is a popular game across the galaxy, in which 2-4 participants must keep their chip stack afloat despite the Imperial Tax.

Kessel Sabacc Cheat Sheet—————–Kessel Sabacc Cheat Sheet Inverted

Download Printable Kessel Sabacc Rules

Goal

In Kessel Sabacc, you invest chips to improve your hand and get a Sabacc hand, which is a pair of cards – one from each deck. To win a round, you need to have the best hand at the end of 3 turns.

The closer the card values are to zero, the stronger the sabacc hand is. Try to improve your hand by Drawing, or choose Standing if you’re happy with what you have.

The last player with chips in stock wins the game, and the credits in the pot.

Pieces

Cards

Number Cards

Hands are made of 2 cards, one from each family — Sand and Blood — with most cards being numbers 1 to 6. The card value is depicted by its header and central symbol. 

Specialty Cards

Impostor cards take the result value of a dice throw during the reveal phase.

Sylop cards match the value of the other card in hand during the reveal phase. Having a hand with a Sylop and any other card is called a Sylop Sabacc. A pair of Sylops is Pure Sabacc, the best hand of the game.

There are 3 cards for each value per family, and 2 Sylops for a total of 44 cards.

Chips

Each player is given chips, usually 4-8, that will allow the player to draw cards. You lose the round when you run out of chips.

What do all of the Shift Tokens do in Kessel Sabacc – Star Wars Outlaws?

Printable Shift Token Guide

Shift Tokens

Shift Tokens are effect tokens that can only be played before Draw or Stand actions. There are 16 unique shift tokens:

  • Free Draw – Avoid the draw fee this turn (draw a card without needing to pay one chip)
  • Refund – Retrieve 2 chips in play (Return 2 tokens to your pile, you can only use it when you have previously paid at least 1 chip this round)
  • Extra Refund – Retrieve 3 chips in play
  • General Tariff – Other players are taxed one chip (Other players are taxed one chip, as if buying a card)
  • Target Tariff – Target player is taxed 2 chips
  • Embargo – Next player must stand (It interferes with the next player’s plans for their turn)
  • Markdown – Set Sylop value to 0 until next reveal (Sylop would then only make a Sabacc Hand with another Sylop and not with any other number)
  • Immunity – Prevent Shift Token effects against you until next reveal
  • General Audit – Other players in stand are taxed 2 chips. (Players this turn who have chosen to stand must invest 2 chips)
  • Target Audit – Choose a player in Stand. They are taxed three chips.
  • Major Fraud – Set Impostor value to 6 until next reveal
  • Embezzlement – Take one chip from each player’s pot to your pot
  • Cook the Books – Inverts Sabacc ranks until the next reveal (6/6 Sabacc is the best)
  • Exhaustion – Choose a player. They must discard and draw a new hand.
  • Direct Transaction – Choose a player. Trade hands with them.
  • Prime Sabacc – Roll two dice. Pick one value as the new best sabacc.

Setup

Each player will need to pay the buy-in cost to play. Generally, this is 50-200 credits. The price depends on the individual table. All players must pay the agreed upon amount to play. Players place credits in the pot.

Players place their shift tokens on the table face down.

The dealer deals 2 cards to each player, one from each of the 2 decks. Then places the 2 decks in the middle and turns over 1 card from each deck to act as a discard pile.

The dealer gives each player 4-8 chips depending on the price of the buy-in (50 credits – 4 chips, 200 credits – 8 chips). Alternatively, players can agree to a chip count.

Gameplay

Gameplay consists of multiple Rounds consisting of 3 turns each. Gameplay ends when only one player has chips left. On their turn, players may play a Shift Token then Draw or Stand.

Play a Shift Token

Players can choose a Shift Token and play it.

Drawing a Card 

Players can choose to draw from either facedown deck, or either faceup discard pile.

When players draw, they must discard either the card they draw, or the card in their hand from the matching deck. Players must always end their turn with one card from each deck. Drawing costs 1 chip.

Turns

Each Round of play consists of 3 turns before you reveal your hand,

Each turn you may choose to play a Shift Token (if you have any left) then Draw or Stand.

Reveal Cards

Players will reveal their hands clockwise, starting with the dealer, until everyone has revealed.

If your hand includes one or more Impostor cards, you will need to roll the Sabacc Dice.

Dice Selection

Roll the Sabacc Dice. Choose one of the obtained values to replace the Impostor card and complete your hand.

You will need to do this for each Impostor card in your hand.

The round winner takes their invested chips back to their stock (only the chips invested this round).

Tie

It is possible that any hand can result in a tie; for example, 2 players each having a hand of 1,1. In this case, both players will get their chips back, for the rest of the players, chip penalties still apply.

Chips Penalties 

Without a Sabacc hand, you are taxed an amount equal to the difference of your card values. With a losing sabacc hand, you are taxed 1 chip. All taxed chips are lost.

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