Star Wars Outlaws Kessel Sabacc Strategies—How to win sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws

Star Wars Outlaws brings a new twist to sabacc, offering players the chance to experience the thrill of Sabacc in the form of Kessel Sabacc. Whether you’re a seasoned Sabacc player or new to the game, mastering Kessel Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws requires strategic thinking, keen observation, and a bit of luck. In this post, we’ll share some essential strategies, based on our games, to help you dominate the game and Make a bunch of credits!

Understanding Kessel Sabacc

The goal of Kessel Sabacc is to have the lowest pair of cards, one card from each deck/family, at the end of three turns. Each deck is made up of three of each of the number cards 1-6 and Impostor, and one Sylop for a total of 44 cards. The Impostor card takes the result value of a dice throw during the reveal phase. The Sylop cards match the value of the other card in hand during the reveal phase. Shift tokens add organized chaos that can change the result of the game. You can get all of the rules and Learn How to Play Kessel Sabacc from Star Wars Outlaws.

Kessel Sabacc Chip Management

Chips are life points and what keeps you able to play. A major strategy to eventually win is to lose as little as possible. If you have a hand at the beginning that is only off by one value (like a 3 and 4), you may consider standing each turn rather than investing in your hand. At the end of the round, you’ll be required to pay one chip in tax. But if you invest in your hand but still lose, you lose more than that one chip. If you aren’t dealt a Sabacc and only have a couple chips left, maybe ride out the hand till you have another chance to be dealt a better hand you can win with. 

When to Invest Chips Aggressively

Because both decks equal each other and players are dealt one card from each deck, you have about a 20% chance to be dealt a Sabacc hand right off (excluding Imposting Sabacc hands because you don’t know till you roll). Excluding that 20%, you have a 55% chance of getting sabacc through the draw action if you are willing to invest in a new card each round which means each player could get a sabacc hand 75% of the time.

The best time to invest aggressively is when you have a wide hand value, like a 1 and 6. Keep investing and discard that 6 till you get a better hand, be that a Sylop, Impostor, 1, or 2. If you just keep the 1 and 6, you will be taxed five chips and it’s better to lose three chips to investing and then one chip to the tax if you lose with a close hand, like 1 and 2.

When to Pick Up Impostor Cards

Say it’s the third turn and you’re pretty sure your opponents have Sabacc, but you have a 2 and 5, which will require a three chip tax at the end of the hand. There’s an Impostor on the discard pile you could invest in, but what are the odds it will actually help you? If you invest in the Impostor and discard the 5, it gives you a 30% chance (11/36) to roll the 2 value of the other card in your hand. But that leaves you with a 70% chance of not having Sabacc. Well, if you’re going to lose, the best fee to pay when losing is only one chip. So really you want to at least roll a 1, 2, or 3 so you don’t have to pay more in the end of round tax. You have a 75% chance of rolling one of those three numbers.

If you don’t invest in the Impostor card, you know you have to pay a three chip tax. If you do pick up the Impostor, which costs one, you have a 30% chance to get Sabacc (and possibly tie or win and not have to pay any in taxes) and a 44% (16/36) chance to get a 1 or 3 in which you would only need to pay one chip in tax. So it’s either pay three chips guaranteed in taxes, or a 75% chance to pay two chips or less.

Bluffing and Reading Your Opponents

While there is no folding and only limited bluffing options in Kessel Sabacc, it’s crucial to track your opponents’ choices as well as the cards they pick up and discard. Since the lowest pair wins the round, players will typically try to pair up their lowest card. Therefore, when your opponent discards a card, it’s likely that the card they are holding onto is lower.

It’s also useful to keep track of the number of high and low cards that you see discarded. For example, the more 6s you see discarded, the less likely you are to draw one if you invest in a card from the deck. Each deck is separate, so you can track cards for each deck. Consider taking notes or looking through the discard pile before deciding to draw. It’s also best to assume that each opponent is keeping lower cards. After turn 1 or 2, they should be pretty settled in their hand and close to a low pair.

Sometimes it’s best to cut your losses and keep a high pair. You might deduce this if an opponent seems unenthusiastic about their hand but decides to stand anyway. Different players will act differently depending on their hand. Observe how they act and link that to the outcome of the hand. For instance:

• Talkative – mid-tier pair
• Standing 3 turns – low pair
• Standing first turn – no correlation
• Checking the discard pile – no pair

Reading body language can be one of the most revealing ways to detect a bluff. Players often exhibit subtle physical signs when they’re not being truthful about their hand. Nervousness is a common indicator; look for signs such as shaking hands, fidgeting, or avoiding eye contact. These behaviors suggest the player is anxious about the strength of their hand. Conversely, overconfidence can also be a tell. If a player suddenly acts overly relaxed or confident, it might be a deliberate attempt to mask their true feelings of insecurity about their cards. Additionally, timing can be a crucial factor. Players who take too long to make a decision or act too quickly might be trying to conceal their intentions. Observing these physical cues can give you a significant advantage in identifying bluffs and making better decisions at the table.

You can trick your opponents into investing more chips than they normally would. If you have an excellent hand, like Pure Sabacc (two Sylops), you can “pretend” to invest in your hand but discard every card you pick up. Since you’re guaranteed to get your invested chips back with a Pure Sabacc, this can mislead your opponents into thinking you have a poor hand, prompting them to invest more aggressively. If you have Pure Sabacc and choose to stand right from the beginning, opponents are more likely to accept a minimal loss instead of aggressively investing.

Standing can also be used as a bluff. Usually, you won’t need all three turns to improve your hand, so standing on the first turn can worry your opponents and lead them to play more aggressively and invest more chips. It’s important to try different strategies to trick and read your opponents. See what works and what fails, and then adapt your play to their style. This will allow you to have some good strategies upfront, but you’ll be able to adapt your gameplay as you learn more about how the others play. Bluffing during the first turn can also prompt your opponents to invest in cards, leaving more cards on the discard pile for you to keep track of. 

When to use Shift Tokens

There are 16 different Shift Tokens. Players can choose three to take with them into a game. Tokens can only be played before a player stays or invests a chip for their hand. Get the printable Shift Token Sheet here, it includes symbols, names, and descriptions.

1. Free Draw (1 turn, max value +1) – Avoid the draw fee this turn. If you are low on chips, you can use this token instead of investing a chip to draw. This is good when you think you won’t win the hand, but still want to take the chance to get a winning hand.
2. Refund (1 turn, max value +2) – Retrieve two chips from your invested pile this round. It’s best to only use this token when you’ve already invested two chips and are sure you will lose the round. You can retrieve only one chip if that’s all you invested, but it wastes its value by one chip.
3. Extra Refund – Retrieve 3 chips in play
4. General Tariff (1 turn, max value -1 per opponent) – Other players are taxed one chip. It’s best to use this token when you have at least two other opponents. If you wait to use it till you only have one opponent left, you lose value on the damage you can deal. Play this when you think you’ll win the hand. If played and an opponent wins, they get their taxed chip back.
5. Target Tariff (1 turn, max value -2) – Target player is taxed two chips. This token is great when playing games or rounds with only one other opponent. It’s best to play this token at the beginning of a round if your opponent only has two chips left. When they are taxed those two chips, they are left with no option to improve their hand and must stand. Play this when you think you’ll win the hand. If played and the opponent wins, they get their taxed chips back.
6. Embargo (1 turn, value varies) – Next player must stand. This stops the player to your left from playing any tokens or from investing in their hand. This token can be particularly destructive if played on the third turn and you know they need a card in the discard pile.
7. Markdown (3 turns, max value -9 per player) – Set Sylop value to 0 until next reveal. Normally a Sylop is the best card to have, but this token makes them worse than worthless. The only time this doesn’t affect an outcome is if someone has Pure Sabacc, which is two Sylops (the best hand). Playing this on the third turn can be particularly destructive because other players who invested several chips to improve their hand throughout their turns and got a Sylop with another card now have a losing hand with invested chips. If players have a 2 card and a Sylop, they now have to pay a tax of two chips. When played correctly, this can wipe out opponents in only one hand. Only play this token when you don’t have a Sylop yourself. The worst case scenario for a player is someone who invested all three rounds and has an ending hand of 6, Sylop.
8. Immunity (3 turns, value varies) – Prevent Shift Token effects against you until next reveal. This is a very powerful token if you suspect your opponents to have tokens that can damage you. Play it at the beginning of a round when you are first to play to get the most value out of it. This also has the most value when you play this and you have a winning hand. This token is worthless if you play it on the third turn and are the last to take your turn.
9. General Audit (1 turn, max value -2 per opponent) – Other players who stand are taxed two chips. It’s best to play this token when you are the last player to take their turn and at least one opponent chose to stand rather than invest in their hand. You can play this token during the beginning of a turn, but it only forces your opponents to lose one chip rather than two.
10. Target Audit – Choose a player in Stand. They are taxed three chips.
11. Major Fraud (3 turns, max value -8 per player) – Set Impostor value to 6 until next reveal. If you play this token during the first round, players will ignore and discard Impostor cards throughout the round. If you play this token during the third turn, it either forces your opponents to invest and change their hand desperately trying to get something less than a value of 6, or causes them to pay a hefty tax fee if you play it after their third turn. The worst case scenario is a player who invests all three turns and has a hand of 1 and Impostor.
12. Embezzlement – Take one chip from each player’s pot to your own.
13. Cook the Books – Inverts Sabacc ranks until the next reveal (6/6 Sabacc is the best)
14. Exhaustion – Choose a player; they must discard and draw a new hand.
15. Direct Transaction – Choose a player. Trade hands with them.
16. Prime Sabacc – Roll two dice. Pick one value as the new best sabacc.