| From: | "Fisher, Victor" <Victor-Fisher@******.COM> |
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| Subject: | Cards Anyone? :-} |
| Date: | Sun, 21 Sep 1997 17:44:35 -0400 |
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:-P
In my game, I currently have a player engaged in a game of Tarot
Poker with a Free Spirit. The stakes; Karma points. Loser donates points
gambled and lost to the winner.
For those interested in the rules for such a game, here they are. It
comes from The Illuminatus Trilogy, by Robert Shea and Robert Anton
Wilson:
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Needed to Play - Any stardard 78 card tarot deck can be used for
Tarot Poker. There are some "tarot" decks in circulation that do not
conform to the standard Tarot interpretation; while these decks may be
useful for reading purposes, they will cause problems if you attempt to
use them with these rules.
A set of poker chips may be useful as well, but you and your friends
know better than I how you like to play poker.
Preparation - Remove from the deck all Major Arcana and the Pages of
each suit. You now have a perfectly useful (considering the Knights to
be Jacks) 52 card deck. Shuffle and save the Pages and Major Arcana in a
separate pile.
The Game - Tarot Poker is played as a normal poker game, with the dealer
choosing the game per whatever house rules apply. However, when it is
his turn to deal any player can call for a card to be drawn randomly
from the pile of Major Arcana and Pages for inclusion in the playing
deck. In so doing, the player does not choose the game and deal the
cards, but passes the deal to the next player. Two special cards cannot
be added in a row without at least one hand being played.
Once a Major Arcana or Page has been included in the playing deck, it
can not be removed. A player who wishes to "play" a Major Arcana or Page
(as explained in the following rules) normally does so when it is his
turn to bet, and no Major Arcana or Page can be played after the final
round of betting is completed. (The single exception to this rule is the
use of the Page of Swords to cancel an "automatic winner" combination of
special cards.)
Each Major Arcana and Page has special rules concerning its effect on
play and use as follows:
0 - The Fool - This card is wild, but the player holding it must raise
when it is his turn to bet. He can never stay, call or fold. (If The
Hanged Man is also held or another player has played The High Priestess,
this becomes just a wild card. This card can also be modified by
Temperance.)
I - The Magician - This card is wild. In addition, the holder of this
card may use it to force another player to trade a card with him. The
holder of The Magician has the choice of what cards are traded; hidden
cards are picked randomly. A player who uses The Magician in this manner
gives the card up and draws a replacement from the deck. (If Justice is
played as a defense against this, the holder of The Magician may not use
it against another player.)
II - The High Priestess - This card is wild. If the player holding it
chooses to play it, from that moment on the holder of this card opens
the betting for that round, and all other players must see that bet;
they cannot raise or fold. When the High Preistess is used in this
fashion, it is no longer considered to be a part of the holder's hand
and he should draw a replacement for it. Should the holder of The High
Priestess decide to fold his hand, the other players may then bet
normally. If the Wheel of Fortune is used to restore normal betting, The
High Priestess is still considered lost. (This card can also be slightly
modified by Temperance and The Hierophant.)
III - The Empress - This card is wild. Additionally, it prevents play of
The Tower on the holder's hand. Note the rules for The Emperor below as
well.
IV - The Emperor - This card is wild. Additionally, it prevents the play
of the Page of Swords on the holder's hand. If a player is holding both
The Emperor and The Empress, he can reveal them at any time to gain the
ability to draw a card from the deck to replace one in his hand.
V - The Hierophant - This card is wild. Additionally, should The High
Priestess be in play, the holder of this card can reveal it to gain the
ability to raise the bet, although he still cannot fold. Should this
player decide to raise the bet, only the holder of The High Priestess
has the option to fold instead of seeing the raise. (This card would
also bestow the option of raising the bet upon a holder of The Hanged
Man, although such a player still would not be able to fold and the card
need not be revealed in that instance.)
VI - The Lovers - This card is a wild pair. The pair is considered to be
contained in the single card; therefore the holder of this card should
not have less than three of a kind in his hand. (If the Page of Swords
is played upon this card, it is considered a single 6 of any suit.)
VII - The Chariot - This card is wild. Additionally, the holder of this
card has the ability to discard one of his cards and draw another from
the deck. While The Chariot must be revealed when this is done, the
holder does not give up the card in order to do this.
VIII - Strength - This card is wild. In addition, it prevents the play
of the Death card from forcing the holder to fold. If a player holds The
Sun or Judgment in his hand as well, his hand is considered an
"automatic winner" no matter what cards his opponents hold.
IX - The Hermit - This card is wild PROVIDED there are no other wild
cards (of any kind) in the holder's hand. Should the holder have another
wild card, the card is considered a 9 card of any suit. (Note - the Page
of Pentacles DOES count as a wild card for this purpose.)
X - Wheel of Fortune - This card is considered a 10 of any suit. It can
be revealed to restore normal betting if another player has played The
High Priestess. The holder of the card also has the option to trade this
card in for another card from the deck. (The Page of Swords can be
played to prevent this trade.)
XI - Justice - This card is wild. In addition, the holder of this card
may reveal it in order to prevent The Magician from forcing him to trade
a card with another player, to prevent the Page of Cups from allowing
another player to look at one of his hidden cards, or to prevent the
holder of The World from declaring another wild card.
XII - The Hanged Man - This card is wild. However, the holder of this
card must see any bet; he has neither the option of raising nor folding.
(If The Fool is also held, then the player may bet normally. This card
is also modified by The Hierophant and Temperance.)
XIII - Death - If dealt face up, this card forces the holder to fold. If
dealt face down, this card is wild. Additionally, the holder of this
card (dealt face down) may play it upon another player, forcing that
player to fold. In so doing, the holder gives up the card and draws
another from the deck. (If the Strength card is revealed as a defense
against this, the holder may keep the Death card as a wild card, but may
not force a different player to fold. The "automatic winner" combination
of The Sun and Judgment does not defend against Death.)
XIV - Temperance - This card is wild. In addition, if the High Priestess
is in play, the holder of this card may reveal it to gain the option of
folding his hand. He may not raise; he can only see the bet or fold.
(This card would also bestow the option of folding upon the holder of
The Fool or The Hanged Man, although a player who does not wish to fold
must still bet as those cards dictate and Temperance need not be
revealed in such a case.)
XV - The Devil - This card makes the holder's hand a loser NO MATTER
WHAT ELSE HE IS HOLDING. The holder of this card can bluff if he so
chooses, but revealing this card shows his hand to be a loser. (Note - A
hand containing Strength, The Sun and The Devilis considered to be an
"automatic loser".)
XVI - The Tower - This card is wild. Additionally, the holder of this
card may play this card on another player, forcing him to discard a card
and draw another. The player of The Tower picks the card (randomly if
cards are hidden). The Tower would then be discarded and a replacement
drawn from the deck. (If The Empress is played as a defense against
this, The Tower is retained as a wild card and may not be used against
another player.)
XVII - The Star - The player to whom this card is dealt should
immediately discard it and draw the next two cards from the deck. He
then has his choice about which card he will keep in his hand; the other
card is also discarded.
XVIII - The Moon - If dealt face down, this card is wild. If dealt face
up, this card forces the holder to fold, even if his hand contains the
"automatic winner" combination of Strength and Judgment.
XIX - The Sun - This card is wild. Additionally, the holder can reveal
it to prevent The Moon from folding his hand. (At this point The Moon
would be treated as a wild card.) If a player also holds either Strength
or Judgment, his hand is considered an "automatic winner" no matter what
cards his opponents hold.
XX - Judgment - This card is wild. In addition, the holder can reveal it
in order to enable himself to discard The Devil and draw another card
from the deck. (This ability is in addition to any discard ability
dictated by the version of poker currently being played.) If a player
also holds Strength or The Sun, his hand is considered an "automatic
winner" no matter what cards his opponents hold.
XXI - The World - This card is wild. It also gives the holder the
ability to declare one card value (i.e., 2, 7, Knight or Ace, but not a
suit or single card) to be wild for that hand. In order to do this the
holder must reveal the card, but does not give it up. If Justice or the
Page of Swords is played to prevent this, The World becomes just a wild
card.
Page of Pentacles - This card is considered a Knight of Pentacles unless
the holder has a wild card in his hand, at which point the Page is also
wild. (The Hermit does not count as a wild card for this purpose.)
Page of Swords - This card is wild. The holder of this card has the
option of playing this card upon another player's hand, thereby denying
that player use of a wild card. (Cards made wild by game rules revert to
their printed value; other Pages become Knights of their suit; Major
Arcana numbered less than X retain their numerical value and can be
considered a suit picked by their owner; The Fool and Major Arcana with
a numerical value greater than X become dead cards useless to their
owners.) The holder of the Page must discard it and draw another card
from the deck once playing it in this manner. (Use of The Emperor as a
defense against this card allows the holder to keep it as a wild card,
but it may not be used against another player. This card can be used to
cancel an "automatic winner" combination, but the two cards are still
considered to be wild.)
Page of Cups - This card is wild. Additionally, the holder of this card
has the option of playing it on one other player and looking at one of
his hidden cards (chosen randomly). The holder of the Page does not
discard it after doing this. (Note - if Justice is used as a defense
against this, the holder of the Page may not use it against another
player.)
Page of Rods - This card is wild. In addition, the owner of this card
may reveal it (once during a hand) in order to see the top card of the
deck.
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Enjoy!
Victor
