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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Pathfinder #159: All or Nothing

Casino Games

Source Pathfinder #159: All or Nothing pg. 76
The Lucky Nimbus offers the usual assortment of casino games already familiar to real-world players, such as roulette and twenty-one, as well as the following three gambling games unique to the world of Golarion. Use the following rules to play these games at your table if your players are interested in playing through a few games of chance for the opportunity to win big—or lose it all.

Each entry below lists the supplies you need to play each game (all games assume you use coins or other tokens to track bets), an explanation of how to play the game (and in some cases, ways to bet on the game), and how the odds are stacked against the players. At the Lucky Nimbus, a dealer (played by the Game Master) watches over each game, either rolling dice or dealing out cards when appropriate.

Golem

Source Pathfinder #159: All or Nothing pg. 76
Considered a card game for the observant and serious-minded, golem is played all around the Inner Sea and beyond. Regional variants exist, but golem is usually played with three to six players and a dealer.

Supplies: A deck of cards, plus a token to represent an amulet. A golem deck is identical to a real-world poker deck, except the cards go from 1 to 13 (no face cards) in four suits: flesh (hearts), clay (spades), stone (diamonds), and iron (clubs).

How to Play: Golem is a card game similar to five-card draw poker (including the ranking of hands) in which players try to build the best hand. However, in addition to beating the other players, players must try to beat a “golem hand” to win the pot.

Golem is played in a series of games; one game must be completely resolved before the next begins. The player to the right of the dealer gets the amulet to start the night, and each player must ante by placing an amount (determined by the table, typically ranging anywhere between 2 cp and 5 gp) into the pot.

The dealer deals five cards to each player. Starting at the amulet, each player can take one of four actions:
  • Bet (usually an amount at least equal to the ante; some casinos limit how high the original bet can go).
  • Match the current bet.
  • Raise the current bet (again, usually by an amount at least equal to the ante; sometimes with a limit).
  • Fold.
Anyone who folds is out of the game and can't come back in until a new game begins. The betting continues going around until all players have matched the current bet or folded.

Next, each player still in the game can discard up to two cards and receive that many back from the dealer. The discarded cards go face-down on the table's center. Another round of betting occurs, starting at the amulet.

If, at any point, only one player hasn't folded, that player wins the pot with the house taking 5 percent, and the game ends. If at least two players are still in the game after all bets are matched, those players reveal their hands. The dealer then “frees the golem.”

The golem hand—the best five-card hand created from the players' discarded cards—is revealed, and if the player with the best hand beats the golem, they win the pot, and the game is over. But if the player with the best hand doesn't beat the golem hand, that player must add an amount of coins to the pot (usually an amount equal to twice the ante), and all cards are collected so that a new hand can be dealt for the players who were still in the game. This continues until someone wins the pot. The house takes 5 percent of the final pot, the amulet moves one position counterclockwise at the table, and a new game is dealt.

Bounder

Source Pathfinder #159: All or Nothing pg. 76
Bounder is an exciting game of rolling dice where tensions run high and luck is paramount. A bounder table can usually seat around 20 gamblers, and each gets a turn as the shooter—the player who rolls dice against the dealer.

Supplies: Three six-sided dice for the dealer and two 20-sided dice for the shooter.

How to Play: To start, the current shooter bets a stake (the minimum can be different at each casino, though usually it's 5 cp). The shooter then rolls their first d20, establishing their “point.” The shooter can then double their stake if desired. In addition, the other gamblers at the table can also place bets on the shooter's point if they believe the shooter will “bound” the dealer. Some casinos also offer the ability to place bets on the dealer's roll (whether they'll roll all even numbers, all odd numbers, or three of the same number); such bets usually offer higher payouts.

When all the bets have been placed, the dealer rolls their 3d6. If the total matches the shooter's point, the shooter automatically loses their stake, as does anyone who bet on the point. Side bets for the dealer's roll are also resolved now. Generally, a bet on the dealer rolling all even or all odd numbers pays out an amount equal to the stake, and a bet on the dealer rolling three of a kind pays out an amount equal to three times the stake.

The shooter then rolls their second d20; if their two dice results are on either side of the dealer's result—one greater than and one less than the dealer's number— they bound the dealer and win an amount equal to their stake; those who bet on the point also win an amount equal to their bet. Otherwise (including if the second d20 roll equaled the dealer's roll), the shooter and anyone who bet on the point lose their stakes. If a shooter rolls a 1 and a 20 (or a 20 and a 1), they win double their stake, though those who bet on the point win the usual amount.

A new round of betting then begins and the next player clockwise at the table becomes the new shooter.

Odds: A shooter will win about 40% of the time. Those gamblers who bet on the point have the same chance of winning as the shooter.

The chance of the dealer's roll being all even or all odd numbers is less than 13%, and the chance of the dealer's roll being three of a kind is less than 3%.

Century

Source Pathfinder #159: All or Nothing pg. 77
While this sedate game of predicting numbers doesn't offer the same thrill as many other games of chance, it's a popular way to pass the time with decent odds of winning at least some of your money back.

Supplies: Two distinct 10-sided dice for the dealer (or any other way to randomly generate numbers between 1 and 100) and sheets of paper for players to record their predictions.

How to Play: Each player bets a stake (the minimum can be different at each casino, though usually it's 5 cp) and chooses between two and 10 numbers that fall between one and 100. Then, the dealer rolls the d10s 20 times to randomly generate 20 different numbers (rolling again if a duplicate is ever rolled). Some casinos determine these numbers by pulling numbered balls out of a wire tumbler, performing this drawing slowly to maximize excitement. Each player's predictions are compared to the generated numbers. A player receives a payout if some of their numbers match, depending on how many numbers the player predicted. Generally, the more numbers the player chooses, the more that need to match to receive any payout.

The Century Payouts table below shows the payout depending on how many numbers a player has predicted and how many generated numbers match these predictions.

Odds: A player's odds of success depend on how many numbers they predict. For instance, there's about a 38% chance of matching one number if the player predicts two, but only a 6% chance of both matching. There's approximately a 14% chance of matching two numbers if the player predicts three, but less than a 2% chance of all three matching. In general, the more numbers the player has to match for a payout, the smaller the chance of it happening.

Century Payouts

2345678910
1x1
2x5x2x2
3x30x5x2x2x1
4x60x10x4x2x2x1
5x200x50x20x10x5x5
6x800x400x100x40x20
7x2000x1500x200x100
8x5000x2000x500
9x5000x2000
10x5000