FrivYeti/FivefoldArrangement

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(Author's Note #1 - This game uses the Dragon's Gambit deck of cards.)

(Author's Note #2 - This game is loosely inspired by the "Arrange Dice" gambling game present in Grandia III. I take no credit for the inspiration, but I think I've changed it sufficiently.)

Fivefold Arrangement

"Fivefold Arrangement", or "Arrangement" as it is more commonly known, is a common card game played in the docks and harbours of the West. Removing much of the elemental nature of the Dragon's Gambit cards, it relies primarily on a combination of skill and luck to succeed, something favoured by many local players.

The game has two major styles; the first was designed for only two players, using a single deck of cards, but a later variant uses up to five players, each with their own deck, which is more complex and variable.

Fivefold Arrangement: "Twofold"

A game for two players.

Setup: At the start of the game, each player chooses a single elemental suit, and takes the eight cards related to that element out of the deck. Then, the players remove other cards from the remaining deck, until all that remains are a single Dragon, two Immaculates, two Censors, three Fives, three Fours, three Threes, three Twos, and three Ones. Traditionally, the players choose Wood and Water as their two suits, and the Earth suit is left complete, with Fire losing its Dragon and Air losing its face cards.

Once this is complete, the amount of the bet is determined. As this is a sailor's game, amounts tend to be small, but there is no requirement. The bet must be one-fifth of the maximum allowable bet.

Hand Structure: At the beginning of each hand, each player takes five of his eight cards and arranges them face-down in front of him, as well as placing the base bet into the pot. Then play begins. Players take turns being dealer for each hand.

The dealer shuffles the deck, and turns the top card face-up. If either player has a matching card in the five that he has chosen, he turns it face up. After this, either player may choose to fold, with first choice going to the player that is not dealing this hand. If one player folds, the other player takes the full pot. If neither player folds, each player places the base bet amount in the pot, and play repeats. This continues until five cards have been turned over from the deck, or until one player folds.

If the same card is drawn more than once, it still counts towards the five total, but no cards are turned over.

Hand Resolution: As soon as the fifth card is played, the hand ends; players may not fold. At this point, each player chooses any run of cards out of the five in front of them; only face-up cards that are next to each other may be chosen; a face-down card breaks the run. Any numbered card in the run is worth one point; the Censor and the Immaculate are worth two points each, and the Dragon is worth three. Whichever player has a better run wins the full pot. This is the end of the hand.

Once the hand ends, players choose a new row of five face-down cards from their suit, and play restarts. Play continues until someone quits or runs out of money.

Variants

Arrangement Countdown: This game, designed for shorter play, has two extra rules: First, each player must bring the same amount of total money to the table, and second, at the start of each hand, one bet amount is placed by each player into a side pot. The game continues normally until one player is unable to place money into that pot, at which point the game ends and the other player gets the full pot.

Fivefold Arrangement: "Fivefold"

A game for up to five players.

Setup: This game functions similarly to two-player Arrangement, but the fact that each player is using their own deck allows for a different scoring system. Each player takes the Earth suit out of their own deck, and places it aside to play with. They then remove cards to leave the following: One Dragon, Two Immaculates, Two Censors, Three Fives, Three Fours, Four Threes, Four Twos, and Four Ones. The choice of which suits to leave complete is left up to the players, many of whom have their own system; it is traditional in the West to leave Water complete, but this is not required.

Hand Structure: Hand Structure works as per the normal game, except that each player draws a card from their deck, and this draw applies only to the player to their right. This, in theory, prevents cheating, and it certainly causes very different hands to appear. If a player folds, the player to their left can stop turning cards, and they continue to turn cards for the player to their right. Play continues for five draws, or until four players have folded. Choice to fold starts one player to the right each hand, and remains for a full hand.

Hand Resolution: Unlike Twofold Arrangment, scoring is slightly different: The One, Two, and Three are each worth two points in a run, the Four and Five are worth three points, the Immaculate and Censor are worth four points, and the Dragon is worth five points. Otherwise, resolution is as normal.

Comments

Thoughts? Do my rules make sense? Are there strange implications that I have failed to consider? - FrivYeti

Makes me want to get elemental cards printed up. One question: why the different point totals in Fivefold? -- Wordman

It makes dragons (and other high cards) slightly less good... which, presumably, is good, as they'll turn up more often - there's one in each deck, not one in the game total. I like them both.
-- Darloth can't see anything else about it, but you never know

The technical reason for Fivefold's different point totals is to expand the range of possible scores. With that many players playing, draws become more likely and are thus more easily avoided. - FrivYeti