Image: Tabletop Gaming
Want to capture a little of the chaos of Solo: A Star Wars Story without buying a specialist Sabacc set?
You can make a fun home version of Corellian Spike Sabacc with two standard decks of playing cards and a pair of dice.
It will not be a perfect replica of the film game, but it gets surprisingly close to the feel of shifting values, risky decisions and dramatic last turns.
What you need
- 2 to 4 players
- 2 × standard 52-card decks of playing cards
- 2 × six-sided (D6) dice
Ideally, use card decks with the same-design backs. This makes it harder for other players to guess what cards you have.
If you can’t then make sure there is an equal split between positive and negative cards. For example, don’t take all the negative cards from a red-backed deck and all positive from a blue-backed deck.
The idea behind the game
Sabacc is a bit like a cross between blackjack and poker.
You are trying to build a hand with a value as close to zero as possible. Positive and negative cards can cancel each other out. The game becomes dangerous because at certain moments there can be a ‘shift’, which changes card values and ruins a strong hand.
That instability is what makes Sabacc feel like Sabacc.
How to build the deck
To create your homemade Sabacc deck, combine cards from both standard decks like this.
Positive cards
Use these 30 black cards:
- Ace to 10 in spades from both decks
- Ace to 10 in clubs from one deck
These count as positive values:
- Ace = +1
- 2 = +2
- 3 = +3
- and so on up to 10 = +10
Negative cards
Use these 30 red cards:
- Ace to 10 in hearts from both decks
- Ace to 10 in diamonds from one deck
These count as negative values:
- Ace = -1
- 2 = -2
- 3 = -3
- and so on down to 10 = -10
Zero cards
Add two jokers.
These both count as 0.
Prize pot
The remaining cards act as the prize pot.
Set aside one King. Shuffle all the remaining unused cards to make the prize pot.
These count as points:
- Ace = 1 point
- 2 = 2 points
- and so on up to
- Jack = 11 points
- Queen = 12 points
- King = 15 points
Or if you prefer, use poker chips, matches or any other tokens for betting and adapt the prize pot rules according to your own house rules.
How to win
The aim is to finish the round with the best hand.
- The best possible total is exactly 0.
- If nobody has 0, the winner is the player whose hand is closest to 0.
- If two players are equally close, the hand with fewer cards wins.
Basic setup
Choose someone to be the dealer. That player is the dealer for the first game. The player to their left is the dealer for the next game, and so on.
In Sabbac, the dealer plays too.
Place the two dice in front of the dealer.
- Shuffle the deck, then deal two cards to each player face down. Players may look at their cards but they must keep them secret.
- Place the rest of the deck face down in the centre of the table. This is the draw pile.
- Take the top card from the draw pile and place it face up next to the draw pile. This is the start of the discard pile.
- Draw as many cards from the prize pot as there are players. Place them face up in the centre of play. (Or do whatever your house rules demand for betting.)
How to play
The game has three rounds. Each player takes one turn per round.
The player to the dealer’s left always goes first. Once play reaches the dealer and they have taken their turn, that round is complete.
Cards
On your turn, check the value of your hand. Black cards are positive, red cards are negative. Remember, you are aiming for a total score of zero with as few cards as possible.
You may do one of the following:
- Take the top card from the draw pile, or
- Take the top card from the discard pile, or
- Discard one card from your hand onto the discard pile, face up, or
- Do nothing; this is known as ‘standing’.
When your turn ends, play passes to the left.
Dice
Once the dealer has played their turn, the round ends.
The dealer then rolls both dice.
If the dice match, every player discards their hand face up. The dealer then deals each player the same number of replacement cards.
The player to the left of the dealer is always the first to receive new cards. Then continue replacing cards to the left until the dealer receives their cards last.
Play then continues with the second round, dice roll, third round and final dice roll.
Judging the hands
When the third round is over, all players reveal their cards at the same time.
Add the values of all cards in your hand.
Examples:
- +7, -5, -2 = 0
- +10, -8, +1 = +3
- -4, -3, +2 = -5
Remember, once you know whether a card is positive or negative, only its value matters, not the suit.
The winning hand is the one closest to zero.
If two hands are equally close to zero, the hand with fewer cards ranks higher.
The player with the winning hand chooses one prize card from the pot, usually the highest-value card.
The remaining players then take prize cards in order of hand strength, from best to worst.
Winning the game
Continue playing until the prize pot is empty.
The player with the most prize pot points is the overall winner.
