Double or Nothing
In this Death Match, empty the cards in your hand by optimizing their order and earn points by aggressively doubling the points at stake.
| Designer(s): RedsToad | Match Type: DM (for 2 players) |
| Featured in: The Genius: Code Redone | |
DM-E Double or Nothing
Setup
The game is divided into bouts. First player to win 9 bout wins the DM.
This game uses a deck of 40 cards, 4 copies of cards 1-10. There are no suits.
Additionally, there are 4 Jokers, which can be substituted for any card.
Players are dealt 17 cards and the last 6 cards are not used for the bout.
2 jokers are placed in front of each of the players.
Players may not rearrange the cards in their hand. Players must use their cards in the same order as they received them.
In the first bout, Amaranth, as the player with more priority, will decide the first player.
In the following bouts, the loser of the previous bout will be the first player.
Gameplay
Starting with the first player and then alternating, players take one of the following actions:
- Play a Set
- Draw a Card
- Draw a Joker
- Use Doubling Die
Players alternate taking turns until 1 player uses all the cards from their hand. That player wins the bout, at which point cards are reshuffled and a new bout begins.
Play a Set
Play your cards to empty your hand and win the bout!
To play cards from your hand, they must be a stronger Set than the Set that was played last.
At the start of the game the table has no cards, it is considered the "empty set", which can be beaten by any set.
A set can be played using any number of adjacent cards in your hand. Remember, no rearranging! You are free to use cards from the middle of your hand, however.
A Set is a group of cards where all cards are either equal (5-5-5, 3-3), or consecutive (1-2, 6-7-8)
A single card is also a set.
A set is stronger than the other set if...
- It has more cards than the set on the table, OR..
- It has the same number of cards and the cards are the same value, whereas the other set has consecutive values, OR..
- It has the same number of cards and it is the same type of set, but it uses higher number cards.
For example, a 3-4-5-6 set beats 8-8-8; 6-6 beats 6-7; 8-9-10 beats 2-3-4
The beaten set is discarded and is not used for the rest of the game.
Importantly, to play a set of consecutive cards, they must be in increasing or decreasing order in your hand. This does not affect the strength of your set.
To elaborate, you can play 1-2-3 or 3-2-1 from your hand, but you can not play 2-3-1.
Draw a Card
Draw cards if you can not play to make your hand stronger!
If a player can not, or doesn't want to play, they can instead draw one card from the set on the table.
When drawing the card, the leftover cards must create a valid set.
For example, if 3-4-5-6 is on the table, you can only draw the 3 or the 6.
After drawing the card, you can place it anywhere in your hand.
Played Jokers can not be drawn.
In the rare case where there is a joker on either side of a set of consecutive cards, both Jokers are immediately discarded.
For example, if 2-J-4-5-6-J is on the table and one of the players draws the 2, then the two jokers are discarded immediately before passing the turn to the other player.
If the table has only 1 card, it can be drawn, leaving the empty set on the table.
Draw a Joker
Use Jokers to make your hand much stronger, quicker!
To draw a Joker, pick of one of the two jokers in front of you and put it anywhere in your hand.
As you only have 2 jokers, you can only make the action twice per bout.
You are not required to draw all of your jokers to empty your hand and claim victory. It's possible to win with a joker still in front of you. That joker doesn't carry over to the next bout.
Use Doubling Die
If you're winning, make your win worth more!
This uses the same doubling die mechanic as in Backgammon.
Instead of taking the other actions, you may propose for the bout to be worth double.
The opponent then has 2 options, either to continue the game with the stakes doubled, or to forfeit the bout.
If the doubling was accepted by the opponent, you may not propose again for the duration of the bout, only your opponent can. If they propose to you, you can raise the stakes to 4 bout wins, or forfeit the 2 wins.
After that, you may propose again, making the bout worth 8 bouts if accepted. It may not be doubled again after that.
Crawford Game
There is a special rule regarding the Doubling Die that I want to highlight, which is the Crawford Game.
If one of the players reached 8 out of 9 bout wins with their last victory, the doubling die can not be used for one bout.
If that player loses the next bout, the doubling die can be used as usual.
Say the score is 7-4. First player wins, the score is now 8-4. This triggers the Crawford Game and the doubling die can not be used.
The first player loses and the score becomes 8-5. The doubling die can now be used as usual.
Afterwards, the score tie 8-8. The triggers another Crawford Game, the match point is played without the doubling die.
Game End
The game ends when one of the player wins 9 bouts, either by winning 9 times or by using the doubling die.
The player that reaches 9 bout wins first wins the DM.
The winning player receives 15 garnets.
Administration
What cards are in your hand is private information.
You will receive this information at the start of the bout and after your every move in your submissions channel in text form.
Make your moves in the game room.
To play, name the cards you want to play.
To draw, name the card to draw
To draw a joker, state that you're doing so
To propose a doubling, state that you're doing so
After drawing a card, use the submissions channel to say where in your hand you place the card.
If you have multiple identical sets that you can play, please use the submissions channel to clarify which one you are using.
First player has 2 minutes for their first move.
All other moves have a time limit of 1 minute.
This game has no reserve time.
Going over the time limit has no penalty, but may annoy the host.
An annoyed host can end the game at any point and give the win to the opponent if it is clear that the player is stalling for more time.
In other words, I do not expect anyone to lose on time, the submissions should be very simple to make.
📌 Amendment: On the topic of Jokers.
If a joker's value is ambiguous, it will be automatically assigned the best value.
Playing 7-J will always be a 7-7 rather than 6-7 or 7-8
After a Joker has been played, its value is static and will not change.
If a player plays 5-J-7, opponent draws the 7, the first player has to beat a 5-6.
Tags
Bluffing (The game involves players being able to peform illegal actions and being punished for being called out.)
Cards (The game involves cards of any kind.)
Miscellaneous (The game tests a miscellaneous set of skills.)
Optimization (The game tests the players' abilities to find optimal solutions.)
Psych (The game tests the players' psychological & bluffing abilities.)
Turn-based (The game involves players taking turns one after another.)