Pinwheel - A Gambling Game For PCs

Pinwheel is a game of chance and skill that I've designed for player characters of the D6 Star Wars rpg. I wanted to give some love to the Gambling skill and give PCs an interesting method to use the skill (possibly even influencing players to improve the skill). I wanted a game that would be something more than a simple task roll, as is suggested under the Gambling skill description in the 1E core rulebook, but I also wanted the game to be less than a full blown simulation. I didn't want the game to require props. I wanted to use dice. And, I wanted a player's skill to be an important component to the game while pure luck also played a substantial role in success. I wanted unskilled newbies to be able to get lucky and beat seasoned professionals, some of the time. On the other hand, I didn't want the game to take up most of an rpg session, yet I did want the players to feel as if their characters had actually played a gambling card game. The game also had to have a "Star Wars" feel to it. I wanted it to be something that you could believe Lando Calrissian and Han Solo would play, with the ownership of the Millennium Falcon at stake.


My goal was to create an abstraction for a gambling card game not unlike the way combat in D6 Star Wars is an abstract method of playing through a conflict involving men firing blasters at each other. What I developed is below. Please, feel free to suggest new versions! Real life gambling games, like poker, often have hundreds of variants. If you've got an interesting variation, then let's hear it!

PINWHEEL is a gambling card game that has been played, in some form or another, for thousands of years, since the time of the Old Republic. It is as popular as Sabacc and Pazaak in most parts of the galaxy. It is played in casinos and backrooms alike, by professional gamblers and casual card players of all ages, sexes, and races. Those who like to gamble play Pinwheel or one of its many variants, like the versions called Galaxy, Spiral and Open Spiral, from one end of the galaxy to the other.



THE TABLE: Not all Pinwheel players use a Pinwheel Table, but they are the norm at casinos and most other gambling establishments that feature the game. Some starship owners include a pinwheel table in the ship's lounge for crew and passengers to enjoy. The table is hexagonal, seating six players, one at each edge. There are not enough cards in a Pinwheel deck to accommodate more than six players, so more tables are required if more players are present. Some gambling historians speculate that Pinwheel was derived from an ancient card game called Base 6.

Built into base of the table is a Pinwheel droid that acts as dealer and officiates the game. A cylindrical head will rise from the center of the table, where a slit door will open near the table top and deal cards to each player. As the hand is played, the droid will call the game, stating betting turns, confirming bet sizes, answering player questions, and keeping the game running smoothly throughout the hand. The droid is fitted with six sensor eyes that monitors each of the players individually the entire game. These sensors are used by the droid's programming to detect cheaters.

After a hand is completed, the droid head will drop down into the table base. The very top of the droid head, now flush with the table top, will open to reveal a dark hole. All the cards on the table are magnetically coated, and as the hand completes, the cards are automatically pulled into dealing box, examined again by an internal sensor for tampering, counted, verified as genuine, and shuffled for the next had, at which point the droid head again rises above the table top to deal and administer the next hand. During a hand, the droid will clean the table by pulling the cards, face down (flipping them, if need be), away from the players who have discarded them. The cards will move to the base of the droid while the droid head is extended and be sucked into the card box with the rest of the cards at the end of the hand.

PINWHEEL CARDS are hexagonal in shape. Each of the six cards displays a suit and symbol at each edge, thus there are six suits and six symbols on each card. A Pinwheel hand is made with two cards. The player will match sides with the two cards, placing the edge of one card up against the edge of his second card. The hand is made by the two suits and symbols that are matched, one from each card.

Imagine two hexagonal cards. To make a hand, simply place the edge of one chard against an edge of the other, and read the two symbols/suits that you've matched.

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Each match is ranked. One player's match can be ranked higher, lower, or the same as the match made by another player. This is how the game is played. The player is dealt cards, and the player matches them as best he can. The player with the higher ranked hand wins.

RPG NOTE: It is not necessary to describe all the suits and symbols used in a Pinwheel deck. I have not even revealed how many cards are in a Pinwheel deck. This is because the actual way to play the game within the context of these rules is abstracted. This will become more clear as you read how to actually play the game below.



CYCLE: A Pinwheel hand is called a cycle. The actual ranked match the player is using is referred to as a cycle. The lowest cycle is called a first cycle. That hand is beaten by a hand that forms a second cycle. A fourth cycle beats a third cycle, and so on.

PREFACE BET: A hand of Penwheel begins with each player making a bet before being dealt cards. This is done to get the action moving and make it expensive for players to pass on several hands in a row waiting for only high cycles with the deal. Friendly home games sometimes do not have a Preface Bet, but in any serious game, a Preface Bet is made by each player.

The Preface Bet is typically the single lowest betting unit allowed in the game. In a 10 credit Pinwheel game, the Preface Bet is 10 credits. Raises are allowed in some games, but in serious games, a Preface Bet cannot be raised. This is a rule meant to keep players with deep pockets from buying the game before it starts by betting all the players out of the game before it starts (raising the preface bet so high that all other players fold), thereby stealing the mandatory preface bets from the other players.

So, in a standard Pinwheel game, the first hand begins with the dealer droid selecting a player at random to post the first preface bet. Then, in turn, clock wise, each of the other players also post their mandatory bets.

Note that the random selection of the first player to post the preface bet is customary but not necessary in standard games, and some Pinwheel droids will skip this feature, instead waiting for all six players to post the mandatory bet before dealing. The random selection feature is included to accommodate games that allow preface bet raises, forcing the first selected player to post a blind bet but allowing any other player to kill his hand and drop out of the game without posting any money.

A 10 credit Pinwheel hand begins.

With all six players seated, the droid head raises from the center of the table and says, "Welcome to 10 credit Pinwheel." Lights flash on the droid, one at a time, illuminating each seat. The lights blink on and off in sequence, as if a bright ball were rolling around the droid's exterior. The pace of the lights begins to slow until it finally lands on a player randomly.

"Player Three, please post a 10 credit preface bet," says the droid as it waits for the player to comply. Then, in clockwork fashion, the droid moves to the next player, "Player Four, please post a 10 credit preface bet," until all six players have posted the mandatory bet.

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All players have purchased a credchit from the casino as a requirement for gaming. This is referred to as the player's "bank". As the player sits at the table, he inserts his bank into the bank slot on the Pinwheel table. The dealer droid then adds and removes credit value as the player bets, wins, and loses.

At home games and those without a Pinwheel Table, players play old school with bets in currency or Pinwheel Chips on the table. Players must advance the value tokens to the center of the player area to make a bet. Playing this way, the center of the playing area is called a "pot". And, players take turns dealing, determining the first dealer randomly using the cards.

Some low tech Pinwheel games feature a sentient being serving as dealer. There are special tables for this--a hexagon table with the center cut out. The dealer sits on a swivel seat in the center performing the same functions as a Pinwheel Droid.

In a standard game, the Preface Bet is mandatory and cannot be raised. In a 10 credit Pinwheel game, with six players playing, the pot will equal 60 credits before the cards are dealt. In later phases of the game, raises are allowed and unlimited (subject to the person's bank or table stakes in a game without a table droid), but each raise must be made in 10 credit increments.

After all six players have made their mandatory preface bets, the droid says, "The pot now totals 60 credits," and it proceeds to deal the cards, starting first with the random player who posted the first preface bet.

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THE DEAL: Once the Preface Bets are made, the droid deals three cards to each player, starting with the random player that posted the first mandatory preface bet. The droid deals one card to that player then goes around the table dealing every other player their first card. Then, the droid deals a second card to each player, in like manner, before dealing a third card to all six players.

Cards are dealt face down, and players should protect their cards from view by other players. If the droid detects that a player has seen another player's cards, the droid will automatically discard the card that was seen without replacing it, thereby handicapping the player who allowed his cards to be seen by another (the player now has only two cards to make a cycle instead of three to choose from). If two cards are discarded because they've been seen by the wrong player, the player holding that hand is forced to kill it, thereby dropping out of the hand and losing any money that has been previously bet from the player's bank.

Once a player has three cards in his hand, he makes the best match he can using only two of them. Once the player has made his cycle, he discards one of the three cards he was originally dealt, keeping two cards in his hand.

At this point, the player who bet first in the preface round can now bet his hand. Bets are made in the base units of the game. In a 10 credit Pinwheel game, all bets are in 10 credit increments. But, a bet is limited only by the player's bank. If the player is playing with 500 credits in his bank, and he spent 10 credits on the Preface Round, then 490 credits remain in his bank. The player can bet a maximum of 490 credits on his first bet, in units of 10 credits each.

If a player bets all credits in his bank, the player cannot refill the bank until after the pot has been won by a player. After that, the player may refill his bank and rejoin the game.

Once a bet is made, the player to the bettor's left must either call or raise the bet (in 10 credit increments). Or, the player can kill his hand and drop from the game at this point, forfeiting any money that has been paid to the pot. Betting continues, clockwise, until all players have acted.

DRAW ONE: After the preface bet is made, the cards are dealt, players have discarded, and Play Bets are made, the game enters the Draw One phase. Here, the player must discard one of his two cards. When he does so, the droid will deal a replacement card and kills the discarded card. The new card will either help or hinder the player's hand.

Each player, in turn, must discard and use a new card. The skill in the game comes not only from judicious betting but also from the person's decision on which of his two cards is most likely to be improved when he discards and is dealt a new card.

The droid cleans the table of discards, and a new betting round happens. Players make their second Play Bet.



DRAW TWO: The next phase of the game is exactly like the last. Players must discard one card, and each is dealt a new card. This will be the player's final combination of cards. The cycle he holds now in his hand is the cycle with which he will end the game.

A final Play Bet is made, and once completed, players reveal their hands to each other. The player with the highest cycle wins the entire pot. If there is a tie, then the pot is split proportionally.

If a player used all the money from his bank and was raised in that or a later phase, then the droid will calculate the side pots proportionally.



A PINWHEEL SET: Pinwheel is not played continually. It is played in "sets", which are a number of hands, that take about an hour to play. Committing to a Pinwheel game means the the player agrees to play for a minimum of an hour. Although players are not forced to continue playing if a person attempts to leave the game before the set has completed, it is considered extremely bad form. If a player gains a reputation for doing this, he will find it quite hard to find players to play with him.

After a set is played, a new set is started. Players may play for hours and hours--as long as they like--in about 1 hour increments.

PREFACE (STEP 1): First bettor is determined randomly. The Preface Bet is made. The bet is mandatory, paid by each player. No raises allowed.

DEAL (STEP 2): The droid deals 3 cards to each player. The player discards one card to make his hand. The hands are ranked in cycles. A Play Bet can be made. Raises are allowed. A player may make a Play Bet, pass (if there is no Play Bet to call), or kill his hand (and drop from the hand).

DRAW ONE (STEP 3): Each player discards one card, and the droid replaces that card. A Play Bet can be made. Raises are allowed. A player may make a Play Bet, pass (if there is no Play Bet to call), or kill his hand (and drop from the hand).

DRAW TWO (STEP 4): Each player discards one card, and the droid replaces that card, to make the player's final hand. A Play Bet can be made. Raises are allowed. A player may make a Play Bet, pass (if there is no Play Bet to call), or kill his hand (and drop from the hand).

At the end of this phase, the players who haven't killed their hands reveal the cycles that they are playing. The hand with the highest cycle wins the pot. Ties are paid proportionately.





THE CASINO makes money on the game in one of two ways. The primary way is that, every player who leaves the game with a profit pays 10% of his earnings to the House.

Another method that has fallen into disuse is handled by the table droid. It charges each player a set fee, which varies, every X amount of time increments. When this method is used, the droid will typically deduct the appropriate amount from each player's bank at the end of each set (about every hour).

The above describes the game as the characters know it as part of the Star Wars universe. I endeavored to make the game sound like a real card game, laying notes in the description about the game's variations. Before you ask, no, I'm not quite sure how to play the Galaxy, Spiral, or Open Spiral versions of the game, but I have some ideas. I may flesh those ideas out later. For now, the standard version of Pinwheel will do for most of your games.

To simulate a game of Pinwheel, we're going to roll dice and we're going to use the character's gambling skill. Another reason I wrote all that description above is to give the GM enough detail about the game so that he may describe the events in the game as the GM would a combat round. Make it exciting. Throw some roleplaying into the mix. Make the players feel like they're sitting down to an exciting game of Pinwheel! Some of the gambler characters out there may even seek out Pinwheel games as a source of income! And, why not? They're gamblers!






-- PREFACE --

Give each player a number, from 1-6. Then, roll 1D to determine, randomly, the first bettor. Starting with that player, and moving clockwise around the table, have each player post the Preface Beat. This simulates the action of the table droid soliciting the Preface Bet.

Remember that bets are in units. A 10 credit Pinwheel games means that one betting unit is 10 credits. The Preface Bet is one betting unit. In later phases, raises are made in whole betting units--meaning the minimum raise is to 20 credits at this betting level.

Keep track of how much money is in the pot. At the end of this phase, the pot will equal the minimum betting unit multiplied by the number of players. In this case, if six players are playing, then the pot is at 60 credits.



-- DEAL --

To simulate the deal and the player's action to discard, have each player roll 1D in secret and place keep it for later. The result on the die represents the cycle the character made from his three cards. So, a roll of 3 means the player made a Third Cycle.

Remember, the higher the cycle, the better the hand.

Here, the players bet in the established order, although no bet is required. Every player can pass. If a raise is made, it is made in whole betting units. Players can kill their hand (fold) if they want in the face of a high bet that they are not prepared to make.

Keep track of the pot.





-- DRAW ONE --

To simulate the player's discard and the new card being dealt to him in this phase, the GM rolls 1D, out in the open, for each player. This die is rolled out in the open to simulate players' guesses, odds calculations, facial reads, tells, and the like. It will also help players when to decide to fold.

The die roll, just like the card dealt in the game, can hinder or benefit a player's hand. If the die roll is odd, subtract it from the player's hidden die. If the die roll is even, add it to the player's hidden die.

The new total of the dice (- odd, + even) makes up the player's new hand. The total is the player's cycle that he's made. If a player has a 6 on his hidden die and the GM rolls a 3 in this phase, then the player's hand has been hurt, and the player now has a Third Cycle.

A Play Bet can be made, and each player can pass (if there is no bet), call, raise, or fold.



-- DRAW TWO --

This phase begins exactly like the previous one. The GM rolls another 1D for each player. Now, every player has two dice exposed on the table and one secret die. This represents the continued play of the game as another card is discarded and a new one dealt.

The character's final hand is ranked by adding up the three dice--the secret die and the two exposed dice. Remember, the cycle for the player's hand is calculated by adding even numbers on all three dice and subtracting odd numbers.

Thus, if a character's secret die was a 6, and the die he received in the Draw One phase was a 3. And, the die he recives in this phase is a 2. Then: 6 - 3 + 2 = 5. The character ends up with a Fifth Cycle hand.

The final bet is made where each player can pass (if there is no bet), call Play Bet, raise, or fold.



Now, here's where the character's Gambling skill comes into play. This simulates the skill of the player, and although a character with high Gambling skill will not win every hand (there's luck involved), skilled players will win much more often than non-skilled players.

After the final bet is made, the character can, but does not have to, make a Gambling skill roll against the total of his three dice. His difficulty is the real total of the three dice. In the example above, the target number would be 6 + 3 + 2 = 11.

If the character makes the check, then the GM rolls 1D that is added to his chain of dice to make up his cycle. Remember, when calculating cycles, add even dice and subtract odd dice. So, to continue the example, if the character rolls the Gambling task and succeeds, then the GM will roll a new die to add to his cycle chain. If a 4 is thrown, the the character's final cycle is: 6 - 3 + 2 + 4 = 9. He ends up with a hand of the Ninth Cycle.

GAMBLE DIE A Wild Die is not used on First Edition D6 Star Wars tasks, but a version of the Wild Die is used on this Gambling task roll. Throw a die of a different color, designated as the Gambling Die, when making the Gambling throw above. This die does not add to the total number of dice. It replaces one of the dice used in a normal throw. Lando Calrissian, around the time of The Empire Strikes Back, has skill of Gambling 9D+2. He's an expert gambler. No, more than that, he's one of the best gamblers in the galaxy.

When Lando throws the Gambling task above, he throws the Gamble Die with the other 8D+2. If your character hasn't improved the Gambling skill, and yo have Perception 3D, then you will throw te Gamble Die with 2D.

The Gamble Die operates just like the Wild Die in later editions of the game sans complications. If a "1" results on the Gamble Die, then the throw total is reduced by removing the Gamble Die and the highest die in the throw. If a "6" results on the Gamble Die, then keep it and throw another die. Keep throwing that die as long as you roll 6's. If the Gamble Die results in 2-5, just add it up normally.

If the player's Gamble task results in a number that is equal to or higher than twice his target number, then the GM will throw two extra dice for the player to figure his final cycle. If the Gamble task is three times or more the target number, then the GM will throw three extra dice for the final cycle, and so on.

Remember that the Gamble task must use the Gamble Die, and that the task does not have to be attempted. The player can attempt to win with what Fate (or The Force) has dealt him.

If the Gamble task is made, it is made after the final bet but before any player reveals his secret die. Players have to look at the open dice to determine whether they will throw the Gamble task or not. The Gamble task can hurt the player's hand, but it is more likely to help it.

To end the hand, players commit to the Gamble task without rolling. Every player still in the game reveals his secret die, and anyone who committed to the Gamble task rolls for his final cycle.









TIME: Playing out the above represents 15 minutes of game time. The one "hand" we play for the rpg in real life represents several hands the character has played over 15 minutes or so.

Play through the procedure four times, and a set is completed. About an hour has passed for the character in game time.






PREFACE BET: What we would call, in the real world, an ante. This is paid to the pot before cards are dealt. In the standard game described above, Preface Bets cannot be raised.

PLAY BET: The standard bet that happens after the Deal and during the Draw One and Draw Two phases. Play Bets are not mandatory. A person does not have to bet on these rounds. If a bet is made, the other players can call, raise, or fold to the bet.

KILL: This is the Pinwheel terminology for what we call folding. "I kill." Or, "I kill my hand," is common verbiage.

CYCLE: The ranking of a hand. It is made up of two cards, matching suits and or symbols of two cards. A First Cycle is the lowest hand. A Ninth Cycle hand wins over a Seventh Cycle hand.

Here's a quick example to show you how this plays. There's a lot to read above because I tried to be complete. The game is very simple to play when used as part of your roleplaying session. I'm not going to write a lot of roleplaying flare in this example to keep it as short as I can, but in a game, as GM, I'd be describing the smokey den, the sounds of the casino. I'd describe the players and sometimes act out parts. I'd throw in some roleplaying here and there, maybe have a sexy waitress offer drinks. I'd make it as cool and interesting for the players as I could.

This is not meant for that. This is meant to show you how the system works in a game. So, I'll try to be brief where I can.

Here are our gamblers for the example.

Player 1: Arssen. Gamble 1D

Player 2: Bhaaz. Gamble 2D.

Player 3: Carston. Gamble 5D.

Player 4: Dhazzi. Gamble 1D+1

Player 5: Ennis. Gamble 5D.

Player 6: Furto. Gamble 3D.​

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These fine gamblers are playing 10 credit Pinwheel.

The droid head pops up out of the table, greets the players, and randomly selects the first better. I roll 1D to simulate this and find that, for this round, we will always start with Ennis.

Next, the droid asks for the Preface. Ennis throws in 10 credits, followed by Furto, then Arssen, Bhaaz, Carston, and Dhazzi.

The pot is now 60 credits.







The droid deals the first hand. Each player rolls 1D in secret and keeps his roll secret throughout the hand. The amount of his roll, 1-6, represents his starting hand.

I'll show you each player's hand here since we're learning this game.

Secret Roll Results for the Deal

Player 1: Arssen. Roll 5. Fifth Cycle.

Player 2: Bhaaz. Roll 4. Fourth Cycle.

Player 3: Carston. Roll 1. First Cycle.

Player 4: Dhazzi. Roll 6. Sixth Cycle.

Player 5: Ennis. Roll 4. Fourth Cycle.

Player 6: Furto. Roll 3. Third Cycle.​

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OK, nobody can see anyone else's cards, but here's the break down. Ennis is an expert gambler and he knows he's been dealt a decent and. Furto if a good gambler, and he recognizes his moderate hand.

Arssen doesn't know much about gambling, but his hand is so strong, he'll probably stick to the end, no matter what. Bhaaz wins more in his head than he does in real life, and he's curious about his weak hand. He believes in luck!

Carston is a professional card player. He knows exactly what he has, the weakest of all starting hands. But, he also knows that Pinwheel is a game of ups and downs. With his skill, he just may be able to pull out a win. He'll stick for a phase or two.

Dhazzi is a weak gambler, but he knows he's staring at the best staring hand.



Ennis leads off the deal phase with a bet of 30 credits.

Furto calls the 30 bet.

Arssen calls the 30 bet.

Bhaaz raises the 30 bet. A raise has to be double or more. He makes the bet 60 credits.

Carston calls the 60.

Dhazzi sighs and calls the 60.

Ennis calls for a total of 60.

Furto calls. 60.

And Arssen calls. 60.

The pot is now 60 from the Preface plus 360 for this round. A total of 420. That's a pretty good pot! It will keep people in!





Now, we're doing the Draw One phase.

Starting with Ennis, the GM throws 1D out in the open to simulate the action of the round. He does this for each player.

Secret Die and Open Die for each player.

Player 1: Arssen. 5s + 6 = Eleventh Cycle

Player 2: Bhaaz. 4s - 1 = Third Cycle

Player 3: Carston. 1s - 5 = First Cycle

Player 4: Dhazzi. 6s + 2 = Eighth Cycle

Player 5: Ennis. 4s + 2 = Sixth Cycle

Player 6: Furto. 3s + 2 = Fifth Cycle​

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OK, We can see, from the open cards (dice), that several hands were helped. Arssen got the best card in the deck! Players have to watch him, and, indeed he does, by far, have the best hand. But, Pinwheel can be fickle! He's got to survive one more draw!

Starting with Ennis. He's got a decent hand, and he bets the same as the last bet from last phase. He doesn't want to appear weak, but he also wants to try to limit his investment. 60 credits.

Furto will call. 60 credits.

Arssen calls, because he's not skilled enough to raise. 60 credits.

Bhaaz kills. He raised and didn't get anybody out. And, he didn't improve his hand. He's out of this hand, losing 70 credits.

Carston kills. He's smart enough to know that that last card was a killer. It will be hard to win with that -5 staring at him. Though, he knows he's a good enough player (has got a high Gambling skill) that he might be able to win the hand with a weak hand. He loses 70 credits.

Dhazzi calls. 60 credits.

The pot is now 420 from last phase plus 240 from this phase, equals 660 credits!








The last phase. Draw Two. The GM rolls 1D for each player in the open.

Secret Die and Open Dies for each player.

Player 1: Arssen. 5s + 6 - 1 = Tenth Cycle

Player 2: Bhaaz. 4s - 1 = Killed

Player 3: Carston. 1s - 5 = Killed

Player 4: Dhazzi. 6s + 2 - 3 = Fifth Cycle

Player 5: Ennis. 4s + 2 + 4 = Tenth Cycle

Player 6: Furto. 3s + 2 - 3 = Second Cycle​

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Well, things are really interesting now. Ennis got a lot of help. Looking around the table, he knows he can't be that bad off. Plus, he's got a high Gambling skill, and that roll is coming up. Looking around, he sees that Furto is hurt bad at -1. The most he could have right now is Five Cycles. Arssen took a hickey, but not a big one. Depends on this "down card" (his secret die). He's still at +5. And, Dhazzi got hurt, bad. He's at -1 with a maximum hand of Fifth Cycle.

Ennis is going to bet big and try to force the weaker hands off the table so that can't benefit from the Gambling roll.

Ennis bets 150 credits.

Furto kills. He's lost 130 credits.

Arssen should raise, but he's not a strong player. He won't attempt the Gambling roll. He'll call. 150 credits.

Dharzzi is looking at a big bet, but he can't attempt the Gambling roll, looking at the target number already (target of 10 on 1D+1). He kills.

So, the game is down to Arssen and Ennis.

The pot is 660 from last phase plus 300 from this phase, for a total of 960.






Now, Ennis declares that he will attempt the Gamble roll.

Arssen says no to the Gamble roll. So, he's firm pat at the Tenth Cycle.



Ennis reveals his secret die. Arssen follows suit.

They're tied! Both at the Tenth Cycle!

Everything rests on Ennis' skill roll.

What suspense! We're gambling! We're gambling! We're playing cards in a Star Wars cantina!!




Ennis has Gambling 5D. He'll roll 4D plus the Gamble die.

His target number is the total of the dice in front of him: 4 + 2 + 4 = 10.

4D roll: 3, 2, 2, 4

Gamble die: 6

Roll Gamble die again: 2

Ennis' total Gamble roll is: 3 + 2 + 2 + 4 + 6 + 2 = 19.

Ennis obviously beat the target number, but he's one shy of getting two extra dice!



So, the GM rolls 1D now that will either make Ennis win or lose the game. 1D = 6!

Ennis wins the game! He lays down his hand showing a Sixteenth Cycle!

This slaughters Arssen's Tenth Cycle.

Ennis wins the pot! 960 credits!






Now,we've played through a hand of Pinwheel. This represents the characters playing several hands over a 15 minute period. Ennis really didn't win 960 credits in one hand (well, I guess he could have). He won the 960 over several hands in a 15 minute period. He probably, played, say, five hands.

If we play through this process three more times, we'll have played a set of Pinwheel that represents about 1 hour of the characters at the table, playing the game.

1. Up to six players can play Pinwheel. Each makes an ante bet at the start of a hand. This bet cannot be raised. It is called a Preface bet. Random roll the first bettor for the hand.

2. Each player rolls 1D and keep the result secret. This represents the deal. The value on the die represents the rank of the hand the character was dealt. Higher rolls are better than lower rolls. Each player can pass, make a bet, raise a bet, or fold his hand. A bet is called a Play bet. Folding is called a Kill.

3. The GM rolls 1D for each player out in the open. This represents more cards dealt to the player. Other players can use the value of the die to guess at their competitor's hands. An even roll is added to the secret die. An odd roll is subtracted from the secret die. A Play bet is made, where players can pass, make a bet, raise a bet, or kill the hand.

4. The GM runs another round exactly as described in #3. This represents the last cards dealt to the player. The open die roll is handled the same way. Players can pass, make a bet, raise a bet, or kill the hand.

5. Once the betting is concluded, all players, in order, declare if they will make a Gambling task roll. A successful task roll is likely to help the hand, but can easily hurt the player's hand as well. When rolling the Gambling task, one die in the task is designated as the Gamble Die. This die is added normally to the roll total except when a 1 or 6 is rolled. A 6 is added and rolled again, and the player can keep rolling that die as long as he rolls 6's. A 1 on the Gamble Die indicates that the Gamble Die and the highest die thrown in the task will be removed from the total rolled.

The target for the Gamble roll is determined by adding up the three dice (add them normally and do not subtract odd numbered dice): the secret die and the two dice rolled for the player by the GM. If the roll fails, there is no effect on the player's hand. If the roll succeeds, then the GM will roll 1D for the player's hand where evens are added and benefit the hand and odds are subtracted as described earlier. If the Gamble roll is twice the target or higher, then the GM rolls 2D to adjust the rank of the player's hand, adding evens and subtracting odds. If the Gamble roll is thrice the target number or higher, then the GM rolls 3D to adjust the rank of the player's hand.

6. Some players will not roll the Gamble roll as success on the roll doesn't mean the dice rolled by the GM will help the player's hand. Odd rolls are subtracted, and some players prefer to play to not risk hurting their hand.

7. The winner is the player with the highest hand rank.