Quick spot-rules for gambling:
Cards
Each participant makes a wager then rolls a d20; whomever rolls highest wins the hand. Players can opt to improve their hand by bluffing, cheating, or intimidating the other players.
Each successful use of a skill improves your hand by +2, a tie will result in a roll-off between the players. Characters can use Bluff, Intimidate, and Thievery to influence their hand. An opposed Insight check can be used to determine if another character is bluffing, or trying to bluster, while Perception can be used to detect cheating.
Thievery can be used to apply a bonus to another player, if the cheater wishes, provide themselves or another player with a better hand, or even to completely stack the deck in someone’s favour. Improving a hand applies a -5 penalty to the Thievery check, but allows the player to reroll their hand, taking the better of the two results. Stacking the deck imposes a -10 penalty to the Thievery check, but grants the player in question an instant win on that hand.
Dice
Gambling with dice is quick and easy. Played straight to chance, each gambler begins by paying into the pot. Then, the group sets an agreed-upon number to arrive at, with 20 being a good suggestion. Each player then simultaneously rolls one six-sided die and records the result. This continues in rounds, adding numbers together, until someone has a total that hits the number exactly. Players who go over are ‘out’. In case of a tie, the characters split the pot.
Other die sizes and numbers can easily be used.
Cheating at dice is much more difficult than with cards. If a gambler attempts to cheat at dice, they may make a Thievery check opposed by the perception of all other gamblers. Whether this is passive or actual rolling depends greatly on the mood of the game and the gamblers.
Success at cheating in a given hand requires a Thievery check result of at least 15, and allows you to adjust the result of your die roll up or down by one. You must decide whether or not you wish to cheat before you make your roll. If you fail the Thievery check, the result remains random, but observers may still detect the attempt.
