In true dwarven fashion, the days of the week were laid out in an orderly fashion, and they simply translate as the First Day, Second Day, etc. This simplicity is presumed to be the reason their names survived the Dark Ages and remained popular throughout recorded history. The final three days of the week, commonly referred to as the “weekend” are also known as the Sabbatha, or the time of rest and worship. Niday is traditionally set aside for worship and Decaday for rest. Octday is technically part of the Sabbatha, but as it has no standing tradition, it is more nebulous and is frequently considered a standard working day.
Appendix B
Dividha
I. Overview
II. The Cards
III. Ranking Hands
IV. Rules of Note
V. Other Terminology
VI. Gameplay
a. Betting
b. Basic Rules
c. Trading
d. Winning and Losing
I. Overview
The origins of the game are unknown, but it has been in existence since the dawn of the Age of Merging. Dividha gained widespread popularity during the Sixth Century (AM), and has remained the most popular card-game of chance among all races since. (It is even rumored the immortal races play as well.) The rules have changed little since the early centuries, but many regional variants have developed.[47]
The game can accommodate anywhere from 2-6 players – the maximum can be stretched to 7, but this is rare as it can potentially use every card in the deck. Professional games and tournaments never consist of more than 6 players.
Each player has a chance to make the best hand of no more than five cards out of six he is dealt during gameplay. Betting is done between dealt pairs of cards, and each player can bet that he will either Win or Lose the hand; thus a player can make money by having the worst hand at the table. Each player keeps track of his betting on a personal scoring tablet, on which he indicates how much of each bet is placed on his odds of winning and how much is placed on losing.
The gaming and betting tactics change considerably based on how many players are in the game. Games between two people can periodically devolve into stalemates depending on the betting, as one of the two will always win and the other will always lose, and both will take money from the pot based on the Win/Lose wagers. While experienced players can usually avoid this scenario through skill, amateurs often rely on patience as they maneuver to break the stalemate to their advantage. Beginners usually get taken for all they’re worth and avoid the scenario by no longer being in the game.
II. The Cards
There are five suits in Dividha: Humans, Demi-Humans, Beasts, Heaven, and Hell. A Dividha deck consists of 56 cards. The three mortal suits (Humans, Demi-Humans, & Beasts) consist of ten cards ranked (from high to low) Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace. (Ace can be high or low, but is usually high.) The remaining immortal suits (Heaven & Hell) consist of twelve cards ranked the same as the mortal suits, but there are three “6” cards for each immortal suit. In addition, there are two wild cards, one for each immortal suit.
The cards for Dividha are listed below by suit:
Each deck is hand-painted by an artist, so the exact appearance of each card varies widely based on the region where the deck was made, as well as the race and skill of the artist who made it. For example, it is not unknown for an elven artist to paint Human and other non-elven card characters as rude caricatures, while at the same time portraying the elven characters as majestic and highly detailed. Other races share similar prejudices, and some decks have become collectors’ items based solely on the work of their artist.
The cards of the Heaven suit are generally drawn favorably with benign characters and scenes, while those of the Hell suit are often quite hideous to behold. The three 6s of each immortal suit are always drawn identical to each other, aside from the different names of the three 6s of Hell. Few artists attempt to show God as more than a ray of light, sometimes including an interpretation of the Throne of Heaven in their picture. Satan’s appearance varies depending on the imagination (and depravity) of the artist, ranging from a plain black card to nightmarish monstrosities grinning in lust or murderous glee.
III. Ranking Hands
The ranking of card hands in Dividha is based primarily around possessing cards of either the same suit or of the same or consecutive values. The strength of the hand is based on the value of the cards, the number of immortal and/or “wild” cards, and in some variants the order in which the cards are played (see Section IV, “Rule of Order”).
Pure Five-of-a-Kind – Only possible when the player possesses all three of the Hell 6s (Min, Ral, & San) as well as two 6s from the mortal suits. It is the highest possible hand in Dividha. This combination cannot be made using a wild card (doing so only qualifies it as a Five-of-a-Kind, which is technically still beatable if another player has a Pureblood Straight).
Pureblood Straight – A hand almost as impossible to achieve as the Pure Five-of-a-Kind. A Pureblood Straight consists of a Royal Straight (7-J-Q-K-A) with all five cards in the same suit.
Five-of-a-Kind – Only possible if the player possesses at least two 6s from the same immortal suit or one of the Wild Cards, since opposing immortal suits cannot be played together. (Using the two deuces of the immortals suits is possible without violating the Syncretic Rule.)
Pure Straight – A Straight Flush consists of a Straight (5 cards in sequence) comprised of cards that are all of the same suit.
Four-of-a-Kind – This hand consists of four cards of the same value from two or more suits.
Full House – Consists of a Three-of-a-Kind and a Pair.
Pure (Hand) – This hand contains five cards all of the same suit, such as A-J-5-3-2 all of Beasts.
Straight – A Straight consists of 5 cards in sequence, such as 4-5-6-7-J. An ace may either be high (7-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5), but a Straight may not “wraparound” an Ace (Q-K-A-2-3… which is not a Straight).
Three-of-a-Kind – Three cards of the same value matched from two or more different suits.
Two Pair – Two pairs of cards with different values.
One Pair – Two cards of equal value from different suits.
High Card – If no other combination of cards can be made, the player’s hand is initially ranked solely by the value of its highest card.
IV. Rules of Note
Some rules apply to crafting a Dividha hand, whilst others apply to how those hands are ranked. Many are regional variants and optional during gameplay, but some are intrinsic to the game of Dividha.
Syncretic Rule – Cards in the Heaven and Hell suits cannot be played in the same hand, except for the Deuces of each suit, which may be played with cards from the opposing immortal suit (e.g. – the two of Heaven may be played in the same hand as any other card in the Hell suit); the opposing deuce may not count towards creating any kind of Pure hand. One notable power of the deuces, however, is that they are more powerful when played alongside cards from the opposing immortal suit, functioning as an Ace. (e.g. – the two of Hell may be played with the Ace of Heaven, giving the player a Pair of Aces, or even used to complete a Straight of otherwise all Heavenly cards)
Immortal Majority – Otherwise equal hands are ranked by which hand possesses a greater quantity of immortal cards. Immortal cards not used in crafting the hand are not counted. This rule supersedes the Majority Sum and High Card determinations in otherwise equally ranked hands. (e.g. – A player with a six-high Straight with two immortal cards will beat a player with a King-high Straight with only one immortal card. A player with Three-of-a-Kind with one immortal will beat a player with an equal-value, all-mortal Three-of-a-Kind who has two immortal cards outside the Three-of-a-Kind.)
Majority Sum – Equal hands with no clear winner based on the Immortal Majority rule are next ranked by the sum of the value of their cards (Ace=1, Jack=8, Queen=9, King=10). Equally summed hands will then turn to a High Card determination. Note: The Ace still win
s a “High Card” over a King. It is only when summing the point values for a Majority Sum determination that the Ace loses virtually all value.
Rule of Order – A rule variant in which cards must be placed in a particular order for the hand to be valid. Violating the rule results in a breaking of the hand down to simple Majority Sum strength. A player cannot deliberately lose by flubbing a hand – should a player have the losing hand as a result of this error, he is disqualified and the Lose goes to the next lowest player (in a game of two, winner takes all). In general, high cards are placed on top of low, immortal cards on top of mortal, human atop demi-human atop beasts, and wild cards are always played on top. Straights must be played in sequential order, but other hands don’t have to be played in a ranked order beyond the highest card.
Aural Rule – A variant in which the hand must be verbally called by the player at the time of showdown. If the Rule of Order is also in effect, this rule becomes doubly critical, since playing the cards correctly but calling them incorrectly still results in a violation and breakdown of the hand. There are some “correct” terms for certain hands, but in general just verbalizing which cards are where in the arrangement will suffice without depending on specific phrasing. Most players call their hand regardless of this rule, and serious players typically refuse to play if the Aural Rule is in effect, seeing it as a cheap road to victory for amateurs who are sticklers for gimmicks over gameplay.
Invictory – Technically the original name for this situation is “Involuntary Victory” but the slang term caught on and has become the accepted term. Often considered at odds with the Rule of Order, an Invictorious hand is one in which the player lays down what is intended to be a losing hand and ends up the winner. (This is especially problematic if the player has been betting to lose, and worse if other players are engaged in a race to lose the hand.) If the Rule of Order is in effect, the Invictorious hand may be a result of cards played out of order, if the Majority Sum is still sufficient to win the round.
Providence – Use of a wild card (God or Satan) to create a hand automatically makes that hand more powerful than any otherwise equal hand (e.g. – using a wild card to make a pair of sixes will beat a pair of Aces, but three deuces will still beat that pair). Note: Wild cards do not have a face value and count as 0 in a Majority Sum determination.
Divine Intervention – A rule variant in which using both the God and Satan cards results in an automatic win. This is an obvious exception to the Syncretic Rule, and few players of any skill choose to play with this optional rule. If this rule is not in effect, the God and Satan cards follow the Syncretic Rule and cannot be played together in the same hand or with opposing immortal cards.
Demon’s Wager – A rule variant in which a round of betting precedes the dealing of any cards. This option is considered risky since money is laid out before any cards are seen, but among those who favor the rule it is considered a powerful tool and adds a certain zest to the game. Even its detractors admit, however, the Demon’s Wager can be an effective tool in reducing the possibility of a stalemate in a two-person game.
Pay-to-Trade – A rule variant in which a player must pay currency equal to the ante (although he may still choose how it is divided between Win/Lose) for each card he wishes to trade in. This rule typically makes for shorter games, since trading cards can be vital to establishing a hand, but doing so can become prohibitively expensive.
Corruption – The rule that makes possible the most powerful hand in the game. Possessing all three of the 6s of Hell (aka “The Three”) treats all mortal cards in the player’s hand as if they were in the Hell suit instead. Possessing all three cards all but guarantees a Pure hand, and if the player has mortal 6s as well, he can craft the unbeatable Pure Five-of-a-Kind.
V. Other Terminology
Hunting The Three – Slang for deliberately searching out the three sixes of the Hell suit in an attempt to gain at least a Pure hand, if not the Pure Five-of-a-Kind. The tactic became so pervasive among amateur players that it became synonymous with a “wild goose chase”.
Satan’s Gambit – A tactic of consistently, deliberately playing and betting to lose in order to come out ahead in the game.
Hero’s Gauntlet – A tactic of betting only to win and playing heavily to back it up.
Devil’s Deuce – A nickname for the Deuce of Hell, typically considered just a catchy slang term.
All-In – Betting all of your remaining currency on a single hand. The bet can still be split to win and lose like any other bet in the game, although some players insist it should only apply to betting your remaining currency to either win or lose, and not split the bet in any way.
Showdown – The laying down of cards at the end of all betting. Each player lays down his hand (in the appropriate layout if playing by the Rule of Order), creating whatever hand is possible using five of his six available cards. The sixth card is turned face-down and generally never seen by the other players.
VI. Gameplay.
At the beginning of a hand, each player must ante a set minimum number of coins (or appropriate currency).[48] This amount will usually increase incrementally during the course of the game, gradually upping the stakes to prevent a game of “penny pinching,” which can last indefinitely. (See “Betting” for more information.) If the game is being played with the Demon’s Wager variant, a complete round of betting will follow the initial ante.
Players are each dealt two private cards face-down, after which there is a round of betting. Then each player is dealt two public cards face-up, followed by a second round of betting. Finally, each player is dealt two more private cards face-down, followed by the third and final round of betting.
At showdown, each player plays the best combination of cards he can make using no more than five of his six cards and announces his hand. The unused card is played face-down beneath any cards that are not part of the player’s hand (the five cards being used are always played face-up, even if they are not a part of the player’s card combination).
Cards from the Heaven and Hell suits CANNOT be played in the same hand together without violating the Syncretic Rule, with the exceptions noted previously.
a. Betting
As in most card games, betting proceeds clockwise from the dealer for each hand. In Dividha, the dealer rotates counter-clockwise with each new hand, carrying with it the coveted option of betting last. Of course, his position will be reversed on the next hand – what many non-religious players often refer to as “He who was last shall be first” with a certain amount of irony.
Ante – The ante is always an even number, and is split evenly between the Win and Lose columns on the players tablet. When a player can no longer afford the ante, s/he is out of the game and all remaining currency is forfeit and goes to the “Winner” of the next hand. When only two people remain and one can no longer afford the ante, the game is over and the winner takes all. Rules on increasing the ante over time vary widely, depending on the region, the house rules, and the stakes involved in the game. (Note: At any time, the ante may be lowered to a mutually agreed-upon level. This is rare, because the lowering must be done by unanimous consent, and a single player with a significant advantage in currency can void this option in order to more easily defeat his opponents.)
Limits – Like many Dividha rules, the existence of limits is based primarily on local customs. Smaller games generally function on a fixed-limit basis, while higher-stake rounds often opt for the no-limit option. If there are no limits specified, the general custom is a pot limit, and while betting more than your opponent’s maximum number of currency is considered foolish, it is not necessarily against the rules. (Many southern regions have incorporated this as an actual rule of play, but it has yet to catch on in the north, where men are more than ready to take advantage of a man’s overconfidence.)
b. Basic Rules
At the beginning of each hand, all players wishing to take part must post an ante, the amount of which is set before
the hand begins and typically increases as the game progresses. The dealer then gives two cards to each player, doling out one card at a time per person in a clockwise rotation around the table. The player may keep these “private cards” in his hand or leave them face-down on the table as he chooses.
A round of betting follows, beginning with the player immediately to the left of the dealer and proceeding in a clockwise rotation around the table, as per standard betting order. (The dealer always has the final bet during the initial go-around.)
When all players have either matched the bet or else folded their hand, the dealer gives two more cards to each player. These “public cards” cards are dealt as before, but they are placed face-up in front of the player. A second round of betting ensues according to standard betting order.
At this point, players have the option of trading in up to two cards from their hand. Trading begins with the player immediately to the left of the dealer and proceeds in a clockwise rotation around the table. Private cards being traded will be replaced by private cards dealt face-down to the player. Public cards being traded are first turned face-down and discarded, then are replaced by public cards dealt face-up.
Hunting The Three (The Barrier War) Page 44
