Forfeit

Forfeit

A wager accepted is a wager owed.

A bluffing game for two players with one standard 52-card deck, Aces high, and 20 coins: 10 Stakes each.

A hand

1. Deal 3 cards to each player. Turn the next card face up: the Crown. Its suit beats every other suit this hand.
2. Play 3 pledges. The Proposer alternates every pledge, and the non-dealer proposes first. The deal alternates every hand.

A pledge

1. The Proposer lays one card face down and names a stake of 1 to 3 Stakes, never more than either player holds.
2. The Responder lays one card face down, then chooses:
   • Accept: the stake stands.
   • Raise: the stake goes up by 1. The Proposer must now accept or forfeit.
   • Forfeit: pay the Proposer 1 Stake. Both cards are discarded face down, unseen.
3. If the Proposer forfeits after a raise, they pay the Responder the original stake, and the cards are discarded unseen.
4. Otherwise reveal both cards. A Crown card beats any other suit; otherwise the higher rank wins. Equal ranks tie, and nobody pays. The loser pays the winner the stake. Revealed cards stay face up for the rest of the hand.

Winning

• A player with no Stakes left loses at once.
• Otherwise, after 6 hands, whoever holds more Stakes wins. If you are level, play on until a pledge is decided.

Strategy

• A forfeit hides both cards, so nobody ever learns whether a big stake was a bluff.
• Count the Crown cards that have been revealed. Your card is only as strong as what is still unseen.
• Forfeiting costs 1. Accepting can cost 4.