So that poker pack idea got me thinking of a fun way to play magic and use all your bulk rares etc as chips. I mean they are collecting dust.
Then you have those cards worth a few dollars that no one ever wants or for some other odd reason it's never left your collection. These are your buy ins...
Buy in + chips required for play:
Chip values:
basic land - can be used as pauper chips - no one wants to win these.
Commons - .05
Uncommons - .25
Rares - .50
Foil basic land - .50
Foil commons - .75
Foil uncommons - 1.25
Foil Rares: $2
$15 or $20 should be the amount of "chips" per buy in. Determine it with your playgroup. Keeping it a set number avoids people from buying out players completely.
Minimums of chipsets:
**No duplicates encouraged**
Commons : 100 ($5)
Uncommons :16 ($4)
Rares : 8 ($4)
The remaining $2-$7 is up to your group.
Buy in:
-Each player has a sideboard of 5 or 10 cards valued at $3-$5avg value. No duplicates.These are "Pool sweep" cards. Make it fun! Your group determines the number of pool sweep cards.
You can flex that value for your play group also depending on how risky you like to play.
Just remember: don't ante/gamble/"game trade" what you don't want to lose. Everyone wagers, so there will be losers. Much more than winners. So don't be a sore one if you are one.
-Each player submits 2 pool cards to the ante/prize pool for entry to the game
-these are put aside for the winner of the overall match.
-the remaining cards are "pool sweep" cards
-these cards prevent a player from sweeping the current game pool
-all "pool sweep" cards enter the ante/prize pile
-2 may be used for buy in if a player depletes their chips
-once players deplete their pool sweep cards, they cannot refill them.
Gameplay:
Instead of being able to simply cast spells:
A player taps for mana and cast the spell
Any player may wager X cards to cancel the casting.
The player casting the spell may respond paying the wager value for the spell to resolve.
These cards are sent into the game pool.
The spell resolves.
If a player casting a spell does not pay the wager.
The cards waged enter the pot.
The spell does not resolve, it returns back to the casters hand and the mana is still spent.
Players can try to cancel spells all they want, but depleting chips can cost you the ante pot and another buy in.
If multiple players wage to cancel, each must be responded to in turn order.
----Sample play in 2nd post----
---Pool Sweeps---
Cards that are waged enter the game pool, these pools may be collected by any player when accomplish these actions:
Deal 5 damage to another player
This comes to 4 potential pool sweeps per game minimum.
-gaining 5 life
-Triple spell cast (3 spells In a turn) can also take the card current card pool.
-Round win
The player then declares "Pool sweep" and takes the game pool. The player must declare a pool sweep, or they default. This allows players to respond with pool sweep cards. All players wishing to counter the action must respond in turn order.
-----------
----Use of Pool Sweep cards----
When a player wins a pool sweep, they normally can collect the game pool. When they announce a "pool sweep" any other player may prevent this action by doing the following.
**The following pool sweep counters do not include winning a round**
Any player may prevent this collection of the game pool by waging a pool sweep card(s)
The waged pool sweep card(s) enter the ante/prize pool
The player sweeping may either see the pool sweep card wager or fold:
If the player sees the card wager, those card(s) are sent to the ante/prize pool. The player now may take the game pool.
If the player folds, he does not collect the pool, and the next game phase continues.
If multiple players wage against a pool sweep, each one is responded to in turn order.
-------
This is a great way to sneak the pool in your favor if another player is about to claim a large game pool! Just be careful it doesn't happen to you!
Whoever has the most "chips" wins the ante/prize pool as opposed to rounds, but winning rounds does win you the current game pool unless...
In order to counter a round win pool sweep, a player must play 3 pool sweep cards. This delays the chips to next round. This may not be done on the final round.
-----------
Tips: No duplicates of chips or ante cards! That takes the fun of the game out! Everyone doesn't have to leave with the same bulk commons! You'll have to be a little more creative when it comes to unloading your {folk of an hava}
EDH - double the requirement for game pool sweep triggers or keep them the same for a frenzy!
Don't always be so fast to spend your pool sweeps! You only have to really wage 2 to play, after that it gets 😿 if you end up losing several cards more than your opponent.
This is supposed to be fun, don't gamble what you can't lose!
Why ante pool? It's no fun to walk away with MORE bulk.
Now here is an example of play:
Both players draw 7, player 1 goes first.
Player 1 puts down a mountain
Player 1 taps mountain for mana
Player 1 cast {Rakdos Cackler}
Player 2 wages 5 commons (.25) to skip this spell and move to the next step.
Player 1 refuses to pay. Rakdos cackler is not summoned, mountain is still tapped. Rakdos cackler remains in the player's' hand.
Player 1 passes to player 2
Player 2 plays a forest
Player 2 taps forest
Player 2 summons elvish mystic
Player 1 wages a rare (.50) in order to play mystic.
Player 2 sees the wage with 2 uncommons (.50)
Player 2 is able to play elvish mystic
Player 2 passes to player 1
Player 1 plays a mountain
Player 1 taps both mountains
Player 1 summons rakdos cackler
Player 2 pays .75 for cackler to be cancelled
Player 1 does not pay
Player 1 uses remaining mana to summon the cackler again!
Player 2 pays .50 for the cackler to be cancelled
Player 1 see the wager. Cackler stays
Player 1 passes to player 2
Player 2 plays a forest
Player 2 taps forest for Rancor on mystic
Player 1 pays $1 to counter
Player 2 pays $1 rancor stays
Player 2 attacks
Player 1 blocks with cackler
Player2 responds by playing giant growth (taps last forest)
Player 1 does not pay to cancel
The cackler dies & 5 damage is dealt (trample) to player 1
Player 2 may sweep the pool now.
Player 1 pays 2 Pool Counter cards
Player 2 refuses to pay.
The pool is not sweeped.
Player 2 passes to player 1
Player 1 plays a mountain
Player 1 plays a cackler
Player 2 pays $1.50 to cancel cackler
Player 1 refuses and cackler is cancelled
Player 1 taps mountain
Player 1 lightning bolts player 2
Player 2 has no response
Player 1 taps last mountain
Player 1 lightning bolts player 2
Player 2 pays $1 to cancel
Player 1 pays $1 and bolt hits Player 2
Player 2 has taken 5 damage
Player 1 now may take the pool
Player 2 pays 2 counter pool cards
Player 1 pays 2 in response.
Player 1 takes the pool.
The overall pool now has 10 rares at stake.
Player 1 leads in chip count.
So there is an idea of a play.
Clearly you can counter every spell a player cast but it does get costly since they can recast that spell.
We now went from a $16 pool to a $40 pool! Now the game gets exciting!
And it's only turn 3!
You can try to cancel spells all you want but some will eventually be paid, it just matters how much you're willing to pay to delay that spell.
Love the game idea! Definately something we could use at my shop considering we all have like 5 5k count commons and uncommon boxes laying around! It's nice to see my op of pack poker resulted with this