Ye Olden Card and Luck Games

Serious Paul · December 18, 2008, 02:37:56 PM

So what sort of games of chance did people play back in the day? Have you played them?

I'm open to anything fun, and not too complicated! Thanks for the help!

James J Skach · December 18, 2008, 03:04:00 PM

How about Piquet?

Never played it...

James J Skach · December 18, 2008, 03:08:39 PM

I also found this link - though I should not a bunch of the first few links (those marked Modar's Descriptions) lead to a page not found...

James J Skach · December 18, 2008, 03:12:39 PM

How about Marlota - complete with a page from the 13th century source!

Drawn from this page - the parent of which includes all kinds of games (dice, card, board,etc.).

Posting something like this on the competition...shame on you, SP.

Serious Paul · December 18, 2008, 03:17:37 PM

Sweet, I'll start looking through these. One of the players is portraying a Rogue, who amongst other things likes to play games of luck.

Ian Absentia · December 18, 2008, 03:21:12 PM

Knucklebones, the precursor to dice, are just about as old as you can get. Variations on dice, like runes, sticks, coins, have been used for ages as well.

On a more brutal level, trading blows has always been a favorite, though you and your friends may not enjoy the game very much. Basically, two opponents take turns hauling off on one another until one of them buckles and drops. Wagers are exchanged between blows.

!i!

James J Skach · December 18, 2008, 03:24:39 PM

Quote from: Ian Absentia;274436On a more brutal level, trading blows has always been a favorite, though you and your friends may not enjoy the game very much. Basically, two opponents take turns hauling off on one another until one of them buckles and drops. Wagers are exchanged between blows.

Like a combat version of the drinking game in Raiders of the Lost Ark! I love it!

Serious Paul · December 18, 2008, 03:28:18 PM

Trading blows in real life is probably out. I sort of tower over most of my players, and have much more extensive training than most of them. But Knucklebones is added to my reading list!

A real shame that Modar game won't show up, but Piquet and Marlota look good.

Ian Absentia · December 18, 2008, 03:29:47 PM

Quote from: James J Skach;274438Like a combat version of the drinking game in Raiders of the Lost Ark!

I was almost going to mention that! :emot_haw:

!i!

Serious Paul · December 18, 2008, 03:32:25 PM

I think a good way to start this game will be with Tequila shots. You guys are really helping, I appreciate it!

Spellslinging Sellsword · December 18, 2008, 04:51:26 PM

I got a lot of hours of enjoyment out of playing Hnefatafl. It's an old Viking game. For a general overview of tafl games see the Wikipedia entry and also check out this site for some good information.

For a medieval manuscript talking about games of chance, check out Alfonso X's Book of Games. You can find an English translation by Sonja Musser Golladay with some other material here.

RPGPundit · December 18, 2008, 07:32:19 PM

There was Tabula, the roman and dark-ages ancestor of modern Backgammon...

RPGPundit

Ian Absentia · December 18, 2008, 10:13:50 PM

I found a download of Tabula here. Wasn't there also a Roman gambling game that involved the d8?*

Somewhat related, and which I believe also involves gambling (because, really, what human activity doesn't?), is Mancala, which is surprisingly fun for being such an incredibly simple game.

!i!

(*Speaking of which, here's a dude with instructions on how to make Roman dice from bone. Oh'p! And he also has a video on making D&D dice!)
[Edit: Never mind. I just watched all the way through both videos. The dude's lame.]

RPGPundit · December 19, 2008, 03:05:30 PM

Mancala is an even earlier ancestor of Backgammon.

RPGPundit