Round Three Playtest Notes
When: Friday, Feb 7, 2003, 11pm
Who: Me
Notes:
Hoarding your white stone(s) for strategic moments when you have a high 'hole' roll and a low 'open' roll can be effective, but when playing with several players, the pots will be bigger in the beginning, and it may pay to try and win these early rounds.
Order of raising can be critical, especially when white or black stones are involved. I'm tempted to say that someone can change their black stone to a white if someone adds a white stone after them, but then does that player get to change their white to a black? The order of the re-roll is also important. For now I'm going to revise and say that rerolls happen after the bidding for that round is complete.
- Rerolls happen after bidding closes - All players must either fold or call (with black or white stones) before those who placed white stones reroll their live dice.
- Stone bidding goes in order, but starting with the first person who puts a stone down. - This gives players more leeway for eagerness and bluffing. Players should have an agreed-upon signal that betting is closed. That is to say, if any player can place a 'raise' stone, then there has to be some moment when it is too late to play one.
- When all players have picked up their 1D20, the time to add a stone has passed. - Until then, any player may start the raise by adding a stone to the pot.
- Any D20 roll before all players have picked up their D20 is invalid.
- Stones cannot be changed once bid - Regardless of whether other players fold, or put in black or white stones, once a player has added a stone to the pot, they cannot change it, or add another stone in order to reroll.
- Gratis Rule - If a player is out of stones after anteing, they cannot be forced out of the round (and hence the match) for an inability to call a raise. They get to ride free. If another player raises without realizing that the depleted player can't match, the raising player is not permitted to take the raise back. Each player's remaining stones must be clearly visible at all times, or at the request of any player at any time, both to assess the number of stones and number of white stones.