POKER-FINALE MANUAL

POKER-FINALE: HIGH STAKES ON THE BATTLEFIELD

Introduction

In Poker-Finale, two or more players command small squads of miniatures across a battlefield of obstacles, cover, and crucial objectives. The twist: the flow of combat and special actions is powered by a shared deck of playing cards and the formation of secret poker hands. Skillful maneuvering on the tabletop is only half the battle—reading your opponent’s intentions, managing your hand of cards, and deciding when to play strong or bluff weak are equally vital.

Whether you envision gunslingers dueling at dawn, feudal samurai clashing in a hidden forest, or futuristic agents battling on a neon-lit city block, Poker-Finale’s mechanics provide a framework that can adapt to any setting.

Core Components

  1. Miniatures and Terrain:
    Each player fields a squad of 5-10 character miniatures. The table (2’x2’ or 3’x3’) features dynamic terrain: barricades, crates, ruins, or trees. Terrain provides cover and line-of-sight challenges, making positional play important.

  2. Standard 52-Card Deck (No Jokers):
    A single deck of standard playing cards (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades) is shuffled and placed face-down within reach of all players. Cards will be drawn to form poker hands representing tactical advantages, attacks, or special maneuvers.

  3. Unit Cards and Profiles:
    Each miniature corresponds to a unit card with attributes such as:

    • Movement (M): How far it can move per turn.
    • Attack (A): Base ability to hit or deal damage.
    • Defense (D): Its resilience or toughness.
    • Special Traits: Abilities that interact with the card-drawing system, terrain, or team tactics.

  4. Chips or Tokens:
    Each player has a small pool of poker chips or tokens. These represent “bets” used to enhance actions, raise stakes during conflicts, or bluff opponents.

Turn Structure

1. Initiative Phase:
All players simultaneously draw a single card from the deck and reveal it. The player with the highest card value (Aces high) chooses who takes the first turn this round. Ties are broken by suit priority: Spades > Hearts > Diamonds > Clubs.

2. Action Phase (Alternating Activations):
Players alternate activating one miniature at a time. On a miniature’s activation, it can move, shoot, or perform special actions—just like in a standard skirmish game. However, the success and potency of these actions will often depend on playing poker hands from a hidden set of cards the player manages.

3. End Phase:
Players may discard unwanted cards and draw back up to their hand limit (usually 5 cards) from the deck. If the deck runs out, reshuffle the discards. Some game modes may end after a certain number of rounds or when an objective is secured.

The Poker Hand Mechanic

At the start of the game, each player draws 5 cards to form their initial hand. Players keep their hands secret. Each action your miniature takes—be it attacking an enemy, attempting a daring maneuver, or activating a special trait—may call for you to “play a hand.”

Basic Resolution:

  • When a miniature attacks, both the attacker and defender prepare to play a card or a set of cards face-down.
  • The attacker might need to match or exceed a difficulty represented by a “card challenge,” or they may engage in a head-to-head poker hand showdown with the defender.
  • Players reveal their played cards simultaneously. The best poker combination or highest single card (depending on the action type) determines success.

Common Poker Hand Uses:

  • Attack Roll: Instead of rolling dice, the attacker may put down one to three cards and the defender does the same. Highest card wins, or certain conditions might require a poker hand ranking (e.g., a pair beats a high card, a flush beats a straight, etc.).
  • Special Maneuvers: Some abilities require building a specific poker hand (like a pair or three-of-a-kind) to trigger powerful effects—e.g., a sniper shot might require at least a pair to score a critical hit.
  • Defensive Gambits: Defenders can play cards to nullify or reduce incoming damage. A strong poker hand might represent the unit diving into cover just in time or parrying a sword strike.

Bluffing and Mind Games: Players can bluff by overcommitting strong cards to an insignificant attack, or undercommitting on a critical action hoping the opponent wastes their best cards. Since each round you can discard and redraw, managing card economy and keeping track of which suits and ranks are appearing is vital.

Betting and Raising the Stakes

In Poker-Finale, certain high-value actions (like claiming a key objective or executing a devastating special attack) might require placing a “bet.” Each player has a limited pool of poker chips at the start. When a confrontation occurs—such as contesting an objective—both sides may secretly choose to wager chips to gain bonuses (e.g., a +1 to their final attack card, or an extra card draw).

Betting Example:

  • Two miniatures clash over a critical supply crate. Each player can place 0-3 chips secretly in their hand and reveal simultaneously.
  • Every chip bet might allow drawing an extra card for that showdown, or upgrading the rank of one card played.
  • This layer adds a psychological dimension: is your opponent confident or just bluffing?

Example of Play

Scenario: You command a gang of outlaws facing off against a rival band in a dusty frontier town. Your sharpshooter, “Deadeye Annie,” is perched behind a water trough. Across the street, an enemy enforcer tries to flank her.

Turn Sequence:

  1. Initiative: Both players draw the top card of the deck. You draw a Jack of Hearts; your opponent gets a 9 of Clubs. You have the higher card, so you choose to go first.

  2. Your Activation: You activate Deadeye Annie. She moves slightly to get a clear shot at the enemy enforcer. To attack, you must play a card from your hand. The enforcer’s controller will also play a card to defend.

    • You have a good pair hidden in your hand (two Kings). To ensure a powerful shot, you play just one King face-down for now, hoping high card alone beats their defense.
    • The opponent plays a 10 face-down.
    • Reveal: Your King beats their 10. Deadeye Annie’s shot hits home, dealing damage.

  3. Opponent’s Activation: They move another character, a brawler, behind a barrel to set up a future ambush. They don’t engage directly this turn, saving their better cards.

  4. End Phase: You discard two low cards and draw two new ones, looking for better combos next round.

As the game continues, each shootout and contested action turns into a mini psychological duel. You might save strong combinations (like a flush or a straight) for a decisive moment—maybe using a flush to auto-win a critical action in the final round.

Game Modes and Variants

  • Last Man Standing: Victory goes to the player who eliminates all enemy miniatures. Here, card management and hand optimization are key to outlasting the foe.
  • Objective Control: Place objectives on the board. Controlling them at the end of each round might require a small card showdown.
  • Tournament Play: Introduce structured betting rounds for each objective, awarding bonus points to clever or gutsy play.

Adding Complexity

  • Character Classes: Some miniatures have class-based abilities. A “Gambler” character might let you draw extra cards or influence the deck. A “Heavy Gunner” might need specific poker hands to unleash a barrage.
  • Advanced Card Effects: Certain attacks might care about suits (e.g., only hearts count as critical hits), or certain terrains might improve your hand size if your miniature stands atop it.
  • Team Abilities: Multiple miniatures can combine hands, e.g., a Commander and a Medic together form a stronger defensive hand when targeted, representing coordinated teamwork.

Conclusion

Poker-Finale is a game of both tactics and mind games. Positioning your miniatures is crucial, but so is timing your best poker hands and bluffs. With every combat resolved through strategic card play, you’ll find yourself outsmarting opponents not just on the battlefield, but within the invisible arena of psychology and probability.

The result is a high-stakes experience where luck, skill, and cunning merge. Will you hold your strongest combo for the final push? Will you bluff with a weak hand to make your opponent waste their best cards early? In Poker-Finale, your fate rests in your own hands—literally.