17 Card Poker
Objective: Figure out the shuffling pattern and pick out your winning hand!
SET-UP:
1. The game consists of 10 rounds lasting 24 hours each.
2. The game will be played with a 17 card “deck”, consisting of all Aces, Kings, Queen, Jacks, and one Joker, which is wild.
3. The cards will be shuffled each round according to a predetermined algorithm. Any questions about the algorithm will be ignored for the duration of 17 Card Poker.
a. Players may attempt to solve the algorithm if possible. They are designed to rely on the following functions: adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, counting, and pattern spotting. No references will be necessary. Other tools, like a calculator, could be helpful.
4. Players receive 2 tokens each (per match) to buy hints (See ‘HINTS’ section below). Players cannot transfer tokens in any way.
CONSIDERATION ROUND
1. Before the game starts, there will be a 24 hour consideration round.
2. During this period, the dealer will reveal the first 10 terms of the shuffling algorithm for your match. Round 1 will use the 11th term of the sequence, Round 2 uses the 12th term, and so on. This uses the Shuffle Patterns below. For example, if the 11th term of the sequence is ‘5’, then Shuffle 5 will be used for Round 1.
3. Players may Mail the dealer for hints in exchange for tokens during this round (see ‘HINTS’ section).
4. There may be a second consideration round, which will take place after a reset request (see ‘RESET’ section). The second consideration phase will function like the first one, except that additional terms of the new algorithm are published. For example, if three rounds have already passed, the dealer will reveal the first 10 terms + terms 11, 12, and 13.
SHUFFLE PATTERNS
The following chart will be used to determine the position of each card in the deck.
J- Jack, Q- Queen, K- King, A- Ace
s- Spades, h- Hearts, d- Diamonds, c- Clubs
http://prntscr.com/n9rfnk HAND SCORING:
The hands will be scored as follows, ordered from Best to Worst:
1. 5 of a Kind: (AAAA + Joker)
2. Royal Flush (AKQJ suited + Joker). If both players have this hand, suits are ranked Spades > Hearts > Diamonds > Clubs.
3. 4 of a Kind: (AAAAK)
4. Full House (AAAKK)
5. Straight (AKQJ unsuited + Joker)
6. 3 of a Kind (AAAKQ)
7. Two Pair (AAKKQ)
8. Pair (AAKQJ)
Ties are broken by rank of the cards in the hand (Aces > Kings > Queens > Jacks). Suits do not trump each other except for the Royal Flush.
GAMEPLAY
1. At the start of the game, there will be a 24-hour consideration phase. See (Consideration phase for more information)
2. Each round, players will pick up to 5 card numbers (example: #2, 7, 10, 15, 16). You do NOT request the card identities (Example: Don’t request ‘Ace of Spades’).
a. Players may alternatively pay the LGT 2 chips to only pick 4 cards. The 5th card will be the Joker, given by the LGT, and will be scored to make your hand the best possible.
b. If both players pick the same card, BOTH get the card. If both players pick card #4 for example, both receive the card.
3. At the end of each round, the dealer will reveal the cards chosen and the shuffle used. The loser pays 10 chips to the winner.
a. If the hand ends in a tie, both players pay 3 chips to the LGT
HINTS
1. Using the 2 tokens received, players may mail the dealer for hints for the current algorithm.
2. Hints will be delivered at the start of the next round. See below for hint makeup and example algorithm.
-The dealer reveals the first 10 terms of the algorithm in the consideration phase. (2, 4, 8, 1, 6, 3, 2, 6, 4, 1)
-Players can pay 1 token to reveal one word regarding a critical element in the current algorithm (Doubling)
-Players can pay 2 tokens to reveal the 11th-20th terms of the algorithm in addition to the 1-word hint (2, 8, 2, 5, 6, 5, 1, 2, 1, 0-----Doubling)
-If a player previously paid 1 token for the 1-word hint for the current algorithm, the player can purchase the 11th-20th terms for a discounted price of 1 token.
3. Hints are lost if the algorithm is reset, there is no refund. (See section ‘RESETTING’ for more information)
4. Hints will be sent by Tengaged Mail
5. Players cannot buy hints with chips
6. Players cannot buy tokens with chips, nor can tokens be transferred between players.
RESETTING
1. The algorithm may be reset once per game at any time (including during the consideration period) to have a new algorithm. The reset may come at the request of one or both players (via tengaged mail).
a. The requesting player pays 25 chips to their opponent once the game ends. If both players request the reset, then no payment is made.
2. If a player bought hints to the current algorithm when the reset request is made, the hints are NOT delivered and there is NO refund.
3. The current round will conclude with the old algorithm.
4. Hints bought for the old algorithm do not convert to the new algorithm.
5. The old algorithm will be discarded and not updated further. Hints cannot be bought for old algorithms.
6. Algorithms are meant to be of similar difficulty but may be considered harder or easier based on the nature of pattern-solving.
END OF THE GAME
1. The game ends once all 10 rounds are played. Once all games end, the dealer will reveal all algorithms and show computation.
2. Example algorithm: On each operation, double the prior product and use the new product’s integers integers as terms: [2] [4] [8] [16] [32] [64] [128] [256] [512] [10]24.
3. The winner is the player who made a profit, or less loss if no profit was made. This includes the reset payment, if applicable.
a. If the chips are a tie, the tiebreaker is the number of tokens on hand.
b. If all criteria is a tie, then the game ends in a draw
4. Profit is considered money gained over the course of 17 Poker, not total money on hand.
INACTIVITY
1. Inactive players lose the current hand, pay 10 chips to their opponent, and pay 5 additional chips to the LGT per inactive round.
2. If both players are inactive, both pay 15 chips to the LGT.
