Rules

An Ante 45 game session is defined by one Dealmaster (DM) and about four players representing Characters. The DM describes the environment around the Characters, while the Characters describe their actions. Over the course of a game session, the DM and Characters will create a story of either making it big, or making a grave...

Ante 45 is played with a standard (52) deck of playing cards. Start your game by removing the two Jokers, shuffling your deck, and placing a number of cards equal to your Grit Score face down.

Then draw six cards - this will be your Hand for gameplay.

Attributes determine your abilities throughout the world. They go from 2 to 20 and affect many things on your character sheet.

(See below Full Rules - page 6)

When you take damage, you lose health. Reaching 0 means you play the Death Game.

Grit represents your stamina in the world. You spend it to pay for Antes or to Discard and Redraw your Hand. You get it back by Camping.

Throughout the DM’s narration, you may describe any action that your character wants to do. For example, you may describe that you want to use your revolver to shoot a two-legged varmint.

Occasionally, your Dealmaster may call for your character to pay an Ante, play a Showdown or to Hit some number cards.

Antes are commonly tasks that don’t really have a fail state or any risk, but takes time and energy to complete (i.e. attempting to move a cart, or remembering the antidote to Hoop Snake poison).

To pay an Ante, you discard* a certain number of cards from your hand. The type of card and amount required for submission will be described in the Ante, e.g. “Ante Three Strength”.

An Attribute is usually described; if so, reference the suit(Strength is Spades) on your character sheet, and you may take a discount based on your Ante Discount.

*Discarded Cards always go to the bottom of your deck.

Showdowns are tasks that carry risk to them or can not be repeated again (i.e. attempting to smoothtalk a deputy to lower his weapon).

Showdowns are submitted with traditional poker hands*. You will reveal a number of cards equal to your Showdown Size, and attempt to create a poker hand of up to 5 cards from both your Hand and the revealed cards.

*Ante 45 uses Texas Holdem/Omaha/Seven Card Stud rules for scoring poker hands. For a reference in book, please see Gameplay Rules for more details.

Hits are used to calculate things like Damage, and usually have a number following them (e.g. “Hit 5”). Reveal the number of stated cards, and count the number of Face Cards revealed. Jacks, Queens, and Kings are considered Face Cards* **.

* To note, Aces are not Face Cards.

** Sometimes, other cards are counted as successful Hits. The game or DM shall tell you when this happens.