Charlie cools his heels in his first full day in the stockade. He sits with his back to the wall, quietly keeping an eye on his cow puncher fellow inmates. They continue to play endless hands of cards, but at a slow pace to draw out the time. It seems that they're pretty skilled at drawing out time and not rushing any kind of available amusement. Charlie knows enough about cowboys to know that their lives are mostly hard, dirty work, with some free time. But out in the middle of nowhere with pretty much nothing to do but play cards, shoot coyotes, and thumb through catalogs, or read the same old newspaper over and over. The ones that can make out most of the words are particular blessed. It's not much wonder that they can go hog wild when they get to town. Or that they'd spend a sixth of a month's pay on one five-minute dance with a dance hall girl. Or shoot each other over the unreturned love of one them.
The cowboys peer down at their hands and consider their odds, tactical options, and opponents.
Call.
Too rich fer this ole boy. Fold.
Call. Next time I'll git the cowboy paint off ma boots before git into the poison.
Fold. Ya could consider gitting that cow sh*t off of em ever few months er so. Even without gittin ready to drank whiskey.
I jist might've managed to put somethin together. Or maybe not. Raise a dime.
Ya trying that ole trick again? Well, I'll pay to see them cards. Call.
Seems like ya'll already ain't sittin in a datgum weedy old Indian-fightin fort in dadblained Texas, and yer already millionaires sold a herd in Dodge City. Just the kind of bluffin jaspers I like to whup. Call.
Show em, girlies.
The three lay down their cards.
Ace a hearts high.
Heh! Pair a jacks.
Read it and weep. Two pair, fours and deuces. A fellow pulls the bills and coins across the stump, the dealer collects cards and passes the deck to the next dealer. It seems to Charlie that the players all fall silent and observe that operation surprisingly closely. As if observing and trying to commit to memory the appearance of individual cards.
After a few more hands.
Ante up. Nickel ante.
Fold. I wonder if that Comanche or Kiowa feller over there plays cards.
Fold too. Eat dirt all day on the trail behind cattle butts, and git dealt the same in this here ole stockade. Why don't ya go ask him.
Here's ma ante, and another nickel. Hmm. I'll ask him. But the Indian will probably skin y'all card sharps alive and take yer ever last penny rat here on this stump. Watch ma hand and don't reshuffle the deck.
Charlie sees tall, wiry, slightly stooped cowboy of maybe 22 or so walk toward him and stop. He briefly pushes the crown of his hat down on his head and says in salutation, Howdy. You was in the German bar where everbody got drunk and started fightin and shootin. If ya wanta play cards-- yer welcome. Nickel ante per hand, limit on raisin hands is 50 cents. Ya can come on over and ante up if ya like.
Charlie solo thread
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
Charlie
"Sure, not much going on here." He stands up and walks back with the cowboy.
"Sure, not much going on here." He stands up and walks back with the cowboy.
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
Charlie pulls up a stick of firewood to sit on like the others and joins them at the saw-cut stump. The dealer picks up the poker hands' card, returns them to to the deck, and slides it along the stump to the cowpoke to his left. To the lanky fellow that invited Charlie.
Dammit Chester, how many times we tole ya not to wear out the cards like that? If we got to git a new deck, yer buying it. If that policeman will do it fer ya.
A cowpoke across the stump spit a long slurp of tobacco juice on the ground. I imagine we will. Like he took the order for tabacca and brought it in the morning with iron hard tack and leather bull beef and sour sow belly. Speaking of which, y'all goat ropers can go ahead and pay me fer yer tabacca before I clean ya out here.
Oh you'll git yer money alright, Lefty, another says. Money that was in yer own pocket before ya lost it to me. Funny how that works. There ought to be a church sermon explainin the mystery of how the Lord makes that work.
One the cowpunchers finishes rolling up a cigarette in a rectangle of newsprint. He scratches a match on his boot heel, takes puff, exhales smoke through his mouth while inhaling it through his nose, and slowly blows three successive smoke rings. The blows the remainder of the smoke across the stump card table, to slowly rise and linger at head level for the gamblers opposite him. Ya shouldn't blaspheme lack that, Hardy. Old Scratch will send a gang a Comanche boys yer way one night. He nods to Charlie. No offense intended, compadre. Ole Lucifer might take jist take notice swim yer horse inta nest a water moccasins while waterin cattle in a swamp or crossing a horse in a river instead. Seems a little more likely. Or... I dunno. Maybe a little less.
Another card player, this one the older man in his forties Charlie had seen at the fight at Hoffman's and the subsequent trial spits the accumulated juice of a chew. He has the air of foreman or trail boss over these cowboys in their early to mid 20s. If y'all sh*tkickers and done talking, Cal kin go ahead and deal cards. Ah'm in kinda a hurry. I got five more days and nights in this stockade fer playing and listenin to bullsh*t, horsesh*t, and plain ole dumb green cowsh*t.
Tall and lanky Cal's long fingers take their time shuffling the cards again. And one more. He put the deck in front of the player to his left. Cut, Abner. Charlie notices that everybody gets quiet and they carefully observe Abner's hands as they make two piles of the deck and put the bottom one on top of the other. He looks at the gamblers seated on stools of firewood seated around the sawed-off stump cards table. They're all directly or indirectly looking the card cutter Abner's face. But he's got his head down, brim of his hat covering most of his face. He seems listless and just barely in the game at all. As if prison life and confinement have already got the best of him. Abner sighs a long, dejected, mournful, pitiable sigh.
Boot Hill's gambling rules are really simple. Everyone rolls a d20, highest roll wins the pot. That is, this hand's bet amount, times the number of players.
Characters with the Gambling skill may get to roll twice, and keep the better roll. It works like this.
-If you roll under Gambling skill score on a d20--
-You get to get to split the difference between your skill score and the roll. (Gambling skill (- the number of the roll/2) = what you can add to your d20 roll) Round up. Example-- The Gambling skill is 15. The character rolls an 8, so under the Gambling skill number of 15. 15 - the roll of 8 = 7. Divided by 2, and round up = 4. Add 4 to the roll equals 12.
That's the char with a Gambler d20 roll ranks for this hand.
Characters with Gambling skill can use it to cheat instead. Per the rules, there's no dishonor in cheating at cards. It's a matter of knowledge of the game, sleight of hand, and adroit skill. Pros win, suckers who choose at high stakes pro tables tend to lose. This works the same as usual, except the gambler gets to roll twice, modifying each roll if it's less than his skill score, and use whichever roll he wants. (Gambling skill (- the number of the roll/2) = what you can add to your d20 roll. Round up. Do this twice, and pick your score). Every time the gambler does this , however, be must make a Gambling skill check. If this check fails, then every other character at the table (even those who aren't playing! ) make an Observation check. Characters who have Gambling skill make a Gambling check as well. If any one of these checks succeeds, that character has detected the cheating. At that point, it is up to the character how he handles it. Customarily, NPCs will demand that all of their losings for the night be returned before going for their guns.
At this point in our game, the current dealer declares the bet amount. This hand, dealer #3 Cal has stated a 30 cents bet. There were 6 cowboys playing, Charlie will be the 7th and dealer #7. 30 cents for Charlie to play in this hand.
Dammit Chester, how many times we tole ya not to wear out the cards like that? If we got to git a new deck, yer buying it. If that policeman will do it fer ya.
A cowpoke across the stump spit a long slurp of tobacco juice on the ground. I imagine we will. Like he took the order for tabacca and brought it in the morning with iron hard tack and leather bull beef and sour sow belly. Speaking of which, y'all goat ropers can go ahead and pay me fer yer tabacca before I clean ya out here.
Oh you'll git yer money alright, Lefty, another says. Money that was in yer own pocket before ya lost it to me. Funny how that works. There ought to be a church sermon explainin the mystery of how the Lord makes that work.
One the cowpunchers finishes rolling up a cigarette in a rectangle of newsprint. He scratches a match on his boot heel, takes puff, exhales smoke through his mouth while inhaling it through his nose, and slowly blows three successive smoke rings. The blows the remainder of the smoke across the stump card table, to slowly rise and linger at head level for the gamblers opposite him. Ya shouldn't blaspheme lack that, Hardy. Old Scratch will send a gang a Comanche boys yer way one night. He nods to Charlie. No offense intended, compadre. Ole Lucifer might take jist take notice swim yer horse inta nest a water moccasins while waterin cattle in a swamp or crossing a horse in a river instead. Seems a little more likely. Or... I dunno. Maybe a little less.
Another card player, this one the older man in his forties Charlie had seen at the fight at Hoffman's and the subsequent trial spits the accumulated juice of a chew. He has the air of foreman or trail boss over these cowboys in their early to mid 20s. If y'all sh*tkickers and done talking, Cal kin go ahead and deal cards. Ah'm in kinda a hurry. I got five more days and nights in this stockade fer playing and listenin to bullsh*t, horsesh*t, and plain ole dumb green cowsh*t.
Tall and lanky Cal's long fingers take their time shuffling the cards again. And one more. He put the deck in front of the player to his left. Cut, Abner. Charlie notices that everybody gets quiet and they carefully observe Abner's hands as they make two piles of the deck and put the bottom one on top of the other. He looks at the gamblers seated on stools of firewood seated around the sawed-off stump cards table. They're all directly or indirectly looking the card cutter Abner's face. But he's got his head down, brim of his hat covering most of his face. He seems listless and just barely in the game at all. As if prison life and confinement have already got the best of him. Abner sighs a long, dejected, mournful, pitiable sigh.
Boot Hill's gambling rules are really simple. Everyone rolls a d20, highest roll wins the pot. That is, this hand's bet amount, times the number of players.
Characters with the Gambling skill may get to roll twice, and keep the better roll. It works like this.
-If you roll under Gambling skill score on a d20--
-You get to get to split the difference between your skill score and the roll. (Gambling skill (- the number of the roll/2) = what you can add to your d20 roll) Round up. Example-- The Gambling skill is 15. The character rolls an 8, so under the Gambling skill number of 15. 15 - the roll of 8 = 7. Divided by 2, and round up = 4. Add 4 to the roll equals 12.
That's the char with a Gambler d20 roll ranks for this hand.
Characters with Gambling skill can use it to cheat instead. Per the rules, there's no dishonor in cheating at cards. It's a matter of knowledge of the game, sleight of hand, and adroit skill. Pros win, suckers who choose at high stakes pro tables tend to lose. This works the same as usual, except the gambler gets to roll twice, modifying each roll if it's less than his skill score, and use whichever roll he wants. (Gambling skill (- the number of the roll/2) = what you can add to your d20 roll. Round up. Do this twice, and pick your score). Every time the gambler does this , however, be must make a Gambling skill check. If this check fails, then every other character at the table (even those who aren't playing! ) make an Observation check. Characters who have Gambling skill make a Gambling check as well. If any one of these checks succeeds, that character has detected the cheating. At that point, it is up to the character how he handles it. Customarily, NPCs will demand that all of their losings for the night be returned before going for their guns.
At this point in our game, the current dealer declares the bet amount. This hand, dealer #3 Cal has stated a 30 cents bet. There were 6 cowboys playing, Charlie will be the 7th and dealer #7. 30 cents for Charlie to play in this hand.
Last edited by jemmus on Mon May 15, 2023 11:30 pm, edited 5 times in total.
PCs
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
Charlie
Watches as best he can for any cheating. Antes up his 30 cents and plays.
Gambling [1d20]=11
Sheet updated for 30 cents.
Watches as best he can for any cheating. Antes up his 30 cents and plays.
Gambling [1d20]=11
Sheet updated for 30 cents.
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
The poker players variously fold or show their hands. The dealer Cal wins with a pair of eights and king high card, barely beating Bill's pair of nines and high card queen. Tall, lanky fellow rakes the $4.20 in coins into his pile. Havin a seventh player in sweetens the pot. But it also makes it all that much harder to win.
Bill replies, Life is like that. The bigger the reward, the more the risk. Ya can quote me on that if ya like.
Lefty spits, accurately hitting the same spot as the last glurp of expectorated chaw juice. I'll be sure to do that, mister philosopher Plato. And I'll raise y one. "Love is like that too. The harder the trail, the sweeter the reward."
Everybody guffaws and psshaws. The smoking cowboy Hardy says drily, I'll take that as advice from an expert on the matter.
4 [1d20]=8 5[1d20]=1 6[1d20]=16 1[1d20]=9 2[1d20]=8 3[1d20]=17 Cowboy 3's 17 wins. Cowboy 4 has the Gambling skill, but the bonus didn't take his roll of 8 close to 17.
Cal gathers the cards and passes them to his left to Abner. Abner Still wears his hat over his face, shading it from the hot day Sun. Without a word he passes it to his left, to Hardy, who cuts it and passes it back to him.
The bet is 20 cents this turn (if Charlie does want to bet again).
Bill replies, Life is like that. The bigger the reward, the more the risk. Ya can quote me on that if ya like.
Lefty spits, accurately hitting the same spot as the last glurp of expectorated chaw juice. I'll be sure to do that, mister philosopher Plato. And I'll raise y one. "Love is like that too. The harder the trail, the sweeter the reward."
Everybody guffaws and psshaws. The smoking cowboy Hardy says drily, I'll take that as advice from an expert on the matter.
4 [1d20]=8 5[1d20]=1 6[1d20]=16 1[1d20]=9 2[1d20]=8 3[1d20]=17 Cowboy 3's 17 wins. Cowboy 4 has the Gambling skill, but the bonus didn't take his roll of 8 close to 17.
Cal gathers the cards and passes them to his left to Abner. Abner Still wears his hat over his face, shading it from the hot day Sun. Without a word he passes it to his left, to Hardy, who cuts it and passes it back to him.
The bet is 20 cents this turn (if Charlie does want to bet again).
PCs
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
Charlie
Charlie will bet 20 cents.
Will update my roll and sheet later.
Charlie will bet 20 cents.
Will update my roll and sheet later.
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
1 [1d20]=2 2[1d20]=7 3[1d20]=10 4[1d20]=6 5[1d20]=10 6[1d20]=10
Tiebreaker [1d20]=5[1d20]=10[1d20]=15
Three cowboys show a pair each. The cowboy to Charlie's right has a king high card to the other two's jack and 10, he takes the pot. Including Charlie's 20 cents. The winner says, That won't even pay fer the bottle a whiskey I'm gonna buy and drank when I git outa here.
Well, knowin you, Thornton, you'll choose to do that in San Marcos and wind up right back here again.
I wonder whut kinda food that German barkeep serves? Cain't say that I had chance to partake of it. Was too busy duckin bullets and standing trial before a crookit judge.
The farmer's wife was somethin to look, wouldn't ya say? I don't blame that sheriff fer bein tempted. About gittin blasted to kingdom come with a shotgun might've been worth it.
Ray, son, you's the kind who'd be tempted and git blasted with a shotgun, without gitting nothing that was worth it.
The next bet is 30 cents. A win gets $1.80, plus your 30 cents back. We can try a variation to maybe make this a little more interesting.
-PC rolls, but doesn't reveal the roll. NPCs roll, but don't reveal the rolls.
-After seeing their rolls, characters raise the bet by up to 10 cents, or stay with the current bet.
-Characters who don't want to match the new bet amount have to fold and lose the amount of the most recent bet. For example, if it was 30 cents and someone raises to 40, the character and stay in, or fold and lose 30 cents.
-Betting goes in order around the table. The current dealer is Cowboy/Player #3, and Charlie is Player #7.
Or we can just keep it the same-- dealer declares the bet amount, everyone just rolls a d20. Hopefully Charlie will be done with killing time playing cards with cowboys in the stockade before too long.
Tiebreaker [1d20]=5[1d20]=10[1d20]=15
Three cowboys show a pair each. The cowboy to Charlie's right has a king high card to the other two's jack and 10, he takes the pot. Including Charlie's 20 cents. The winner says, That won't even pay fer the bottle a whiskey I'm gonna buy and drank when I git outa here.
Well, knowin you, Thornton, you'll choose to do that in San Marcos and wind up right back here again.
I wonder whut kinda food that German barkeep serves? Cain't say that I had chance to partake of it. Was too busy duckin bullets and standing trial before a crookit judge.
The farmer's wife was somethin to look, wouldn't ya say? I don't blame that sheriff fer bein tempted. About gittin blasted to kingdom come with a shotgun might've been worth it.
Ray, son, you's the kind who'd be tempted and git blasted with a shotgun, without gitting nothing that was worth it.
The next bet is 30 cents. A win gets $1.80, plus your 30 cents back. We can try a variation to maybe make this a little more interesting.
-PC rolls, but doesn't reveal the roll. NPCs roll, but don't reveal the rolls.
-After seeing their rolls, characters raise the bet by up to 10 cents, or stay with the current bet.
-Characters who don't want to match the new bet amount have to fold and lose the amount of the most recent bet. For example, if it was 30 cents and someone raises to 40, the character and stay in, or fold and lose 30 cents.
-Betting goes in order around the table. The current dealer is Cowboy/Player #3, and Charlie is Player #7.
Or we can just keep it the same-- dealer declares the bet amount, everyone just rolls a d20. Hopefully Charlie will be done with killing time playing cards with cowboys in the stockade before too long.
PCs
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
I am good with the new idea. Charlie tosses the ante in.
Do you want me to roll now or hold for my turn.
Do you want me to roll now or hold for my turn.
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
The cowboy three over to Charlie's left deals. The player to his left looks at his cards. Thanks fer nothin, Clem. Fold.
The next player in the clockwise rotation pitches a dime into the pot. Raise ten sticks of horehound candy.
The player to Charlie's right hand tosses in two nickels and spits grasshopper juice on the ground. Call. We're livin dangerous now. If we ain't careful this wild bunch might git up to past half a dollar.
Charlie is up, then three other players have call, raise, or fold.
The next player in the clockwise rotation pitches a dime into the pot. Raise ten sticks of horehound candy.
The player to Charlie's right hand tosses in two nickels and spits grasshopper juice on the ground. Call. We're livin dangerous now. If we ain't careful this wild bunch might git up to past half a dollar.
Charlie is up, then three other players have call, raise, or fold.
PCs
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
Can't get a hand worse than that one! 
Charlie loses 30 cents.
The four cowboys to Charlie's left also fold. The player who raises the bet to 40 cents raises it again to 50 cents. The next player, who had called, folds.
1 [1d20]=4 2[1d20]=4 3[1d20]=2 4[1d20]=7 5[1d20]=16 6[1d20]=12
The last dealer passes the cards to the player who won. It's his turn to deal.
The bet is 30 cents again.
The player two over from Charlie folds. I've seen better stuff come out of the back end of a steer than that hand. The player next to Charlie also folds. I've seen some a them bad cards more'n once since we sat down around this stockade stump.
Charlie's up for folding, staying, or raising.
Charlie loses 30 cents.The four cowboys to Charlie's left also fold. The player who raises the bet to 40 cents raises it again to 50 cents. The next player, who had called, folds.
1 [1d20]=4 2[1d20]=4 3[1d20]=2 4[1d20]=7 5[1d20]=16 6[1d20]=12
The last dealer passes the cards to the player who won. It's his turn to deal.
The bet is 30 cents again.
The player two over from Charlie folds. I've seen better stuff come out of the back end of a steer than that hand. The player next to Charlie also folds. I've seen some a them bad cards more'n once since we sat down around this stockade stump.
Charlie's up for folding, staying, or raising.
PCs
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
Charlie
"Staying."
Sheet updated.
"Staying."
Sheet updated.
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
The player to Charlie's left stands, but the next one raises 10 cents, to 60 cents. The other players, except the dealer, fold. The dealer calls. Only Charlie and two other players are left in the hand.
PCs
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
1 [1d20]=11 2[1d20]=17 3[1d20]=3 4[1d20]=16 5[1d20]=8 6[1d20]=5
2 (the dealer) wins with the 17.
The bet is 30 cents again this hand. The player two over to Charlie's right raises 10 cents. The next player raises another 10 cents. Fifty cents to stay in the game.
If we can get the other guys to Austin, we can fast forward and get Charlie out of the calaboose and endless cards hands!
2 (the dealer) wins with the 17.
The bet is 30 cents again this hand. The player two over to Charlie's right raises 10 cents. The next player raises another 10 cents. Fifty cents to stay in the game.
If we can get the other guys to Austin, we can fast forward and get Charlie out of the calaboose and endless cards hands!
PCs
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
Charlie
Tosses his 30 cents in.
He ups the pot another dime.
Sheet updated. We will get there eventually I hope.
Tosses his 30 cents in.
He ups the pot another dime.
Sheet updated. We will get there eventually I hope.
Re: Cash Dollars on the Hoof (Charlie)
The player to Charlie's left stares at the gray post oak stump and says, Kind a proud a them cards, are ya? Ah'll call ya and raise ya a dime. He draws two dimes out of his pocket, as if they weigh a pound each. Funny how these thangs is so heavy out on the range, but lighten right up when yer in town.
The next player says, Yer preachin the gospel thar, reverend. In town dimes and dollars can fly in the air on wings of angels. But I don't seem to be able to heft another ten pennies from mah jeans. Fold. Was good cards too.
The forlorn-ish fellow everybody was closely watching while he dealt says,Fold too and lays his cards down on the stump.
The bid comes back to the dealer. Three a y'all seem quite proud a yer hands. I don't of anybody sittin and a dry post oak stump in south-central Texas, who's savvy er slick enough to bluff fer 50 cent with a empty. Present company excluded, of course.
The dealer says, I'd draw down on ya fer that comment, Ferguson. I may yet. With a stick a firewood. Yer farwood draw and hand against mine.
1 [1d20]=16 2[1d20]=12 3[1d20]=7 4[1d20]=3 5[1d20]=19 6[1d20]=18
Cowboy 5 has a 19. The bet's at 50 cents. Winner gets $3 and his own 50 cents back.
The next player says, Yer preachin the gospel thar, reverend. In town dimes and dollars can fly in the air on wings of angels. But I don't seem to be able to heft another ten pennies from mah jeans. Fold. Was good cards too.
The forlorn-ish fellow everybody was closely watching while he dealt says,Fold too and lays his cards down on the stump.
The bid comes back to the dealer. Three a y'all seem quite proud a yer hands. I don't of anybody sittin and a dry post oak stump in south-central Texas, who's savvy er slick enough to bluff fer 50 cent with a empty. Present company excluded, of course.
The dealer says, I'd draw down on ya fer that comment, Ferguson. I may yet. With a stick a firewood. Yer farwood draw and hand against mine.
1 [1d20]=16 2[1d20]=12 3[1d20]=7 4[1d20]=3 5[1d20]=19 6[1d20]=18
Cowboy 5 has a 19. The bet's at 50 cents. Winner gets $3 and his own 50 cents back.
PCs