meta.sj@gmail.com
10-23-2007, 1:03 AM
Years ago, on long bus rides across Texas, a group of friends and I
would play Toh, a pot-matching gambling game. I can't find any
reference to it outside this circle, and the origins of the game are
misty. I'm interested to know whether there are variations of the
game, or different names for it.
This game works best with 5 to 8 people. The pot grows quickly, as
with guts variants; there is a balance between the number of players
and the number of points/cards needed to win. The number of points
needed to win is announced before the game begins; 4 players can play
to 5 or 6 points, 8 or more players might play to only 3 points.
The rules of the game are as follows:
The Seed :
* The pot is seeded with a penny.
The Deal :
* Each round, every player is dealt one card face down. The deal
rotates.
* After each deal, discards are kept in a separate discard pile; as
long as there are enough cards in the remaining deck to deal the next
hand, there is no reshuffling.
* In a friendly game, the last hand before a reshuffle is announced
as such.
* While players are deciding whether they are in or out, it is
customary for the dealer to make comparisons between the current pot
and some similarly-sized consumer good, such as a stick of gum, a
soda, a six-pack, a pair of shoes, an iPhone...
In or Out :
* Starting with the first player dealt a card, every player in turn
announces whether they are in or out. Being in implies the player
believes she will have the highest card in a showdown.
* Players who announce they are out hold onto their cards until
someone stays in. If everyone is out except for the dealer, and the
dealer stays in, everyone gets a second chance to decide whether they
are in or out. (If everyone is out including the dealer, the cards
are all discarded and the next hand is dealt.)
The Showdown :
* Once all players have announced, those who are out toss their cards
into a discard pile, and those who are in show their cards. The
player with the high card keeps it face up in front of him; she gets
one point for that card.
* Card values increase from 2 to A, and by suit, C-D-H-S. [If
playing with a double deck, there can be a tie; in which case both
players get a point.]
* The others who stayed in must match the pot and add their cards (no
longer face up) to the discard pile.
Winner takes all :
* The first player to reach the declared number of points wins the
game, and takes the pot. [In case of a win on a tie : it is split]
Variants / Blasphemy :
* It can be played with more people in a pinch. the deck can be
doubled. the seed can be reduced to a millipenny. ('a Watt-hour. a
pinch of salt. a cup of water.')
* Players may be required to say "Toh!" when they have reached a
winning score.
* Players may be allowed to discard their cards after announcing they
are In, instead of showing them, as long as they match the pot. In
particular, a player who wins a hand without opposition, while keeping
her card and scoring a point, can keep the winning card face down and
match the pot.
would play Toh, a pot-matching gambling game. I can't find any
reference to it outside this circle, and the origins of the game are
misty. I'm interested to know whether there are variations of the
game, or different names for it.
This game works best with 5 to 8 people. The pot grows quickly, as
with guts variants; there is a balance between the number of players
and the number of points/cards needed to win. The number of points
needed to win is announced before the game begins; 4 players can play
to 5 or 6 points, 8 or more players might play to only 3 points.
The rules of the game are as follows:
The Seed :
* The pot is seeded with a penny.
The Deal :
* Each round, every player is dealt one card face down. The deal
rotates.
* After each deal, discards are kept in a separate discard pile; as
long as there are enough cards in the remaining deck to deal the next
hand, there is no reshuffling.
* In a friendly game, the last hand before a reshuffle is announced
as such.
* While players are deciding whether they are in or out, it is
customary for the dealer to make comparisons between the current pot
and some similarly-sized consumer good, such as a stick of gum, a
soda, a six-pack, a pair of shoes, an iPhone...
In or Out :
* Starting with the first player dealt a card, every player in turn
announces whether they are in or out. Being in implies the player
believes she will have the highest card in a showdown.
* Players who announce they are out hold onto their cards until
someone stays in. If everyone is out except for the dealer, and the
dealer stays in, everyone gets a second chance to decide whether they
are in or out. (If everyone is out including the dealer, the cards
are all discarded and the next hand is dealt.)
The Showdown :
* Once all players have announced, those who are out toss their cards
into a discard pile, and those who are in show their cards. The
player with the high card keeps it face up in front of him; she gets
one point for that card.
* Card values increase from 2 to A, and by suit, C-D-H-S. [If
playing with a double deck, there can be a tie; in which case both
players get a point.]
* The others who stayed in must match the pot and add their cards (no
longer face up) to the discard pile.
Winner takes all :
* The first player to reach the declared number of points wins the
game, and takes the pot. [In case of a win on a tie : it is split]
Variants / Blasphemy :
* It can be played with more people in a pinch. the deck can be
doubled. the seed can be reduced to a millipenny. ('a Watt-hour. a
pinch of salt. a cup of water.')
* Players may be required to say "Toh!" when they have reached a
winning score.
* Players may be allowed to discard their cards after announcing they
are In, instead of showing them, as long as they match the pot. In
particular, a player who wins a hand without opposition, while keeping
her card and scoring a point, can keep the winning card face down and
match the pot.