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Contents hide How to play Kessel Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws Basic Sabacc play Using Shift Tokens Sylop and Imposter Cards Cheating Kessel Sabacc Rewards Tips and strategies ✓ At A Glance
  • Kessel Sabacc is one by matching your two cards or getting the difference between them as close to zero as possible
  • Each turn you have the choice to stand or draw and discard a card
  • Use Shift Tokens to alter the game in your favor
  • Watch out for Sylop Cards and Imposter Cards and use them to your advantage
  • Earn special rewards by winning games at high-roller tables

The most common gambling game in all of Star Wars is known as Sabacc. This card game has appeared in many Star Wars videogames over the years including Knights of the Old Republic. Star Wars Outlaws brings back this gambling game in a big way. Are you prepared to risk it all at the card table or are you afraid to go big? Let’s break down how to play Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws so you can be a true gambler.

How to play Kessel Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws

The main goal of Sabacc is to be the last player at the table. Each player buys their way in with chips. Whenever a player runs out of chips, they are kicked from the table. Similar to the game of poker, each time you win a hand in Sabacc, you receive all of the chips bet in the centre which is called the pot. Keep winning and you will win the whole pot which consists of everyone’s entry fees.

The goal of Sabacc is to make the blood card and the sand card match. This will get you a Sabacc Hand. Image captured by VideoGamer

When you pick up a card, you must discard a card of the same color. Image captured by VideoGamer

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Basic Sabacc play

When Sabacc starts, you will be given two cards; one yellow card called the Sand Card and a red one called the Blood Card. Your goal is to make the numbers on top of the cards match or get the difference between them as close to zero as possible. At the start of our first game, our hand consisted of a “2” card and a “3” card. This means the difference between them is one. Anyone with a difference of zero would beat us. The numbers can be seen at the top of the cards.

During your turn, you will have the option to “Stand” or “Draw.” Drawing will cost you one token. You typically have four tokens to spend during a hand but the cost of the card draw can be altered through the use of Shift Tokens (more on that later). If you choose to stand, you forfeit your ability to draw that turn but you also keep your token. If you draw, then you must choose to take an unknown card or the shown card of one either a Sand Card or a Blood Card. After getting a new card, you must discard a card of the same colour.

Whenever a player runs out of chips, they are kicked from the table

Play like this repeats until three turns have passed. Once three turns have been played, each player reveals their hand and the one with a pair of cards with the difference being closest to zero is the winner of that round. The one who is the furthest from zero is kicked from the table. This then repeats until everyone is kicked from the table and a winner is declared.

Shift Tokens can alter the cost of drawing a card during a round, increasing the chip penalty. Image captured by VideoGamer

Using Shift Tokens

Altering the way the game is played is as simple as using a Shift Token. Shift Tokens allow you to activate abilities such as granting you a free draw, charging other players a token, or increasing the cost of drawing for a round. These powerful abilities alter how the other players draw and use their cards. Be careful, however, because each of the other players has their own Shift Tokens that they can use against you.

Sylop of Imposter Cards can alter the game and change how your hand works. Image captured by VideoGamer

Sylop and Imposter Cards

There are two special types of cards in each of the decks; Imposter Cards and Sylop Cards. Let’s start with Sylop Cards as these are a bit more useful. There is one Sylop Card in each of the decks during a game of Sabacc. These cards copy the other card in your hand. For instance, if you pull a Sylop Card from the Blood Card deck, it will copy whatever Sand Card you have. If your Sand Card in this scenario is a one, the Sylop card will also be a one, giving you a Sabacc Hand. If you happen to draw both Sylop Cards during a game, that gives you Perfect Sabacc; the best hand in the game.

✓ cheater’s can prosper, but be careful

Yes, you can cheat in Sabacc, but it’s actually a lot more rewarding, and lower risk, to  master the strategies. The last thing you want is to get banned from the table.

Imposter Cards are played much differently than Sylop Cards. These cards require you to roll dice to determine their value at the end of the round so their number is completely random. When you end the round with an Imposter Card, you roll two dice. You then choose one of the two dice to represent the value of the Imposter Card. During our game, we got the numbers one and two so we got to choose if the card was a one or a two.

Nix can cheat for you by reading another player’s cards. Image captured by VideoGamer

Cheating

There are multiple means of cheating in Kessel Sabacc but the first you will unlock is the ability to have Nix look at your opponents’ cards. This move can be used during your turn in any round and will send Nix out to help you cheat. When this happens, you will see a circle appear on the screen. You must line up the decreasing circle with the marked zone. Do this correctly and you will successfully cheat.

While luck does play a role in it, you can strategize to help you beat your opponents whether it is through smart Shift Token use or cheating.

Keep in mind that cheating is a risk-and-reward situation. If you choose to cheat, there is a chance you can get caught. If you mess up and Nix gets caught, the players around the table will grow suspicious of your activity. If you get caught multiple times, the players will catch on to what is happening and you will get banned from the table. Keep this in mind if you want to continuously gamble.

Kessel Sabacc Rewards

Your reward for playing Sabacc is determined by where you play the game. No matter the location, you will always get Credits for winning the game. If you manage to go all the way, you will get all the Credits from the centre pot. Some locations, however, have special rewards that you can win. These special rewards include items such as cosmetics, charms, Shift Tokens, and valuables. Most of these rewards come from high-roller tables unlocked after the False Flag quest.

Tips and strategies

Kessel Sabacc is a game of strategy. While luck does play a role in it, you can strategize to help you beat your opponents whether it is through smart Shift Token use or cheating. Let’s break down some tips to help you win each game.

Choose to draw from the discard pile or the deck. Image captured by VideoGamer

Pay attention to the other players to get an idea of what cards they might have. Image captured by VideoGamer

Make sure you know when to draw and when to stand. Image captured by VideoGamer

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  • Understand the players – Each table has a set number of players that you will face off against. This means that you never need to worry about the players being randomized. They also tend to stick to the same strategies so if they like to use a specific Shift Token, odds are they will use it during each game you play. This understanding will help you outsmart your opponents.
  • Avoid having two Imposter Cards – While having one Imposter Card can be pretty beneficial, having two is the absolute worst hand you can have unless you are the luckiest person alive. Rolling the dice and getting lucky enough to have both cards be the same value is unlikely so you will not want to do this.
  • Try out different Shift Tokens – There are a bunch of different Shift Tokens you can get that will help you gain the upper hand during a game. Of course, each player is different so you will want to switch out your tokens every now and then to try out different strategies.
  • Always keep the Sylop Card – Since the Sylop Card copies whatever the other card you have is, you should almost always hang onto it if it is drawn. This will ensure that you have a Sabacc Hand.
  • Always aim for a Sabacc Hand – Having a difference between your cards isn’t as good as having them equal zero. Even if you have two “three” cards, it is better to have this than it is to have a “one” and a “two.” That one-point difference is often a game-ender so it is best to stick to your Sabacc Hand.
  • Pay attention to your opponents – Your opponents’ moves are shown at the top of the screen. When they draw a card what card they put down is always known so you should focus on this to get an understanding of what each play takes. If they are drawing random cards then the hand might not be good but if they are taking from what others placed down then they might have a Sabacc Hand or close to it.
  • Drawing can deter opponents – Say you have a card that you don’t like but the one on the discard isn’t that much better. Occasionally, it can be smart to take the discarded card so that you can deter an opponent from picking it up and instead make them rely on luck by drawing from the larger pile.

About the Author

Aden Carter

Aden Carter is a guides writer for VideoGamer with a focus on action RPGs and adventure games. When he isn't busy writing, he is spinning tales with his friends at the local game shop.

Star Wars Outlaws

  • Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series X
  • Genre(s): Action, Action Adventure, Adventure

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    • Star Wars Outlaws

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