{{good article}} {{short description|Fictional board game}} {{use mdy dates|date=May 2021}} [[File:Sabacc (cropped).jpg|alt=Sabacc card game|thumb|A game of Sabacc, played at Galaxy's Edge.]] '''Sabacc''' is a primarily fictional gambling card game, (with similarities to baccarat, blackjack, and poker — adding and subtracting numbered cards), originating from the ''Star Wars'' space opera franchise, where it is a common pastime of such characters as Han Solo and Lando Calrissian. The game is best known as the high-stake game played by Solo that won him his starship, the ''Millennium Falcon'', from Lando. It has been described as "the most popular card game in the Star Wars galaxy."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2020-10-19|title=Star Wars' Sabacc Card Game Explained (& How To Play)|url=https://screenrant.com/star-wars-sabacc-card-game-solo-rules-play/|access-date=2021-05-03|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503051550/https://screenrant.com/star-wars-sabacc-card-game-solo-rules-play/|url-status=live}}</ref>
It debuted in the 1983 novel ''Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu'' by L. Neil Smith, and has also been portrayed in a number of other works of the franchise, such as ''Solo: A Star Wars Story'' (2018), the first film to actually depict a sabacc game being played, and ''Star Wars Outlaws'' (2024). The first sabacc ruleset was published in 1989; however, several other rule-sets have been published since 2015. While the game is commonly described as a card game, some variants are known to use dice.
== History ==
=== In films and books === The game is best known as the high-stake game played by Han Solo in which he won the ''Millennium Falcon'' from Lando Calrissian,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Truitt|first=Brian|title='Solo': Decoding the six biggest reveals of the newest 'Star Wars' movie (spoilers!)|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2018/05/27/solo-six-biggest-reveals-new-star-wars-han-solo-movie-spoilers/637527002/|access-date=2022-01-11|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}}</ref> and has been described as "one of the most well-known elements of the Star Wars underworld".<ref name=":9">{{Cite web|last=Crouse|first=Megan|date=2018-05-24|title=What Is the Card Game in Solo: A Star Wars Story?|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/star-wars-what-is-sabacc-card-game-solo/|access-date=2022-01-11|website=Den of Geek|language=en-US}}</ref> The first mention of the game is in the second draft of the screenplay for ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), where Han says his friend Lando Calrissian won the gas mine in a "sabacca game".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bouzereau|first=Laurent|title=Star Wars : the annotated screenplays : Star Wars - A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi|date=1997|publisher=Ballantine Books|isbn=0-345-40981-7|edition=1st|location=New York|pages=191|oclc=37691005}}</ref> It was next mentioned in the 1983 novel ''Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu'' by L. Neil Smith<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=2018-05-21|title=Star Wars: 26 Things Only True Fans Know About Lando Calrissian|url=https://screenrant.com/star-wars-lando-calrissian-trivia-facts/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503100545/https://screenrant.com/star-wars-lando-calrissian-trivia-facts/|archive-date=May 3, 2021|access-date=2021-05-03|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Young|first=Bryan|date=2018-09-18|title=The 'Legendary' roots of Solo: A Star Wars Story|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-legendary-roots-of-solo-a-star-wars-story|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503100555/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-legendary-roots-of-solo-a-star-wars-story|archive-date=May 3, 2021|access-date=2021-05-03|website=SYFY WIRE|language=en}}</ref> and over the years has made appearances in a number of other Star Wars media, such as the "Idiot's Array", a 2015 episode of the animated TV series ''Star Wars Rebels''; most notably it made an appearance in the ''Solo: A Star Wars Story'' 2018 movie, which finally featured the scene of Han Solo winning the ''Millennium Falcon'' from Lando during a game of sabacc.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite web|date=2018-07-11|title=Playing Sabacc: From The Classic Star Wars RPG To The Modern Day Han Solo Card Game|url=https://nerdist.com/article/playing-sabacc-from-the-classic-star-wars-rpg-to-the-modern-day-han-solo-card-game/|access-date=2021-05-03|website=Nerdist|language=en|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503122143/https://geekandsundry.com/playing-sabacc-from-the-classic-star-wars-rpg-to-the-modern-day-han-solo-card-game/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web|last=Betts|first=Eric|date=2020-11-06|title=The History Of The Idiot's Array In The Mandalorian Chapter 10|url=https://www.looper.com/274053/the-history-of-the-idiots-array-in-the-mandalorian-chapter-10/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503101553/https://www.looper.com/274053/the-history-of-the-idiots-array-in-the-mandalorian-chapter-10/|archive-date=May 3, 2021|access-date=2021-05-03|website=Looper.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2018-09-25|title=How SOLO's Card Games Change Star Wars Forever|url=https://screenrant.com/solo-movie-sabacc-star-wars-card-game/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503141512/https://screenrant.com/solo-movie-sabacc-star-wars-card-game/|archive-date=May 3, 2021|access-date=2021-05-03|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=TheForce.net: Sabacc Is More Than Just A Card Game|url=http://www.theforce.net/story/games/Sabacc_Is_More_Than_Just_A_Card_Game_178255.asp|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503051552/http://www.theforce.net/story/games/Sabacc_Is_More_Than_Just_A_Card_Game_178255.asp|archive-date=May 3, 2021|access-date=2021-05-03|website=www.theforce.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-02-21|title=Han Solo wins the Millennium Falcon playing Sabacc, but what exactly is it?|url=https://dorksideoftheforce.com/2018/02/21/han-solo-sabacc-rules/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503051600/https://dorksideoftheforce.com/2018/02/21/han-solo-sabacc-rules/|archive-date=May 3, 2021|access-date=2021-05-03|website=Dork Side of the Force|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|date=2018-05-24|title=Solo: How Do You Play Sabacc, Anyway?|url=https://www.cbr.com/solo-star-wars-sabacc-rules-explained/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503051550/https://www.cbr.com/solo-star-wars-sabacc-rules-explained/|archive-date=May 3, 2021|access-date=2021-05-03|website=CBR|language=en-US}}</ref> An online sabacc-themed event was also used as part of the promotional campaign for ''Solo: A Star Wars Story'' before the movie's official launch.<ref name=":9" />
=== In games === The game's first official (licensed) ruleset and physical release was in the ''Crisis on Cloud City'' (1989) supplement for ''Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game'' published by West End Games.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":7" /> A reviewer for the ''Games International'' magazine wrote that it is "a sort of Blackjack variant, the game doesn't fully use the nicely design deck, and an excessive random element appears to constantly mess up the bidding", necessitating houseruling to make the game more playable.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Brimmicombe-Wood|first=Lee|date=May 1990|title=Crisis on Cloud City|url=https://archive.org/details/GamesInternational/GI_14_May_1990/page/n39/mode/2up|magazine=Games International|volume=14|page=40 }}</ref>
A simplified version based on the 1989 ruleset was given a limited release in 2015 during the ''Star Wars'' Celebration fan convention.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Solo: A Star Wars Story: What Is The Card Game Sabacc?|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/solo-a-star-wars-story-what-is-the-card-game-sabac/1100-6459178/|access-date=2021-05-03|website=GameSpot|language=en-US|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503141621/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/solo-a-star-wars-story-what-is-the-card-game-sabac/1100-6459178/|url-status=live}}</ref> As Lucasfilm did not trademark the term sabacc, in 2015, a mobile gaming app ''Sabacc'' by Ren Ventures became subject to two lawsuits and a trademark dispute between its publisher and Lucasfilm that eventually ended with Lucasfilm acquiring the trademark in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-12-22|title='Star Wars' Card Game Sabacc Sparks Lawsuit From Lucasfilm|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/star-wars-card-game-sabacc-sparks-lawsuit-lucasfilm-1070157|access-date=2021-05-03|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503051550/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/star-wars-card-game-sabacc-sparks-lawsuit-lucasfilm-1070157|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-05-04|title=Hollywood Docket: 'Star Wars' Sabacc Game Sparks Another Lawsuit|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/hollywood-docket-star-wars-sabacc-game-sparks-lawsuit-1108386|access-date=2021-05-03|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503051552/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/hollywood-docket-star-wars-sabacc-game-sparks-lawsuit-1108386|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Oller|first=Jacob|date=2018-07-02|title=Sabacc mobile game violates Star Wars copyrights, judge rules|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/sabacc-mobile-game-violates-star-wars-copyrights-judge-rules|access-date=2021-05-03|website=SYFY WIRE|language=en|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503051550/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/sabacc-mobile-game-violates-star-wars-copyrights-judge-rules|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sottile|first=Alexis|date=2018-05-05|title=The Game Company Strikes Back! Legal saga over Sabacc game continues|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-game-company-strikes-back-legal-saga-over-sabacc-game-continues|access-date=2021-05-03|website=SYFY WIRE|language=en|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503051600/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-game-company-strikes-back-legal-saga-over-sabacc-game-continues|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Maddaus|first1=Gene|date=2017-12-22|title=Disney Files Trademark Suit to Protect 'Star Wars' Card Game|url=https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/sabacc-trademark-lawsuit-star-wars-disney-lucasfilm-ren-ventures-1202647603/|access-date=2021-05-03|website=Variety|language=en-US|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503094441/https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/sabacc-trademark-lawsuit-star-wars-disney-lucasfilm-ren-ventures-1202647603/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-01-23|title=Can the name of a fictional, intergalactic game evolve into a trademark protectable in the world of mere groundlings?|url=https://www.ipwatchdog.com/2018/01/23/fictional-game-evolve-trademark/id=92398/|access-date=2021-05-03|website=IPWatchdog.com {{!}} Patents & Patent Law|language=en-US|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503051551/https://www.ipwatchdog.com/2018/01/23/fictional-game-evolve-trademark/id=92398/|url-status=live}}</ref> Also that year, another physical version of the game was published by Hasbro, but due to licensing issues it was named ''Star Wars Han Solo Card Game''.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=You Can Start Gambling for Starships With Authentic Sabacc Deck From Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge|url=https://comicbook.com/starwars/news/gamble-starships-authentic-sabacc-deck-star-wars-galaxys-edge/|access-date=2021-05-03|website=Star Wars|language=en|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503051550/https://comicbook.com/starwars/news/gamble-starships-authentic-sabacc-deck-star-wars-galaxys-edge/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-10-19|title=Star Wars: Han Solo Card Game review|url=https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/reviews/star-wars-han-solo-card-game-review/|access-date=2021-05-03|website=Tabletop Gaming|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503051551/https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/reviews/star-wars-han-solo-card-game-review/|url-status=live}}</ref> The next official version of the game, this one using the name ''Sabacc'', was distributed around the same time at Disneyland's ''Star Wars'': Galaxy's Edge themed area. Despite both games being licensed, they use relatively different rule sets and both in turn have differences from the 1989 and the 2015 releases;<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=PolarisGames|date=2019-07-21|title=Sabacc (Review)|url=https://www.polaris.games/post/sabacc-review|access-date=2021-05-03|website=Polaris Games|language=en|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503051551/https://www.polaris.games/post/sabacc-review|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2018-05-26|title=How to play Sabacc, the epic card game from 'Solo: A Star Wars Story'|url=https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/how-to-play-sabacc-solo-star-wars/|access-date=2021-05-03|website=The Daily Dot|language=en-US|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503141519/https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/how-to-play-sabacc-solo-star-wars/|url-status=live}}</ref> this is sometimes rationalized by fans with the fact that within the ''Star Wars'' universe there are a number of sabacc variants, none of which have ever been described as official or dominant.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" />
A new version of the game called Kessel Sabacc was created as a minigame within the 2024 video game ''Star Wars Outlaws''.<ref name="IGN KS">{{Cite web|date=2024-08-29|title=Kessel Sabacc - How to Play and Rewards|url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/star-wars-outlaws/Kessel_Sabacc_-_How_to_Play_and_Rewards|access-date=2026-05-24|website=IGN|language=en-US}}</ref>
Due to the lack of a single official ruleset, over the years, a number of fan-made versions of the game, and accompanying rulesets, have also been made.<ref name=":1" />
== Rules and mechanics == No definitive sabacc rules were ever published and there are differences in the rules of the officially licensed variants.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":10">{{Cite web|date=2021-07-08|title=How to Play Han Solo's Favorite Card Game: Sabacc|url=https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2021/07/how-to-play-han-solos-favorite-card-game-sabacc.html|access-date=2022-01-12|website=Bell of Lost Souls|language=en-US}}</ref> The game is often compared to baccarat, blackjack, and poker, as players are adding and subtracting numbered cards to be the first to reach the winning number (which in original sabacc is 23).<ref name=":9" /> The version of the game as described in the novel ''A New Dawn'' by John Jackson Miller, described as a "classic" in-universe, has both players dealt two cards, which they can keep, trade or reshuffle using a digital randomizer.<ref name=":9" />
The game is generally described as a card game, but some variants, such as "Corellian Spike", also use dice, as depicted in the ''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy and in ''Solo''.<ref name=":1" /> The Corellian Spike variant also features a smaller deck of cards, with values of −10 to 10, and the target number is no longer 23 but 0.<ref name=":4" />
The Galaxy's Edge version contains no betting rules, likely with the aim to keep it "family-friendly", although this also creates a rule inconsistency since players can fold – but have no reason to do so.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":10">{{Cite web|date=2021-07-08|title=How to Play Han Solo's Favorite Card Game: Sabacc|url=https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2021/07/how-to-play-han-solos-favorite-card-game-sabacc.html|access-date=2022-01-12|website=Bell of Lost Souls|language=en-US}}</ref> This variant uses dice, which are rolled each turn and on a roll of doubles players have to redraw all of their cards.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web|date=2021-07-08|title=How to Play Han Solo's Favorite Card Game: Sabacc|url=https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2021/07/how-to-play-han-solos-favorite-card-game-sabacc.html|access-date=2022-01-12|website=Bell of Lost Souls|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Scribner|first=Herb|date=2019-12-04|title=I played a rare game of Sabaac at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. It showed me why games still matter|url=https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2019/12/4/20994323/i-played-a-rare-game-of-sabaac-at-star-wars-galaxys-edge-it-showed-me-why-games-still-matter|access-date=2022-01-12|website=Deseret News|language=en}}</ref> The deck has 62 cards with values ranging from -10 to 10. Players are dealt two cards and play for three rounds, during which they can draw, swap, pass or fold.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web|date=2021-07-08|title=How to Play Han Solo's Favorite Card Game: Sabacc|url=https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2021/07/how-to-play-han-solos-favorite-card-game-sabacc.html|access-date=2022-01-12|website=Bell of Lost Souls|language=en-US}}</ref>
The ''Star Wars Han Solo Card Game'' variant can be played with two to eight players, and uses a deck of 76 cards divided up into four suits, numbered 1–11. The suits are called Coins, Flasks, Sabers, and Staves, and the face cards are named Commander (value 12), Mistress (value 13), Master (value 14), and Ace (value 1 or 15). In addition to those, there are also cards with values not usually found in blackjack or poker, such as The Idiot (value 0) or The Star (value −17). The cards have a range of −17 to 15, and the game features two betting pots. Players will place bets, aiming for the winning score of 23 or −23.<ref name=":0" />
Kessel Sabacc, as featured in ''Star Wars Outlaws'', involves two decks (a red Blood deck and a yellow Sand deck) numbered 1-6, with players holding one card from each and aiming to finish the game with the lowest value pair. Sylop cards are a rare wildcard, and Impostor cards are a more common one using a dice roll to determine card value. Each player also has three Shift Tokens which can each be played once, with various effects to benefit the player, penalize opponents or impose temporary rule changes. These Shift Tokens are a collectible item within ''Outlaws'', which can be acquired as loot or rewards throughout the story.<ref name="IGN KS" />
==See also== * Dejarik
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Star Wars Databank|subject=sabacc|text=Sabacc}} * {{Wookieepedia}} * {{BGG|159455|Galactic Sabacc (2002)}} * {{BGG|251538|Star Wars: Han Solo Card Game (2018)}} * {{BGG|349490|Sabacc (2019)}} {{Star Wars universe}} {{Star Wars tabletop and pinball games}}
Category:Star Wars games Category:20th-century card games Category:Fiction about gambling Category:Fictional card games Category:Fictional story elements introduced in 1983 Category:Multi-player card games