High Stakes Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Number of Players
• Object of "High Stakes"
• Game Includes:
• To Begin
• To Assemble Spinner (*)
• Hotels
• Betting Rules
• Game Rules
  • Blackjack or "21"
  • Dice
  • Roulette
  • Restaurants
  • Airport
  • Pass, Don't Pass Cards
  • Income Tax
  • Jail
  • Top of the Strip

Number of Players

Two to six players.

Object of "High Stakes"

The object is to be the last player in the game with money! Buying hotels and forcing opponents to gamble away their money and property is the key to winning. But beware, don't lose your own shirt!

Game Includes:

• Game Board
• 6 Playing Tokens
• Roulette Wheel and Slot Machine Spinner
• Deck of Cards
• Money
• "Pass" Cards
• "Don't Pass" Cards
• Pair of Dice
• 27 Title Deed Cards
• 6 Markers
• Instructions

To Begin

First, one of the players must be appointed to act as "banker." The "Banker" then gives each player $10,000 (2 $50; 4 $100; 3 $500; 3 $1000; 1 $5000 each). Players place their tokens on "Airport," then each roll the dice to see who starts first. The highest roller begins the game, the rest of the players follow in a clockwise direction.

To Assemble Spinner (*)

Insert spindle of button through hole in card and attach arrow.

Hotels

When a player lands on a hotel he must do one of two things. He can either buy the hotel (providing it is not already owned) or he must gamble.

If the player decides to gamble, he must bet within the minimum and maximum limits listed on that hotel. If no one owns the hotel, the betting is handled by the bank at even odds, $1 to $1. Or any opponent (starting from left of player) may choose to take over for the Bank.

If the player decides to buy the hotel, he must pay the price on the board. There are great advantages to buying hotels if you can afford it. Each time an opponent lands on a hotel you own, you decide how much the player must bet. Then the opponent chooses the game, he wishes to play . . . Blackjack, Roulette or Dice. If the opponent wins you must pay him the amount bet, even odds $1 to $1. However, if the opponent loses he must pay you $2 to $1. Now you can see how important it is to own hotels!*

Betting Rules

1. If a player does not have enough cash money to bet the minimum or to cover the odds if he loses, an owner of a hotel may make him sell his property to cover his bet, before he gambles.

2. The bank will pay a player half the value of his property. Each opposing player gets the opportunity to buy the property. They may bid against each other, starting at half the property's value. The highest bidder gets the property.

3. The player must continue to sell property until he has enough money to cover any bet he may be forced to make. He must also have enough money to cover the odds if he should lose. When playing the short version he may have to pay as much as $4 to $1 if he loses, depending on how many hotels his opponent owns.

4. On the other hand, a hotel owner must have enough money to cover any bet he forces a player to make. The hotel owner must sell property to force a player to make a maximum bet, or even the minimum bet. NOTE: There is an exception to this when playing Roulette. If a player bets the amount called for by the hotel owner on 1,2,3 or 4 numbers, the hotel owner need not have enough money to cover the potential winnings. But if the player wins, and the hotel owner does not have enough to pay him off, he must give the player all his property and money, retaining only $500.

5. If a hotel owner cannot cover a minimum bet with cash and he has no other property to sell, he must sell his hotel to the bank or an opposing player. The player landing on that hotel continues to play but the new owner (the bank or an opposing player) handles the betting.

6. If a player cannot afford the minimum bet, the owner of the hotel can only force him to bet half the amount of money he has left. If the player loses his bet, he's out of the game since he must pay at least $2 to $1.

7. If a player cannot afford to pay any payments (outside of betting), he must pay 50% of the amount he has left. (The only way a player can lose all his money is by gambling.)

Players may decide to play a short version of High Stakes. This is done by changing betting odds in favor of hotel owners. If the opponent loses he must still pay you $2 or $1 if you own 1 or 2 hotels but $3 to $1 if you own 3 hotels, or $4 to $1 if you own 4 or more hotels. The short version plays in 30 minutes to 90 minutes. The long version plays in 45 minutes to 3 hours.

Game Rules

Blackjack or "21"

1. First the hotel owner announces the amount the player must bet, then deals. If the hotel is not owned, the player must first announce his bet and an opposing player deals the cards for the bank or for himself if he takes the bet.

2. The dealer gives the player 2 cards, face down. The dealer gives himself 2 cards, one face down and one face-up.

3. The object is to get cards that total "21" or as close to it as possible without going over "21". All picture cards count as 10, all number cards except Aces, count as their number value. An Ace is counted as one or eleven, whichever is to your advantage.

4. The player says "draw" if he wants additional cards from the dealer. If he is satisfied with his hand he "stands" or "holds." If he "draws" he may take as many cards as he needs to make "21." If he goes over "21" he goes "broke," he loses his bet and must disclose his cards to the dealer.

5. The dealer must "stand" on a total of 17 or more in his own hand, and he must "draw" if his hand totals 16 or less. The dealer may use an Ace as a one or as eleven, unless the total is 17 or more with the Ace counting as 11; then he cannot use the ace as one. For example: ace + 6 = 17, and the dealer must "stand."

6. If the first two cards dealt to the player are an Ace and a picture card, or an Ace and 10, he has "Blackjack." A tie is called a "push" and all ties are redealt. Anytime a player gets "Blackjack" he's paid $1.50 to $1, otherwise he's paid $1 to $1.

Dice

First the player or the hotel owner announces the bet. The player rolls the dice. If, on the first roll of dice he throws a total of 7 or 11 he wins, but if, on the first roll of dice he throws 2, 3, or 12 he loses.

If, on the first roll of dice, any other number comes up (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) it becomes his "point". The player must now try to "make his point" by rolling the dice as many times as necessary until his "point" comes up again. But if he rolls a total of 7 before he makes his "point," he loses.

Roulette

First the hotel owner or the player announces the bet. The Roulette Wheel Spinner has 36 numbers from 1 to 36 plus an "0". The player may bet single numbers, play a combination of two or more numbers, or he may bet on odd or even, red or black.

The player marks his bet with markers, and the hotel owner spins the Roulette Wheel Spinner. If it stops on the player's number(s) or color, he wins. The player is paid off according to these odds:

Roulette Payoffs

• Single numbers pay $35 to $1
• Double numbers pay $17 to $1
• Three numbers pay $11 to $1
• Four numbers pay $8 to 1
• Five numbers pay $6 to $1 (0,1,2,3,4)
• Six numbers pay $5 to 1
• Columns pay $2 to $1
• Dozens pay $2 to $1
• 1 to 18 pays even
• 19 to 36 pays even
• Odd or even pay even
• Red or black pay even

Restaurants

When a player lands on a restaurant he may either buy the restaurant if no one owns it or pay $400 to the owner or the bank.

Airport

Each time a player passes "Airport" he automatically collects $200 from the Bank. When a player lands on "Airport" he collects $500.

Pass, Don't Pass Cards

If a player lands on "Pass" or "Don't Pass" he must draw a card. All "Pass" card winnings are paid by the hotel owner or by the Bank, if the hotel is unowned. All "Don't Pass" card loses are paid to the hotel owner or to the Bank, if the hotel is unowned. If a card sends a player to a certain area on the board, the player is not entitled to collect $200 for passing "Airport." If a player is sent to an unowned hotel he may purchase it, on the other hand, he cannot be forced to gamble.

Income Tax

If a player lands on "Income Tax" he must pay 10% of all his cash to the "Top of the Strip" kitty.

When computing the income tax, round off the income tax figure to the nearest 50th. For example . . . if a player landing on "Income Tax" has $850 in cash, he pays $100 in taxes (10% of $850 is $85, rounded off to the nearest 50th is $100). On the other hand, if a player has $100 in cash when landing on "Income Tax", he pays nothing (10% of $100 is $10, rounded off to the nearest 50th is 0).

Jail

A player must go to "Jail" if he picks up a card that says "Go to Jail" or if he lands on "Go to Jail." If a player lands on "Jail" by throw of the dice, he is not forced to remain there.

On his next turn, he can get out by paying a $500 fine to the "Top of the Strip" kitty, or he may choose to roll dice. He must make two straight wins to get out of "Jail." (See instructions on how to roll dice.)

While in "Jail," he cannot buy property, opposing players cannot gamble at his hotels, and "Pass" or "Don't Pass" cards that apply to his hotels are no longer in effect. In a sense, a player is excluded from the game while he's in "Jail."

Top of the Strip

If a player lands on "Top of the Strip" he collects the kitty that has accumulated from the Jail fines and income tax payments.

If a player lands on "Top of the Strip" he is also eligible to play the slot machine. The player spins the slot machine spinner. If it stops on three bars he wins $5,000; if anything else appears the player loses nothing.