Complete rules

RULE 01

Objective and players

Royals & Rogues is for two to four players, ages 13 and up, and normally takes 20–45 minutes. Win all coins on the table.

RULE 02

Poker foundation

Use ordinary No-Limit Texas Hold’em hand rankings and betting logic except where a Royals & Rogues component explicitly changes them. The game uses antes, gives each player three hole cards, and permits Powers only at defined timing windows.

RULE 03

Game material

One 52-card poker deck plus one active Joker; individual Power Decks; Items that may enter the poker deck; persistent Tokens; Heating Up and Tilted markers; coins, dealer marker, references, and table markers.

RULE 04

Setup

Shuffle one Joker into the poker deck. Give each player 100 coins. Draw for dealer. Choose Class clockwise from the dealer, then Court in reverse order. Build each Power Deck and keep ordinary and One Shot discards separate.

RULE 05

Setup Powers

Play after hole cards are dealt and before betting. Place Powers face down, then reveal and resolve clockwise from the dealer.

RULE 06

Round Powers

Play on your turn during a betting round, before checking, betting, or folding. You may chain compatible Round Powers before taking the poker action.

RULE 07

Showdown Powers

Play after the final betting round but before hole cards are revealed. Eligible players commit Powers face down and resolve them in betting order.

RULE 08

Counter Powers

Play when the printed trigger occurs, including outside your turn. When responses form a chain, resolve the newest response first.

RULE 09

Items

Items enter the poker deck through Power effects. Play or discard an Item as directed, then place it in the muck. If an Item appears as a board card, remove it and replace it with the next poker card.

RULE 10

Tokens

Tokens are persistent effects. They remain with their owner across hands and respond automatically to their printed events.

RULE 11

Heating Up

Heating Up unlocks Fire Powers. The original rulebook usually grants it after winning two hands in a row and removes it after a loss. Specific Powers may change that.

RULE 12

Tilted

While Tilted, a player may use only Tilted Powers and Powers with Flex. Winning a hand normally removes Tilted; specific Powers may also change it.

RULE 13

A complete hand

Draw Powers; deal three hole cards; resolve Setup Powers; discard down to five Powers; conduct betting with Round and Counter opportunities; resolve Showdown Powers; reveal hands; award the pot; update persistent state.

RULE 14

Match structure

The original recommendation is No-Limit with ten-minute levels and antes of 1, 3, 5, and 10. If players remain, play four hands at a 25 ante; the largest stack wins.

REFERENCE

Defined terms

Draw

Take the stated number from your Power Deck.

Fire

Playable while Heating Up unless the effect says otherwise.

Flex

May be played while Tilted.

Hot Streak

An enhanced effect available while Heating Up.

Mulligan

Replace the indicated card with the next card from the appropriate deck.

One Shot

After resolving, move the Power to the separate One Shot discard.

Peek

Privately look at the indicated hidden card.

Recover

Remove or mitigate Tilted as stated.

Rummage

Use the Item-linked discard or retrieval action printed on the card.