Hello, class! Today’s lesson is about gambling, so if you do not have a waiver signed by your parents, I’m afraid you will have to go to the gymnasium and watch a video on Chocobo lice. Sorry!
Now that the nerds are gone, let’s bet it all!!
Unlocking the Gold Saucer
First, you will need to gain access to the Golden Saucer! If you have not done so already, if you wander the streets of Ul’dah, there is usually an affluent young fellow hanging around Sunsilk Tapestries (Steps of Nald, X 9.7 Y 8.9).
He will give you a special airship ticket! Or something! I wasn’t really paying attention, to be perfectly honest. But whatever, you get a ticket somehow, I’m sure of it!
Take it to the Airship Landing and they will whisk you away to an opulent jewel in the middle of the… harsh desert? Yeah. Yeah that’s fine.
Beginning Triple Triad
Once inside, you may take a tour of all the facilities! Feel free to if you wish, but remember to use the buddy system! I really don’t want to return with fewer students again. There is way too much paper work and the parents cry and cry… what a hassle. When the tour is over, meet me in the Card Square! It’s the large rectangular room in the southwest of the casino!
In the center, you will find some attendants who will give you a starter deck! Load them up and you can begin gambling! You can also add to your deck with any cards you may have picked up within deadly dungeons, as that is a common place to find some!
Others can be bought, but the best way to get more is the same way you will become a skilled Tripler (That’s what we pros call ourselves). Card Battles!
People all over the star play Triple Triad (or T-Square if you’re cool. I’m not so I say TriplyTri) and are just waiting for worthy challenges! But since we’re just starting out today, we are not worthy so we will learn against the chumps they have standing around in the Card Square!
The basic concept is pretty straightforward! You and your opponent take turns setting cards down and try to end up with the most by converting theirs while protecting your own! If you have something with a higher number in relation to the other card direction, you take it!
For example, my long-haired fellow there has a value of 8 on the bottom. If the card below it is already set and the number on the top is 7 or less, I take it. If it is 8 or higher, though, nothing happens! Keep in mind, though, you also want to protect your cards so try not to leave any low numbers in harm’s way!
Similarly to the classic board game Soleproprietopoly, some people play with different rules. While you might play the correct and normal way off landing on the Free Stable space means you collect all the gil in the center that was placed there through taxes and other such means, another person might incorrectly state “at my house, we play with Free Stable as just an ordinary safe spot, you don’t get money for landing on it.”
And while they may be totally wrong, you still have to play this way, even though it’s obviously dumb, Craig, no one likes to play that way it’s mean. Also you were supposed to bring dip and now we have all these tortilla chips and what, we’re just supposed to eat them plain? This party sucks, Craig!
…Ahem. As I was saying, TriplyTri is much the same. Some play with “Open” rules, meaning you show each other your cards during play. Others might like Ascension, where in if a suited card is played, it and all others of the same suit have their point value increased. Many like to use a combination of rules and there are a lot so it is a good idea to brush up on them here if you’re struggling!
Winning nets you some MGP and maybe even an opponent’s card! Losing nets you…. Less MGP, so it isn’t a huge deal, but still you don’t want to go into debt over this. So play better, don’t quit. And if you find yourself getting a lot of the same cards, don’t throw them out! Sell them back to the casino for some additional MGP!
The Battlehall
Feeling the itch for more? Not everyone knows this, but there is a super secret Battle Hall where you can find tougher challengers and win some extra cool cards! Talk to the Triple Triad Master in the Card Square and ask to enter!
This is a fun and addictive pastime with style and class, but be careful, you don’t want to lose it all! Even if you do, that likely won’t stop you, I know it! They may break our thumbs but they’ll never break our urge to play TriplyTri! Class dismissed!
