Shoot The Moons

Shoot the Moons is the latest multi-player offering from Betfair Arcade. A mix between dice and poker, Shoot the Moons offers players a game where skill and luck combine is part of the Poker Cubed Trilogy.

The set up is pretty simple. Each player rolls the die three times and the winner is the player with the highest combined total. However, Shoot the Moons offers betting after each roll and to add to the excitement, one roll of each players dice is hidden from opponents - making it a little similar to Stud Poker.

Just as in any poker variant, players have the chance to bet, check or raise after each round

A further level of intrigue is revealed by the fact that any player rolling a double 3 on their final throw scoops half the pot no matter what the total before the final throw.

One of the most important aspects is observation of other players and in particular their bet sizing. While bluffing is a vital part of poker and Shoot the Moons contains an obvious poker element, the chance to scoop half the pot on the final roll may mean it is hard to push people off their holdings - especially considering some of the players may not come from a poker background.

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The Rules

The game begins with an ante bet, which is paid by all players. These bets go towards building the initial pot.

After the antes have been contributed, each player rolls ('shoots') two dice, and then hides their results. The player to the left of the dealer button starts the new betting round. Like most other betting games, players act in turns around a table and all players have a number of actions to choose from; check, bet, call, fold, or raise.
Check: If you are the first player in a betting round, or no other player has put any money in the pot, you can check. After a check you are still in the game. If someone bets after you check, you will have to put at least an equal amount in to remain in the pot.

Bet: If you are the first player in a betting round, or no other player has put any money in the pot, you can place a bet. All other players are now required to put at least an equal amount in to continue in the pot.

Call: If you are happy to match the amount of money that has been bet by your opponent but do not want to risk any more, you can call. The betting then moves on to the next player. However, if another of your opponents raises after your turn you will have to act again.

Fold: If you don't want to put any more money in the pot, you can fold. After a fold, you are not part of the game anymore and have forfeited all claims on the pot.

Raise: If another player has put money in the pot before it is your turn, you can raise their bet. This means putting more money into the pot than is required for a call. All other remaining players are now required to match this new bet to stay in the game. This process continues clockwise around the table until all players have put an equal amount in the pot. If there is only one player left, that player is the winner.

The basic rule is that the betting continuously moves around the table until all players have either given up or put an equal amount of money in the pot. When this happens, the betting round is complete. Once this round of betting is complete, the sum of the first shoot is now displayed next to each player's avatar visible to the other players. Each player then shoots another two dice, and the betting procedure commences once more. Once the second round of betting is complete, the sum of the first two shoots is displayed next to each player's avatar visible to the other players.

The third and final round works the same way as the previous ones, with one major exception. If you shoot two threes (3,3), you will 'Shoot the Moons' and win half of the entire pot. If nobody shoots the moons, the player with the highest total score wins the entire pot. The sum of the final roll remains hidden during the last round of betting.

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