Ready to outwit the galaxy’s most cunning gamblers? Mastering Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws isn’t just about luck-it’s about strategy, bluffing, and knowing when to cheat without getting caught. From harnessing powerful Shift Tokens to spotting the perfect Sylop card, this guide reveals everything you need to dominate the tables across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Step into the shadows of Kessel and learn how to win big, fast, and often in the ultimate Star Wars card game.
The in-game explanation of Sabacc is so full of Star Wars words and mechanics that you’d be forgiven if your eyes glazed over a bit. All of the details make the game seem much more complicated than it really is. Because, at its core, Sabacc is a game about making a pair. That’s it.
There are a lot of other mechanics and nuances, though. Our Star Wars Outlaws guide breaks down all the rules of Sabacc, plus offers some tips on how to win (or at least not lose as often).
Sabacc cards and suits
In Star Wars Outlaws, Sabacc is played with a unique deck consisting of two suits: the red “Blood” deck and the yellow “Sand” deck. Each player’s hand comprises exactly two cards, one from each suit. The cards are numbered from 1 to 6, and the objective is to have the lowest possible pair or the smallest difference between the two card values by the end of the round. This dual-suit system is central to the gameplay, as players must always hold one card from each suit, drawing and discarding strategically from the respective decks to improve their hand.
Your hand of cards in Sabacc consists of only two cards with one from each suit – one red (Blood) and one yellow (Sand). Each card has a value of between 1 and 6. This is written as a number at the top and as a symbol in the center. The symbol in the center is only the value of the card, not the suit.
If you have trouble reading the Galactic Basic (Aurebesh if you’re a nerd) numerals at the top, you can switch them to regular numbers in the Settings > Gameplay menu under minigames. Just switch the Kessel Sabacc card header setting to simple numerals.
Sabacc hand ranks
In Star Wars Outlaws, Sabacc hand ranks are determined primarily by pairs of cards from two suits: the yellow “Sand” deck and the red “Blood” deck. The strongest hand is a Sabacc, which is a pair of cards with matching numbers from each deck, with lower numbers ranking higher-meaning a pair of 1s beats a pair of 2s, and so forth. The rarest and best hand is a Sylop Sabacc, where a Sylop card clones the value of the other card in your hand, creating an instant Sabacc. If no player has a Sabacc, the winner is the hand with the smallest difference between the two cards’ values. This ranking system makes pairs the most valuable, but strategic play with non-pair hands can still win if opponents lack pairs.
While your goal in Sabacc is to get a pair (a “Sabacc”), there is a little more to it than that. First, the lower the pair, the better – a pair of 1s (a “Prime Sabacc”) is better than a pair of 3s, for example.
Beyond that, if you can’t make a pair, your hand has a value equal to the difference between the values of the two cards. A 6 and a 1 have a value of 5. Your goal (if you can’t get a pair) should be to get the lowest value you can since, at the end of the hand, you’ll be taxed the difference between your cards (meaning you’ll lose that many chips on top of what you invested).
Investing and taxes
In Star Wars Outlaws’ Kessel Sabacc, managing your investments and taxes is crucial to staying in the game. Each time you draw a new card, you must invest chips (Stock), which are added to the pot. At the end of the round, players are taxed based on their hand’s value-the difference between their two cards. If you hold a pair, your tax is zero, but if you lose without a pair, you pay a tax equal to the difference between your cards. Winning a round recovers your invested chips, while losing means losing both your investment and paying the tax, reducing your chip count. Running out of chips eliminates you from the game, so balancing aggressive investing to improve your hand against the risk of high taxes is key to winning Sabacc.
There are a lot of words used in Sabacc that (to us, at least) don’t quite mean what they mean. And that confuses things a bit. Especially when it comes to betting. Or the lack thereof.
There’s no “betting” in Sabacc and the chips you pay don’t go into a pot for the winner. Instead, to start a game, you pay credits toward a buy-in fee to play for an overall reward of credits.
What you’re playing and “betting” with is chips. The number of chips you start with depends on the table you’re playing at. On Toshara, for instance, it could range from five to eight. During a hand, you are paying those chips into a pot, but it’s your pot – they’re considered investments into improving your hand. If you get that investment back depends on whether or not you win the hand.
You invest a chip each time you draw a new card either from the discard pile or the face-down decks. That chip goes into the stack in front of you – the chips at risk in this hand. You can also be forced to invest extra chips with taxes when someone else plays a Shift Token (more on these later).
Scoring a hand
In Star Wars Outlaws Sabacc, scoring a hand revolves around having two cards-one from the yellow “Sand” deck and one from the red “Blood” deck-with matching numbers, known as a Sabacc hand. The goal is to achieve a pair where the numbers are the same, as this hand automatically wins the round. The lower the pair’s number, the stronger the hand; for example, a pair of ones beats a pair of threes. If no player has a matching pair, the next best hand is the one with the smallest difference between the two card numbers, with a difference of one being quite strong. Players draw cards over three turns, aiming to improve their hand while managing their chips, as drawing cards costs chips that can be lost if the round is lost. Ultimately, the player with the lowest pair or closest-to-zero difference wins the round.
At the end of three rounds of investing and drawing new cards (and playing Shift Tokens), the hand is scored during the reveal. Sabaccs (pairs) are the best, with a pair of 1s being the highest. If more than one person has a pair, the lower pair wins and the losing pair(s) get taxed an extra chip. If there’s a tie for lowest pair, both players win.
You are then taxed the value of your hand – the difference between the values of your cards. If you have a pair, the difference between them is zero so you get taxed zero. Those taxes plus your investments are lost. Those chips are just gone and you’ll have fewer chips to invest next round.
The winning hand gets their invested chips back.
If, at the end of scoring, you don’t have any chips left, you’re out of the game.
Sylop and Imposter cards
Sylop and Imposter cards are special wild cards in Kessel Sabacc, each with unique effects that can dramatically influence the outcome of the game. Sylop cards are highly valuable because they mirror the value of the other card in your hand, effectively creating a pair and guaranteeing a Sabacc. A hand with two Sylop cards is the strongest possible and unbeatable. Imposter cards, on the other hand, are riskier; they have no fixed value until the end of the round when you roll two dice and assign one die’s value to the Imposter card. This mechanic adds an element of chance, making Imposter cards high-risk, high-reward. Both card types appear in each deck, with one Sylop and three Imposter cards per deck, adding strategic depth to the game.
There are two kinds of cards in each suit that don’t have a value: the Sylop and the Imposter cards.
- A Sylop card has a dot at the top for the value. A Sylop takes on the value of the other card in your hand, meaning you automatically have a pair. (A pair of Sylops is the best hand in the game – a Pure Sabacc.)
- The Imposter card doesn’t get assigned a value until the end of the round. During the reveal, you’ll roll a pair of dice. The six-sided dice display a value of 1 through 6, and you pick one of the results to apply to your Imposter card.
Shift Tokens
Shift Tokens in Star Wars Outlaws are powerful modifiers used in Kessel Sabacc that allow players to influence the game beyond the standard card play. Each player can select up to three Shift Tokens before a match, and these tokens can be played once per game during a round to activate special effects such as forcing opponents to discard, taxing chips, avoiding draw fees, or protecting oneself from negative effects. They add a strategic layer to Sabacc, enabling players to turn the tide of the game by disrupting opponents or enhancing their own position. Shift Tokens can be found as rewards from Sabacc tables, treasure chests, merchants, or completing quests, making them valuable assets for any gambler in the Star Wars galaxy.
Shift Tokens are the other modifying mechanic in Sabacc. These are three tokens each player chooses (or gets assigned) at the beginning of the game. They can only be played once per game, and must be played before you draw or stand on your turn.
With Shift Tokens, you can do things like tax your opponents extra chips during the round, avoid your next draw free, or force opponents to stand. You can get new Shift Tokens by finding them in treasure locations, buying them at merchants, or winning them in Sabacc games.
Tips for winning at Sabacc
To win at Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws, focus on building the lowest possible pair from the two card families, Sand and Blood, ideally aiming for pairs of twos or ones. Use Shift Tokens strategically to alter the game in your favor, such as defensive tokens to protect yourself or the Exhaustion Token to force opponents to discard strong hands. Employ cheats like sending Nix to peek at opponents’ cards and the Double Draw to increase your chances of getting better cards. Be cautious when drawing cards since each draw costs coins, and standing with a strong hand can preserve your resources. Also, watch for special cards like Sylop, which can instantly secure a win by matching your other card’s value. Finally, visit merchants frequently to acquire more Shift Tokens and refine your strategy as you face tougher opponents.
Winning a hand of Sabacc is, like most card games, largely a matter of chance. But there are a few general rules to follow that can help improve your chances in most cases:
- Swap your 5s and 6s out for Imposter cards. Imposters don’t guarantee a win but will give you two chances at a lower number in a pinch.
- Anything under 3 is a respectable hand. Even if you don’t have sabacc, hold onto those 1s and 2s!
- No shame in using Nix to cheat. Holding up on the D-pad starts a minigame-within-a-minigame that allows you to see your opponents’ hands.
- If Nix reveals that someone has Sabacc, stand.
- Play the long game. If you go all out with chips getting a Sabacc of 2s but lose to a Sabacc of 1s, that’s still losing.
- Don’t use your Shift Tokens right away. Hold onto them for when they can make a big impact – like when you can tax everyone a chip and one of your opponents only has one chip left.
- Press L2 to make rounds pass twice as fast. (This doesn’t help with winning; we’re just impatient.)
- Don’t spend all of your chips on one hand. That’s just Gambling 101.
What secret strategies can help me master Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws
To master Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws, several secret strategies can give you a decisive edge:
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Aim for the lowest Sabacc hand with a pair from each card family (Sand and Blood), ideally a pair of twos or lower. Early games rarely see opponents with hands lower than three, so a pair of twos is a strong target.
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Use Nix’s cheating ability to peek at opponents’ cards. Successfully completing quick-time events allows you to see their hands, helping decide whether to draw or stand. But be cautious-getting caught cheating repeatedly can temporarily ban you from the table.
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Collect and strategically use Shift Tokens. These tokens activate special effects like free draws or taxing opponents’ chips, which can disrupt their strategy and preserve your chip stack. Timing their use, especially powerful ones like General Audit or Target Tariff, is critical.
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Pay attention to discarded cards. Since players tend to discard their highest cards, tracking these can give clues about the strength of their hands, aiding your decision-making if you can’t cheat.
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Manage your chips carefully. Sometimes it’s better to stand with a decent hand early on rather than wasting chips drawing cards, especially if your hand is close to a Sabacc. Losing with a Sabacc hand only costs one chip, while losing without one costs more.
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Leverage special cards wisely: Sylop cards clone the value of your other card, guaranteeing a Sabacc and often a win if paired with a low card. Impostor cards depend on a dice roll and are riskier but can pay off.
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Advanced cheating techniques like Double Draw combined with Nix’s card-planting can secure better cards and even get opponents kicked out, giving you a huge advantage.
By combining these tactics-careful hand management, strategic cheating, intelligent use of Shift Tokens, and close observation of opponents-you can consistently dominate Sabacc tables across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox in Star Wars Outlaws.
How can I effectively use cheating without getting banned in Sabacc
To effectively cheat in Sabacc without getting banned, follow these key strategies:
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Use cheats sparingly and strategically. The more you cheat, the harder the mini-game to successfully cheat becomes, as the timing window shrinks and speeds up, making failure more likely.
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Master the cheat mini-games. Each cheat attempt requires lining up a decreasing circle in a marked zone; practicing this rhythm improves success rates and reduces suspicion.
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Utilize the Fast-Talk ability. If you fail a cheat attempt and get caught, Fast-Talk (learned from Bram) lets you talk your way out of trouble, resetting or delaying suspicion penalties and preventing immediate bans.
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Avoid raising suspicion three times in one game. After three failed cheat attempts, you get temporarily banned from the table. The ban lasts only minutes, and you can play Sabacc at another table on the same planet to reset suspicion.
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Use cheat auto-complete cautiously. While auto-completing cheat mini-games guarantees success, it increases how quickly opponents become suspicious. Optimal strategy is to cheat minimally but successfully rather than frequently with auto-complete.
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Balance cheating with normal play. Combine cheating with solid hand management and Shift Token use to minimize the need for repeated cheating and suspicion buildup.
By carefully timing your cheats, practicing mini-games, using Fast-Talk to avoid bans, and switching tables if banned, you can maximize cheating benefits in Sabacc while minimizing the risk of getting kicked out.
