.png)
THE ORIGINS OF SABACC
The word 'Sabacc' was left on the cutting room floor and never uttered in the original Star Wars trilogy. But the idea of 'Space Baccaret' (at the time, Baccarat was more popular than Poker and James Bond's game of choice as well) was just waiting to be revived and be imbued with life as the Star Wars universe expanded. It's time would come with the Lando Calrissian Adventures (1984), which gave fans their first real glimpse at the mechanics and quirks of 'Sabacc' - now, a kind of 'Space Poker' played with a tarot deck!
​
FIRST REFERENCES TO ‘SABACCA’ & 'SABACC' (1978/1981)
The game of Sabacc was never mentioned on-screen in any of the original Star Wars films as shown, but entered the lore through references that were cut from draft scripts but used in later material.​
​
​​
-
‘Sabacca’ in The Empire Strikes Back Script 2nd Draft (April, 1978) by George Lucas
- According to Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplay by Laurent Bouzereau (1997), p. 191​
​
 Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplay (1997)Author: Laurent Bouzereau, Ref: p.19 |
|---|
​​
-
‘Sabacc’ in The Empire Strikes Back Script 4th Draft (October 1978) by Lawrence Kasdan
​​
​
 The Empire Strikes Back Script 4th Draft (October 1978)Lawrence Kasdan |
|---|
​​​
-
‘Sabacc’ in Marvel Star Wars (1977) Issue #43 ‘Betrayal at Bespin’ (January 01, 1981)
​
 Star Wars Marvel (1977)#43 ‘Betrayal at Bespin’ (January 01, 1981) |
|---|
THE LANDO CALRISSIAN ADVENTURES (1983)
​
-
LANDO CALRISSIAN & THE MINDHARP OF SHARU (1983)
In which Lando Calrissian is accused of cheating at 78-card Sabacc against a mining crew, plays against cantina patrons on Rafa IV, and explains the use of Sabacc cards for divination to his droid co-pilot.
​
-
LANDO CALRISSIAN & THE FLAMEWINDS OF OSEON (1983)
In which Lando Calrissian plays high-stakes Sabacc against the wealthy patrons of the Oseon system, and explains the l the trick hand called the Idiot’s Array to a passenger.​
​
-
LANDO CALRISSIAN & THE STARCAVE OF THONBOKA (1983)
In which Lando Calrissian uses Sabacc to inveigle his way past an Imperial Navy blockade, and promote the value of taking risks to the ThonBoka, an void-dwelling species who inhabit the Star Cave Nebula.​​
RULESETS BASED ON THE LANDO NOVELS (‘CENTRAN SABACC’)
Since the publication of Crisis on Cloud City (See: Classic Sabacc) promoted a version of Sabacc with structural differences from the game presented in the Lando Calrissian Adventures, this earlier version came to be designated as ‘Centran Sabacc’. As there were no published rules for Lando’s version, these rules tend be modifications of the Cloud City ruleset that account for the different size of the Lando’s deck and the particular rules mentioned in those novels.
​
-
Ian Cooper's Rules for Centran Sabacc (2024)​
Based on the Lando Calrissian Adventures
​
Games of the Galaxy is a site created by and for artists, creators and enthusiasts engaged with the Star Wars universe. This site is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Disney, Lucasfilm Ltd., or any of their subsidiaries or licensees. Star Wars, its characters, and all associated trademarks and copyrights are the property of Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd. All content on this site is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. We make no claim to any official status and recognize the intellectual property rights of Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd.
​​
Site Design © Games of the Galaxy, 2025