What do we usually tend to discuss at breakfast with our family members in our everyday life? MLB Tips, top 10 athletes in the country, must-see TV shows to watch? Yes, and lots of other things, as well, but when there is a talk about Sci-Fi, Star Wars is never left unspoken about. However, one thing that no one has probably discussed is the role of gambling in Star Wars movies. While it may seem shallow and insignificant (which it possibly is), Star Wars fans would be excited to learn all the ins and outs of the gambling games existing in both sequels and prequels. In addition, these games enormously captivating for some Star Wars characters serve as a means of symbolising the interconnectedness of all the Star Wars movies. What is more, the presence of gambling allows the viewers to get deeper into the character by understanding their attitude to it.
So, let us see what kinds of games are there throughout the movies. Some of them were present in the Galactic Empire and the Old Republic. A few ones may have only been observed in the comic books and related sources.
The Pod Races
In the first episode (“Phantom Menace”), Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn bets with Watto on young Anakin Skywalker’s liberation from slavery. The outcome of this bet is then determined by the results of the so-called Pod Races, the point of which is to get to the finish line first. Anakin’s most vehement opponent was Boonta Eve, who was about to leave no chance to the talented kid, but has not survived the race.
Chance Cubes
Chance Cubes are all over the place in many Star Wars scenes. Each cube has three sides painted a certain way while the other six have a different colour.
The game is considered one of the most popular as it appears in the Rite of Passage, Jedi Twilight, Old Republic, the Sphere of Influence and others.
Sabacc
Sabacc is somewhat of a casino game portrayed in Star Wars. It requires two players at minimum and eight players at maximum to properly engage in a card game. The game itself is similar to blackjack since it is dependent on either luck or skill and requires players to get to 23.
This game is present in the Han Solo movie, where Lando Calrissian loses to Solo, which is how the Millennium Falcon got into the hands of the Star Wars universe’s most renowned hooligan.
Pazzak
Being mostly popular in the Old Republic times, Pazaak is a game of excitement with relative simplicity to it. The goal of this game is to get to the number 20 as close as possible. If the number exceeds 20 by 3 points with 3 wins, it’s a win.
Dejarik
Dejarik cannot be unnoticed by fans as it is by far the most memorable game, though may not necessarily be attributed to gambling since it is analogous to chess and, therefore, is called holochess. As the name says, the only difference between real chess and this game is that the board of the holochess consists of holograms while holomonsters represent chess pieces like queens and knights. The winner is the one who manages to eliminate all the holomonsters of another player.
The game first appeared in the fourth episode “A New Hope” when Chewbacca passionately plays with R2D2 and loses the game.
Last Words
No matter what universe we are currently in, they all share the same principle found in gambling – pure luck and enjoyment with some amount of skill to it and lack of money-making intentions. By the way, have Stars Wars characters ever wondered about gambling addiction and how to tackle it with the Jedi force?
