Hell of a Deal - Kickstarter + Stretch Goal Included
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The table is set. The dealer has a tail. And you've already started cheating.
What it's about
Cooperative poker against the Devil — and he cheats
Welcome to the Last Resort & Casino. The place is elegant, the drinks are free, the dealer has horns. In Hell of a Deal, you don't play against each other — you sit on the same side of the table, each trying to beat the house. The house, however, is run by Hell.
Before you get to the Devil's table yourself, you'll have to challenge four devilish bosses: Dedly Aloor, Jack Potts, The Dreadful Brothers, and Roul-ette. Each twists the rules to their advantage with unique abilities. You can cheat — in fact, you must — but every trick brings you closer to Temptation. And too much Temptation means Hell has swallowed you whole forever.
It's real poker, with a Texas Hold'em structure, community cards, and classic hands. Except here you have three cards in hand instead of two (one hidden up your sleeve), Favor Cards allow you to perform impossible magic, and the infernal casino takes up almost a meter of table with its neoprene mats.
The soul of the game
Cheating is mandatory. Cheating too much is your doom. Finding the balance is the whole game.
The secret of Hell of a Deal in one line
When your partner plays the right Favor Card at the right time, the entire table erupts in a collective sigh of relief. It happens every night.
From the game experience
Hell of a Deal
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rulebook, official Smirk and Dagger materials and Kickstarter campaignWhat you'll find at the table
The infernal casino in detail
52 11.5g poker chips
Real ceramic chips, professional weight. Not lightweight plastic — items you can feel in your fingers.
6 neoprene mats
The community table measures 28"×20". When set up, it looks like a real poker table. Only the dealer is a creature from the abyss.
5 unique bosses + The Devil
Dedly Aloor, Jack Potts, The Dreadful Brothers, Roul-ette — and finally Him. Each boss resets the table rules.
Favor and Curse Cards
Cheat with style: a four-card Flush, a hand stolen from the deck. Every favor has a price in Temptation.
Tonight at the table, there's someone who doesn't want you to win. And they're already looking at your cards.
📖RulebookEnglish · Official PDF
A game in five acts
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Taking your seat at the table
The neoprene mat is laid out. Chips clink. The deck is shuffled — by someone who may have slipped in extra cards. Everyone has three cards in hand, one hidden up their sleeve. Already, it's clear that tonight's game won't be played as usual.
The first boss reveals their rule
Dedly Aloor puts his special ability into play. The table looks around. "This is legalized cheating." Yes. And you have to do the same. You draw the first Favor Card — and you already understand that cheating has a cost in Temptation that you need to manage.
Souls are scarce and Temptation grows
Third boss. You've lost two hands and your Soul supply is dwindling. Someone has used too many Favors — Temptation accumulates. Discussions begin about who's cheating and when. There's tension. The good kind — the kind you only feel when the outcome isn't a given.
The big table: the Devil himself
You've beaten all the bosses. Now it's Him. Your hand must be strong. Power chips are your last resort — you use them to see one of his cards, but if you lose the hand, you pick them up face down and pay the price. The silence at the table is almost theatrical.
You win — or you stay in hell
The hand is revealed. Either you beat the Devil and earn your return to the living — or Temptation has won, and you're condemned. In either case, someone is already shuffling the cards again. The rematch starts before you even finish collecting your chips.
How to play
The flow of each hand
Texas Hold'em structure with three cards in hand instead of two. You learn it in ten minutes, you master it by understanding when to cheat.
Each boss has an ability that twists the hand to their advantage — and a guaranteed minimum hand if their cards suck. Read carefully what they do before deciding how to respond.
Three cards in hand (one hidden up your sleeve), plus the community cards of the flop, turn, and river. Choose the best five as in classic Texas Hold'em — only here, the rules might have already been changed by the boss.
Favor Cards allow impossible moves: a four-card Flush, a card stolen from the deck, a changed hand. Each use brings Temptation. Too much Temptation — game over. Risk management is everything.
Those who beat the boss earn Souls. Those who lose give them up. Souls are the currency to face the Devil at the final big table. You need enough — but you never know how many are enough until the end.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Cooperative Poker — not competitive
You are not opponents — you are partners. Everyone plays their hand individually, but the goal is collective. A dynamic that completely changes the psychology at the table.
Bosses who rewrite the rules
Each boss introduces a unique twist to the game. It's not just an enemy with more hit points — it's a distortion of the rules that forces you to change strategy every round.
Cheating: resource and risk
Favor Cards are powerful but accumulate to defeat. The tension between "cheat now" and "I'm going too far" is at the heart of the game's decision-making system.
Real poker components
52 11.5g chips and six neoprene mats that fill almost a meter of table space. The physical weight of the components amplifies the sense of what's at stake — it doesn't feel like playing a board game.
Integrated guides for new poker players
Don't know poker hands? The game has integrated reference materials for newcomers. Cooperation levels the playing field for players with different levels of experience.
Kickstarter stretch goals included
Copies available on FroGames include all the extra content from the Kickstarter campaign. While supplies last — without hunting down the "deluxe" version at an inflated price.
How it ends
Heaven or eternal damnation
First, beat the four bosses. Then, sit at the big table. The Devil waits — and he's not known for being a good loser.
Victory — return to the living
- Beat the four bosses by accumulating enough Souls
- At the big table, your hand beats the Devil's
- Temptation has not exceeded the point of no return
Defeat — condemned
- Collective Temptation exceeds the threshold — Hell wins before the finale
- You don't have enough Souls to sit at the big table
- The Devil beats you in the last hand and the contract is signed
Hell of a Deal is cooperative poker in the fullest sense: you win together or you lose together. And that cursed hand that condemned you will become the story of the evening.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Hell of a Deal
Do I need to know how to play poker to enjoy the game?
You don't need to be an expert. The game includes integrated poker hand guides in the materials, and its cooperative nature means more experienced players can help newcomers. Knowing the basic hands (pair, straight, flush) is enough to start without problems.
Is it truly cooperative, or is it ultimately every player for themselves?
It is genuinely cooperative. Each player builds their hand individually — but the pool of Souls is shared, the Temptation threshold is collective, and the final victory at the Devil's big table is a team goal. You cannot win alone, and you cannot lose alone.
What are the included stretch goals?
The copies available on FroGames include all the extra content unlocked during Smirk and Dagger's Kickstarter campaign. These were reserved for backers of the original campaign and are included while supplies last — at no additional cost.
How much table space is needed?
Quite a lot. The six neoprene mats, once laid out, occupy about 28"×20" (approx. 70×50 cm) for the communal board alone — plus space for players' individual boards. It's a game that needs a large table and uses all of it.
Is it available in Italian?
This is the English language edition. The basic mechanics are poker, so largely intuitive, but cards and textual materials are in English. A basic knowledge of English is sufficient to play without difficulty.
Does it work well with two players?
The game supports 2 to 6 players. With two players, the challenge becomes more focused and the pressure on individual Temptation management more evident. The experience is still complete, although the chaos and theatricality grow with the number of players at the table.
Hell of a Deal is a cooperative poker-themed board game for 2–6 players (ages 14+, duration ~90 minutes). Published by Smirk and Dagger. Primary mechanic: cooperative Texas Hold'em style poker with risk management via Favor Cards. Players team up to face four devilish bosses — Dedly Aloor, Jack Potts, The Dreadful Brothers, and Roul-ette — before the final confrontation with The Devil himself. Includes 52 11.5g ceramic poker chips and six neoprene mats. The edition available on FroGames.it includes all stretch goals unlocked in Smirk and Dagger's original Kickstarter campaign, while supplies last. English edition.
Hell of a Deal - Kickstarter + Stretch Goal Included
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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