There are nine players and nine rounds in a game. Each player begins the game with an equal amount of money in their BANK.
In each round a player must take one of three actions. However, the player can only take each action three times per game:
STEAL money from another player's BANK.
PROTECT their own BANK from other players.
PASS with the hope to at least maintain one's position without taking the other two actions.
A player is “protected” from a STEAL only when using a PROTECT action. Players using a STEAL or a PASS action are “unprotected” and remain vulnerable to a STEAL.
A player may attempt to STEALno less than one dollar and no more than an opponent's total BANK.
A failed STEAL results in a penalty equal to the amount of the STEAL attempt. The penalized money leaves the game. A failed STEAL occurs when:
the opposing player uses a PROTECT action during that round.
more than one player attempts to STEAL from the same “unprotected” player and that player does not have enough money to payout all of the players attempting to STEAL. In this situation no money is taken from the “unprotected” player since no STEAL was successful.
All STEAL actions occur simultaneously.
A player's payout to an opponent for a successful STEAL is paid before any penalty for their own failed STEAL.
A player is eliminated when any of the following events occur:
A player's entire bank is stolen by an opponent
A player does not have enough money to pay the penalty for their failed STEAL
A player does not have enough money to payout an opponent for a successful steal and also pay the penalty for their own failed STEAL
The last remaining player in the game or the player with the biggest BANK at the end of nine rounds is the winner of the game. The winning player is awarded whatever money they have been able to retain or gain throughout the game.