Before proceeding, check the primaries’ action grades. If one primary is using a Strong ability and another a Weak ability, the Strong character automatically wins, no resolution system required. 

Otherwise, the scene proceeds. If one character has a better grade in the ability he’s using than another, he gets an additional redraw (see below.)

Decide who acts first. Where one character is trying to do one thing, and another tries to stop him, the former’s player goes first. If both characters are acting at once, or the situation is otherwise unclear, the GM draws a fresh precedence order to see who acts first. 

Each contestant spends a procedural token to gain a number of redraws. A green token buys three redraws, yellow, two, red, one.

The contestants now draw cards. The one who ends the sequence with the highest card in hand wins. As always, any card drawn is placed face up, for all participants to see.

The first player draws a card, followed by the second.

The first player may now use one of her redraws to either draw a new card for herself, or force her opponent to redraw.

Then the second player may use one of his redraws to either draw a new card for himself, or force his opponent to redraw.

This continues until neither contestant can, or wishes to, use further redraws.

The GM may then require one contestant to redraw, once. She describes a change in fortune tipping the balance against the player who redraws. If the player gets a higher card than he had before, he describes his triumph over that difficulty, and the improved situation resulting from it.

Narrate the ups and downs of the contest with each card draw. When a character draws a card lower than his opponent’s current card, his opponent describes him falling behind in the contest. When he draws a card higher than his opponent’s, he describes his own character seizing advantage.

Players of other characters present in the scene can then spend green tokens to interfere on one side or the other. Each interfering player requires a chosen contestant to redraw, once. They describe what they’re doing to change the outcome. Where two interfering players wish to act at the same time, the GM uses the precedence established in the Order of Action stage to see who acts first.

After the GM and interfering players have finished mucking about with the result, and one or more of the contestants still has redraws left, they may now make them. If both still have redraws left, the first player gets first crack, but may elect to pass.

When no contestant has or wants to use a remaining redraw, the one with the highest card wins, and describes the outcome mooted during the stakes step coming to pass, in a manner possibly colored by the intervening narration.

When the participants end on equal cards from different suits, see if they can agree on a surprise outcome that gives them both what they wanted. If not, choose a winner according to this suit order, from best to worst: spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs.