The Superheroes $20 draft, played live.

What is in the deck

The Superheroes deck has 40 cards. You won't see the order. A few of the names you might draw:

• Spider-Man
• Batman
• Superman
• Hulk
• Jean Grey

A worked spend

You have $20 for 5 picks. Spend $8 on Batman and you've got $12 for four more cards. The reserve rule keeps $1 back for every slot you still owe, so your next bid tops out at $9. Win Punisher, Ghost Rider, Cyclops and Jean Grey at $1 each and you finish with $8 left over. That's your score. Try $5 on every card instead and the rule stops you on the fourth: $5 left, two slots to fill, so $4 is the most you can bid.

How to draft Superheroes

Cross-universe decks start fights about whether Batman beats Hulk, and the bidding follows the argument rather than any stat. Pay up for the names both of you will chase, Spider-Man and Superman, only if you can drop to $1 elsewhere. Mid-tier X-Men like Cyclops and Jean Grey go cheap because nobody agrees how good they are.

The rules are the same for every category and take a minute to read: how to play, or why an auction beats a snake draft.