
- BGG rating
- 9.0
Strat-O-Matic Pro: Basketball Player Cards – 2017-18
- 1–2 players
- 90–150 min
- 2018

1973
Rules assistance for Strat-O-Matic Pro Basketball
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Strat-O-Matic Pro Basketball is a board game released in 1973 for 2 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 11 and up. It was designed by Hal Richman and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Solo / Solitaire Game, and Command Cards.
The pro basketball (NBA) game of the Strat-o-Matic series, best known for its baseball game. Players are represented by statistics on cards. Cards are available by year, sold separately, so you can play with teams of yesteryear. The game takes place on a board vaguely resembling a basketball court. Actions are determined by plays from cards. Success or failure is determined by die rolls.
Strat-O-Matic Pro Basketball supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Strat-O-Matic Pro Basketball is 90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Strat-O-Matic Pro Basketball for ages 11 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Strat-O-Matic Pro Basketball has a complexity rating of 2.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Strat-O-Matic Pro Basketball belongs to these categories: Sports. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Solo / Solitaire Game, and Command Cards. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Strat-O-Matic Pro Basketball are: Hal Richman. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Strat-O-Matic Pro Basketball as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.