Hula-Hoo!
Hula-Hoo! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Information
- Players: 2-6
- Age: 8+
- Playing time: 10-20 min.
Game Material
- 84 playing cards
- 6 x values from 1-6 and 8-13 each
- 12 x value 7 (Joker)
- Rules (D - GB)
Please have a pen and paper ready, not included.
Game Target
The player who gets rid of his own cards first – or makes his opponents give up – wins the round on points. The player with the most points in the end will be the champion!
Game Preparation
- One player is responsible for noting down and adding up the points from each round.
- All cards are shuffled face down.
- The oldest one deals 10 cards to each player. First 5 hidden hand cards, then five cards that are placed face up in front of each player.
- The rest of the cards is put face down on the table as draw pile.
- Swapping: Now each player (in turn, starting with the left neighbour of the dealer) has the possibility to change one to three of his face up cards with the upper cards of the draw pile. Returned cards are put underneath the draw pile.
Course of Play
Now the left neighbour of the dealer starts the game. He chooses one of his cards, puts it in the middle of the table (starting the discard pile) and says "higher" or "lower". The next player is consequently asked to play a card with a corresponding higher or lower value – afterwards he also says "higher" or "lower" again.
An Example
- The player puts down a 4 and says "higher" – now his left neighbour has to play a card with the value 5 or higher …
- The player puts down a 4 and says "lower" – now his left neighbour has to play a card with the value 3 or lower … and shouts out "higher" or "lower" afterwards.
The game continues clockwise. The active player may choose each time whether to play a hand card or one of his face up displayed cards.
Double
Instead of playing higher or lower, a player may also put down a card of the same value. He shouts "double" – and additionally takes a card from the draw pile hidden on his hand. From now on all following players must double the cards, i.e. play a card of the same value and draw a card from the draw pile until a player cancels doubling again.
Cancel the Double
There are two possibilities:
- By discarding a neighbour card, i.e. a card with a value exactly one higher or one lower than the doubled card or
- By discarding a joker (see below)
An Example
The double 10 may be cancelled with a 9 or an 11 or a joker. Upon cancelling you have to say "higher" or "lower" again.
The Joker (7)
It is the strongest card in the game because
- It may be played on every card
- It cancels any doubling
That means: even if a joker itself is doubled the player shouts "higher" or "lower" (than 7) and therefore does not draw a card.
At the Limit
It is allowed to discard a 13 and shout "higher" – or discard a 1 and shout "lower". In both cases the next player has to either double or play a joker. If he can't do both, he has to pass and is eliminated.
Pass
- There is compulsion to move.
- If a player cannot discard a card, he "drops his hoop", he has to pass and is eliminated for this round. The last call ("higher", "lower" or "double") is then still valid for the next player.
- Unjustified passing is not allowed. Who passes has to reveal the rest of his hand cards!
An Example
Player A puts down a "5" and says "lower". Player B plays a "3" and also says "lower".
Player C also puts down a "3", says "double" and takes a card from the draw pile. Player D cancels doubling by playing a joker (7) and says "higher".
Player A plays a "13" and says "higher".
Player B has neither a "13" nor a joker; he has to pass, reveal his cards and is eliminated.
Player C plays a "13", says "double" and takes a card from the draw pile and so on.
End of the Round
- The player who is able to get rid of all his cards first wins the round. In this case the last hand card mustn't be a joker (no matter, if it is a face down or face up card)!
- If nobody succeeds in doing this, the last player who correctly discards a card, wins. In this case the last played card may of course also be a joker.
An Example
Only 2 players are still in the game.
Player A still has 3 cards on his hand, he plays a joker and says "lower". Player B only has cards with a higher value and no joker. He must therefore pass and player A wins!
Scoring
- The winner gets one point for each card of the discard pile.
- The points are noted down and will be added up after each round.
- In the end all cards are collected again, shuffled face down for the next round and dealt like described earlier.
- The left neighbour of the winner is the new starting player.
End of the Game and Winner
The first player who reaches 77 points (or more) wins the game and is the HULA-HOO!-Champion!
Alternative: The first one to win 3 rounds is the winner!
Chaos Version for Pros
- All 10 cards are dealt face down. Each player takes them on his hand and may choose 5 cards which he places in front of him.
- Swapping cards is deleted.
- The game is not played clockwise anymore; the active player chooses another player who has to carry out the call "higher", "lower" or "double".
- If the chosen player is eliminated, the active player names another opponent and may even change his command – e.g. instead of "higher" he says "lower" this time.
Tip: The individual chaos rules may be used in the regular game as you wish … … have fun playing HULA-HOO!
Credits
Art.-Nr. 035 · HULA-HOO! · 1. edition 01/2021 · Author: Jacques Zeimet · Illustration: Melanie Garanin
Graphics: Drei Hasen-Werkstatt · Translation: Evelyn Wittig
© 2021 Drei Hasen in der Abendsonne GmbH · Mühlenstraße 10 · D-91486 Uehlfeld