On The Cards
On The Cards Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 standard deck of 52 playing cards
- 1 Start Player card
- 2 Double cards
- 4 Fixed Rule cards (black border)
- 10 Deal rule cards (red border)
- 10 Aim rule cards (yellow border)
- 10 Card Play rule cards (green border)
- 10 Trick Taking rule cards (blue border)
- 10 Optional Twist rule cards (mauve border)
How to play
The Fixed Rule cards (black) are always used. In each round, the rules on the Fixed Rule cards are combined with the rules on one card of each other type: Deal, Aim, Card Play and Trick Taking.
- The Deal card (red) defines how the dealer will distribute cards.
- The Aim card (yellow) defines the objective of the round and how it will be scored.
- The Card Play card (green) defines how the players will play cards.
- The Trick Taking card (blue) defines how tricks will be won.
In later games you can add Optional Twist cards (mauve) and Double cards to spice things up.
Before the start of any round we recommend that one of the players reads aloud the text of each of the current Deal, Aim, Card Play, Trick Taking and Optional Twist cards, so that all players are clear about the rules for the round.
For new players, we recommend the introductory game, Opening Hands (overleaf). The introductory game lasts five rounds and uses pre-set rule cards.
Once you've mastered that, try the standard game, Out of the Box. The standard game lets the rules vary from round to round.
The advanced game, Round the Twist, is for more experienced players.
In a 2-player game, set aside cards marked '3+'.
Out of the Box
The standard game
Winning: The first player to have four rule cards is the winner. If two or more players tie, all tied players win.
Put the four Fixed Rule cards face-up where everyone can refer to them easily. Set aside the Optional Twist and Double cards; they are not used in this game. In a 2-player game, also set aside the two rule cards marked '3+'.
Take the Deal cards, shuffle them and make a face-up stack. Do the same with the Aim, Card Play and Trick Taking cards to make four face up stacks of 10 cards each. Players are only allowed to look at the top of each stack.
Shuffle the playing card deck and pick a dealer. The player to the left of the dealer takes the Start Player card. The first round is now ready to begin.
The Fixed Rule cards and the four rule cards on top of the stacks define how the first round will be played.
The player with the most points wins the round. The winner takes any one of the top rule cards and keeps it face-down. If two or more players are tied with the most points, all tied players take a rule card from the top of the stacks. This creates a new combination of rules for the next round.
At the start of each round gather up all the playing cards and shuffle them. The start player from the previous round becomes the new dealer. The player to the left of the dealer takes the Start Player card.
Round the Twist
The advanced game
Winning: The first player to have five rule cards is the winner. If two or more players tie, all tied players win.
The game is set up and played in the same way as the standard game, but with the following changes.
At the start of the game, shuffle the Optional Twist cards and make a face-down stack. Put the two Double cards to the side of the card stacks. In a 2-player game, also set aside the three Optional Twist cards marked '3+'.
In each round, after you have looked at the cards you have been dealt, you may announce 'Double!' and take one of the Double cards. If more than two players want to double, use something else (such as the box) to keep track.
If you have doubled, you take two rule cards if you win the round, but lose one if you do not win. If you do not have a rule card to lose, every other player takes one rule card from the bottom of any of the stacks instead. In a 2-player game, you lose two rule cards if you do not win.
The player winning the round may take an Optional Twist card instead of one of the other rule cards. The player keeps this card face-down and then turns the next Optional Twist card face-up. This rule card is then in play for the next round. At the end of the round, turn it face-down again.
Variations
Here are some starting combinations.
- President: Deal Thirteen, Empty Hand - Take Tricks, Same Sized Sets, President
- Winning Whist: Deal Seven, Take Lots of Tricks, Whist - Clubs Trumps, Winning Whist
- Black Maria: Deal All, Avoid High Value Cards, Whist - No Trumps, Whist
Here are two alternative styles of play.
- Loser Chooses: The player with the lowest score in the round chooses which card the winner takes.
- Partnership: The Optional Twist card Partnership stays in play at all times.
How do you play?
If you invent new ways to play On The Cards, let us know by email at the address below. We will publish the best ones in the second edition, and there will be prizes for the inventors of any we publish.
Email: [email protected]
More information is available on our website: www.surprisedstaregames.co.uk/onthecards
Opening Hands
An introductory game
Winning: Each round, the players with most points win the round and take a rule card. The winner of the game is the player who has the most rule cards after five rounds. If two or more players tie with the most rule cards, all tied players win.
Put the four Fixed Rule cards face up where everyone can refer to them easily. Find the rule cards listed below and make four face-up stacks of two cards each. The cards are marked 'OH1' and 'OH2' in the corner.
- Deal: Put Deal Eight on top of Draw to Fifty.
- Aim: Put Take Lots of Tricks on top of Avoid High Value Cards.
- Card Play: Put Crazy Eights on top of Same Sized Sets.
- Trick Taking: Put Whist on top of President.
Set aside all the other rule cards, as they won't be needed in this game.
Shuffle the playing card deck and pick a dealer. The player to the left of the dealer takes the Start Player card. The first round is now ready to begin.
The Fixed Rule cards and the rule cards on top of the stacks (Deal Eight, Take Lots of Tricks, Crazy Eights and Whist) define how Round 1 will be played.
Opening Hands: Round 1
The Deal card (Deal Eight) defines how the dealer distributes cards. In this round, the dealer deals eight cards to each player. Set aside the rest of the deck, as players won't draw any more cards in this round. The start player begins the first trick by playing a card face up in the middle of the table. Players then take turns clockwise.
The Card Play card (Crazy Eights) defines how players may play cards. In this round, you may either play a card matching the rank or suit of the previously played card, or choose to pass. If you don't have a card that matches the rank or suit of the previous card, then you must pass.
The Taking Tricks card (Whist) defines how a trick is won. In this round, after everyone has either played a card or passed, the player who has played the best card takes the trick. The best card is defined by Crazy Eights. The default ranking of cards is defined by the Fixed Rule card Ranking and Breaking Ties.
The player who won the trick gathers the cards played and keeps them in a face down stack. This player then plays a card to start the next trick.
The round ends when at least one player has no cards remaining in hand after a trick has been taken. This is defined by the Fixed Rule card Trick Taking and Score.
The Aim card (Take Lots of Tricks) defines how the round is scored. In this round, each trick won by a player is worth one point. The player with the most points wins the round. If two or more players are tied with the most points, all tied players win.
The winner takes the top Deal card and keeps it face-down to show that they won the round. If it was a tie, one of the winners takes the top Deal card and other tied players each take one of the set aside rule cards. Use the set aside rule cards for any ties in subsequent rounds too.
Opening Hands: Round 2
Start a new round by gathering up all the playing cards and shuffling them. The start player from the first round becomes the new dealer. The player to the left of the new dealer takes the Start Player card.
The rule cards now on top of the stacks (Draw to Fifty, Take Lots of Tricks, Crazy Eights and Whist) define how Round 2 will be played.
The new Deal card (Draw to Fifty) means that the dealer doesn't deal out a specified number of cards. Instead place the deck face-down in the middle of the table and follow the instructions on Draw to Fifty.
The winner of Round 2 takes the top Aim card, changing the game for the next round.
Opening Hands: Rounds 3, 4 and 5
Continue playing for three more rounds. The winner of Round 3 takes the top Card Play card. The winner of Round 4 takes the top Trick Taking card. The winner of Round 5 takes any one of the remaining rule cards.
The winner is the player who has the most rule cards after five rounds. If two or more players tie with the most rule cards, all tied players win.
Example of a round of the introductory game
Deal Eight, Take Lots of Tricks, Crazy Eights, Whist
Anika, Boris, Chandra and Dave are playing, seated clockwise in the order of their names. Anika is the dealer, so Boris will be the Start Player for the first round. Anika deals eight cards to each player. The rest of the deck is not needed.
- Anika: ♠ Q 6 4 · ♥ A 2 · ♦ 7 2 · ♣ Q
- Boris: ♠ J 7 · ♥ 8 7 4 · ♣ 7 5 2
- Chandra: ♥ K 6 3 · ♦ Q 8 5 · ♣ 4 3
- Dave: ♠ A 3 · ♥ J 10 · ♦ 4 · ♣ A 10 6
Trick 1: Boris must lead a card (the first player cannot pass). He leads 2♣. Chandra has no 2 and could play a club, but her 3 or 4 is not going to win. She could pass. However, there is little disadvantage in playing a very low card; the round ends when someone has no cards left, so losing a card from her hand might be useful. She plays 3♣. Dave could play his 3♠, changing the suit to spades, but that's not going to win the trick, unless Anika has no spades better than the 2, so he plays A♣. Anika could follow suit with Q♣ (a bad play, as it won't win), but has A♥. As hearts are better than clubs (see Fixed Rule card Ranking and Breaking Ties), she plays A♥. In this round the trick stops when each player has played or passed (see Whist), so Anika takes the trick, gathers up the four cards, and stacks them together as her first point. Anika: 1.
Trick 2: Anika leads, because she won the first trick. She leads Q♣. Boris has two low clubs and no Queens; he passes. Chandra has Q♦, which is better than Q♣, so she ignores her solitary 4♣ and plays Q♦. The suit is now diamonds. Dave has no Queens and only a 4♦, so he throws the 4♦ on the trick. All four players have played or passed, so Chandra has won the trick and takes the three cards. Anika: 1, Chandra: 1.
Trick 3: Chandra leads K♥. Dave could play J♥ or 10♥, but these are rather high, so he chooses to pass. Anika discards the useless 2♥, and Boris the equally useless 4♥. Chandra wins the trick. Anika: 1, Chandra: 2.
Trick 4: Chandra leads again, this time with 8♦. Dave cannot play a valid card, so passes. Anika also passes (but a better play would have been to discard 2♦, which is not going to win a trick). Boris now sneaks in with the 8♥, which just beats the 8♦. Anika: 1, Boris: 1, Chandra: 2.
Trick 5: Boris leads with 7♠, hoping to win in a later trick with J♠. Chandra must pass, having no 7 or spades. Dave plays A♠, which is guaranteed to win, as it is the highest card in the deck. Anika passes, hoping that if she gets the lead her extra spades might win more tricks. Anika: 1, Boris: 1, Chandra: 2, Dave: 1.
Trick 6: Dave leads J♥. Anika is forced to pass. Boris decides that now is a good time to play his J♠. Chandra has no spades or Jacks so must pass. Boris takes the trick, two cards this time. Anika: 1, Boris: 2, Chandra: 2, Dave: 1.
Trick 7: Boris plays 7♥, knowing that many high cards have gone and the 7♠ has already been played. Chandra chucks away her 3♥ – her hearts just aren't good enough. Dave plays 10♥ to win the trick, because Anika has to pass again. Anika: 1, Boris: 2, Chandra: 2, Dave: 2.
Trick 8: Dave plays a confident 10♣. All the other players pass, Anika forced, the other two having only inferior clubs, which they keep in case they are useful at the end. The trick is only the one card. Anika: 1, Boris: 2, Chandra: 2, Dave: 3.
Trick 9: Dave follows with a less confident 6♣. Anika plays 6♠. Boris had been about to play his 7♣, but now the suit has changed to spades, so forlornly he has to pass. Chandra has only a lower club and a lower 6 (6♥), so also passes. Anika is back in the game. Anika: 2, Boris: 2, Chandra: 2, Dave: 3.
Trick 10: Anika leads Q♠, which, though she doesn't know it, is the only honour card left. While Boris and Chandra have to pass, Dave plays his 3♠, which is his final card. Anika takes the trick. Dave now has no cards, so the round ends (Fixed Rule card Trick Taking and Score says "If all players hold cards, you then start a new trick. Otherwise the round ends..."). Anika: 3, Boris: 2, Chandra: 2, Dave: 3.
In this closely fought round, Anika and Dave both have 3 points and are joint winners. If Dave had not played his losing 4♦ on Trick 2, he would have had one more card in hand, there would have been one more trick played, and Anika would have won outright.
Anika takes the Deal card for a point, and Dave takes one of the set aside rule cards for a point. The players get ready for a new game starting with Draw to Fifty.