Trash Poker Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview and Goal
• Components
• Setup
• Glossary
• Round Sequence
• 1. Drawing Cards
• Card Ranks, Hand Ranks, and Rank Points
  • Is that everything I need to watch out for?
• 2. Playing Cards
  • α - Play
  • β - Compare Ranks
  • Ties
  • γ - Score Cards
  • Bonus Chips
  • δ - Discard Cards
• 3. Collecting the Pot
  • i) Reveal the Pot!
  • ii) One After Another: Collect Cards…
  • …and Carry Out "Collect" Effects
  • iii) Discard/Trash the Pot
• 4. Cleaning Up
• Changes in the Last Round
• Final Scoring
• Flushes
• Jokers
  • Anatomy of a Joker Card
  • Any Rank and Any Suit
  • Any Suit
  • Multi-Jokers
  • Unlockable Jokers
  • Interactions and Rule Changes
• "Collect" Effects of the Starting Cards
• Upgrades
• Trashing Cards
• Scoring Effects
  • Deck Scoring Cards
  • Trash Scoring Cards
• Deck Trashing
• Further Rules
  • I Can't Draw Enough Cards Anymore. Now What?
• Unlocking Stuff
• Variants for Pros
• Solo Mode
  • Setup
  • Round Sequence
  • Final Scoring and Unlocking Cards
  • Adjusting Difficulty
  • Multiple Houses
• Card Overview
  • Starting Jokers
  • Unlockable Jokers
• Achievements
  • Setup
  • Rules

Overview and Goal

You want to be the very best, like no one ever was!

Whoever has collected the most poker chips (short: "chips") after 8 rounds wins!

The direct way to get chips is to play the best poker hand.

To do this, trash cards from your own deck – that means you remove them from the game! So that only the cards you need remain. You get additional chips for trashing (or keeping) certain cards.

If you are exceptionally good, you can even unlock new cards after the game. This changes future games.

Components

• 1 scoring track (double-sided)
• 4 tableaus
• 4 poker decks with 52 cards each (distinguishable by corner symbols)
• 4 rank markers
• 4 "shuffle" tiles
• 4 overview sheets
• 18 joker cards, including 1 Final Joker (in a white card box)
• 96 poker chip markers with different values — short "chips"
• 1 die (not pictured)
• 14 archetype cards for solo mode
• 3 scoring cards for solo mode (double-sided)
• 1 deck box with additional unlockable jokers (see "Unlocking Stuff" and "Achievements")

Setup

1. Place the scoring track within reach.

2. Place the die and the chips within everyone's reach.

3. Each take 1 poker deck and all materials with the same symbol: 1 tableau, 1 overview sheet, 1 rank marker, and 1 "shuffle" tile.

4. Place your rank marker next to the scoring track.

5. Place your tableau and your overview sheet in front of you. Place your "shuffle" tile with the gray side up on the space provided for it on the tableau.

6. Shuffle your decks and place them face down as your draw pile next to it.

7. Leave room for a discard pile and a Trash, as shown on the right.

8. Open the white card box. Set the "Final Joker" card aside for now and shuffle the other 17 jokers. Deal everyone 2 jokers each. Choose 1 of these jokers and place it face up in front of you on the discard pile. Choose the one that looks prettier in your 1st game!

9. Put the jokers you didn't choose back in the box. Prepare 7 stacks of 1-2 face-down cards each from the remaining jokers:

   	Rounds with 2 Jokers	Rounds with 1 Joker	Final Joker
   2 players	Rounds 1-6	Round 7

Glossary

• Played cards: The 5 cards that you lay out face up in front of you.
• Deck: Your draw pile + your discard pile
• Bet/pot: The cards that you are allowed to take from the middle.
• Suit: Spades, Diamonds, Hearts, Clubs
• Foreign cards: Jokers and cards from the other players' starting decks
• Scored card: A played card that you used to determine your hand rank (incl. flush)
• Hand rank: The best possible poker hand that you can form with your played cards
• Joker: Cards with special colors, ranks, and effects.
• Card: A physical card
• Card rank: The number/letter(s) on a card
• Rank points (RP): Value used to compare hand ranks, consists of base rank points + bonuses

Round Sequence

Perform the following steps each round in the order given:

1. Draw cards (see "Drawing Cards")
2. Play cards (see "Playing Cards")
3. Collect the pot (see "Collecting the Pot")
4. Clean up (see "Cleaning Up")

Then a new round begins.

After the 8th round, the final scoring follows. The stacks of joker cards that you formed during setup show you how many rounds are left.

The last round is played slightly differently. Details on this are on the "Final Joker" card and on page 12 of this rulebook. All other rounds are always played the same way.

1. Drawing Cards

This step has extra steps. This way you will surely reach your daily goal!

Everyone performs the following steps simultaneously in the order given:

A) Draw: Draw 7 cards from your draw pile and take them into your hand. Keep them hidden from the others!

B) Redraw: Draw cards once more: Discard up to 5 cards from your hand onto your discard pile and draw the same number of cards. You may look at the cards in your discard pile at any time.

Place discarded cards face up on your discard pile. Discard simultaneously and do not watch the others.

Note: You can increase the number of cards you draw/discard through Upgrades, as explained in the "Upgrades" section (see page 17).

C) Draw "3"s: Count the "3"s in your Trash. You may discard up to that many cards and redraw (all at once). You can only perform this action if you have at least 1 "3" in your Trash.

Example: You have 2 "3"s in your Trash. So you may discard up to 2 cards from your hand at the same time and redraw the same number. You may also skip this step if you like your hand as it is.

D) Select: Choose 5 cards from your hand and lay them face down in front of you. These are your "played cards". Keep the remaining cards in your hand. They are your pot/bet.

Continue with Step 2 as soon as everyone has selected their cards.

Card Ranks, Hand Ranks, and Rank Points

First, a small overview of the basic terms. Even if you already know how poker works, don't switch off yet. You'll still learn a few new things, promise.

The standard cards each have 1 rank. The ranks in ascending order are: "2" to "10", "J", "Q", "K", "A".

• "J", "Q", and "K" are so-called "face cards".
• An "A" can be either the lowest card (as "1") or the highest (after "K"). Example: In a straight, "A" can follow as the HIGHEST rank after "K" or be used as the LOWEST rank before "2", not both. This means "K, A, 2, 3, 4" is NOT a straight.
• The standard cards also have 1 suit: "Diamonds", "Hearts", "Spades", and "Clubs". Suits have no ranking order.

Jokers often have multiple hand ranks and suits. They are explained in detail on page 10.

The ranks of your 5 played cards determine your hand rank, as shown on your tableaus. The individual hand ranks have rank points ("RP"). The higher the RP, the better the played hand.

You use these RP to later compare your hand ranks, to determine who wins the current round and receives a pile of chips for it.

The possible hand ranks, from best to worst, are:

• Five of a Kind (5x the same rank): 9 RP
• Four of a Kind (4x the same rank): 8 RP
• Full House (3x the same rank and 2x 1 other rank): 7 RP
• Straight (5 consecutive ranks): 6 RP
• Three of a Kind (3x the same rank): 4 RP
• Two Pair (2x the same rank and 2x 1 other rank): 3 RP
• Pair (2x the same rank): 2 RP
• High Card (none of the above): 1 RP

Your hand rank is the best rank you can achieve with your 5 played cards. You can NEVER score a lower rank.

Is that everything I need to watch out for?

Not by a long shot! But I don't want to bore you with details too early. So here's just a small preview:

You have the option of improving your hand rank even further with a flush (see page 14).

Over the course of the game you have the option of adding jokers to your deck. After your 1st game you could even unlock new jokers (see page 20).

You may perform upgrades to improve your action options and hand ranks (see page 17).

2. Playing Cards

Perform the following steps together in the order given:

• α - Play (see below)
• β - Compare ranks (see below)
• γ - Score cards (see below)
• δ - Discard cards (see below)

α - Play

Reveal your played cards. Announce what you have!

β - Compare Ranks

Place your rank marker on the space on the scoring track that corresponds to the rank points (RP) you reached this round.

Your rank points result from:

• Base RP of the hand rank (shown on the tableaus, see page 18)
• + Upgrades (see page 17)
• + Bonuses from jokers (see page 26)
• + other bonuses from wherever (e.g. +4 from a flush, see page 14)

Your rank markers show who is in 1st place, 2nd place, etc. The placement determines your play order for the round.

Ties

Resolve ties as follows:

• Same hand ranks (e.g. pairs): Whoever among those tied has the highest card in their hand rank is placed better. Examples: 1) A pair of "7"s beats a pair of "4"s. The other cards are irrelevant: [7,7,2,3,4] is better than [4,4,J,Q,K]. 2) With two straights, the one that ends on the higher rank wins: [2,3,4,5,6] is better than [A,2,3,4,5].

  SPECIAL CASE: With two full houses, the one with the higher three-of-a-kind wins. If those are the same, the higher pair wins: [8,8,8,9,9] beats [8,8,8,7,7] beats [7,7,7,A,A].

• Same hand ranks & all cards in them are the same: Compare the highest card that is not part of the hand rank. Then the second-highest, etc. Example: If you both played the same three-of-a-kind, compare each of your remaining two cards: [2,2,2,6,5] is better than [2,2,2,6,4].

• Different hand ranks: The higher hand rank wins. Determined by the RP on your tableaus, without upgrades, flush, or joker bonuses.

If there is still a tie, draw! Each of you reveals the top card of your draw pile. Whoever reveals the higher card wins the tie. If needed, reveal several cards. Discard the revealed cards onto your discard pile.

γ - Score Cards

Now that you know who is in which place, it's time to collect some points!

Take chips depending on your position on the scoring track and the number of players. How many, is shown on the scoring track and in the table below.

Note: Some hand ranks and reaching certain rank points earn you bonus chips, and 1-2 of you may also activate your "shuffle" tile. This is explained next.

	1st Place	2nd Place	3rd Place	4th Place
2 players	5 chips + shuffle*	0 chips	-	-
3 players	7 chips + shuffle*	5 chips	0 chips	-
4 players	10 chips + shuffle*	7 chips + shuffle*	5 chips	0 chips

* Activate your "shuffle" tile by turning it to its colored side. In the "Cleaning Up" step you may then reshuffle your deck (see "Cleaning Up"). If you win often, you'll never risk running out of cards!

Final Joker: In the last round, 1st place gets +5 additional chips (see "Changes in the Last Round").

Bonus Chips

Get bonus chips for certain hand ranks and rank points reached, as shown on your tableau and the scoring track:

Trigger		Bonus Chips
Hand rank	"Five of a Kind"	3
Hand rank	"Four of a Kind"	2
Rank points		see scoring track

Note: Your hand rank is always the best possible rank you can reach with your played cards. So if you have a "Five of a Kind", you do not also simultaneously have a "Four of a Kind".

δ - Discard Cards

Throw all your played cards onto your discard pile.

3. Collecting the Pot

In this step your deck changes in a few simple steps:

• i) Reveal the pot! (see below)
• ii) One after another: collect cards and carry out "collect" effects (see below)
• iii) Discard/trash the pot (see "Cleaning Up")

Perform them together in this order.

i) Reveal the Pot!

Place the remaining cards from your hand face up in front of you. At the start of the game these are 2 cards. You must still be able to tell whose cards are whose. This is "your pot/bet".

All the cards together (yours and the others', plus the joker card(s) on the scoring track) are "the pot".

Note: The cards you keep become part of the pot and others may take them from you. So it's better to keep "bad" cards in hand — ones that don't fit your, or the others', strategy.

ii) One After Another: Collect Cards…

Whoever is last in the play order (lowest on the scoring track) begins:

• Choose 1 card from the pot. You may only choose cards from others, or joker cards — not cards that you yourself put into the pot.
• Place the chosen card on your discard pile.
• If the card has a "collect" effect, carry it out immediately as described below.
• Then it is the next-higher person on the scoring track's turn, until everyone has taken 1 card.

Final Joker: During the 8th and last round, you may trash cards you collected directly instead of discarding them. Carry out the "collect" effects (see below) as usual, even if you trash them.

…and Carry Out "Collect" Effects

Does your collected card have a "collect" effect (bag icon)? Then you must carry out that effect IMMEDIATELY.

Note: Only carry out "collect" effects for cards collected in this step, never otherwise.

iii) Discard/Trash the Pot

If there are still cards left in your pot, you may EITHER discard them onto your discard pile OR trash them. Decide for each card individually.

If joker cards are still in the pot, remove them from the game.

4. Cleaning Up

Clean up and prepare the next round!

• You may trash 1 card of your choice from your discard pile (more, if you have matching upgrades).
• Check that no cards remain in play and that the cards in your Trash are sorted.
• If your "shuffle" tile is active (colored side visible), you may turn it over to shuffle your deck. To do so, shuffle your draw pile and discard pile together and place the cards face down in front of you as a new draw pile. Reminder: You activate your "shuffle" tile by taking a "7" from the pot, or because of your placement in the round — see the scoring track.

Otherwise you only shuffle if your draw pile is empty. If you need to draw but cannot, shuffle your discard pile and use it as a new draw pile.

• Place next round's joker card(s) face up on the scoring track. The remaining stacks show how many rounds you have left.
• Remove your rank markers and set them aside ready for the next round.
• If only the "Final Joker" card remains, place it in the middle and follow the instructions described on it for the entire last round (see next step). The game ends after the next round.

Changes in the Last Round

In the 8th and last round of the game there are 3 changes, which are also described on the "Final Joker" card:

• Everyone may shuffle their deck at the start of the round, before drawing cards.
• 1st place receives 5 bonus chips.
• You may trash the card taken from the pot directly, instead of putting it on your discard pile. You may decide whether or not to carry out "collect" effects.

Final Scoring

The game ends after the 8th round. Sort your cards so you can easily see their ranks and effects. Follow the scoring steps in the table:

Getting chips for your deck: Place your discard pile onto your draw pile to have your decks together. Look through them for all "6"s and cards with deck effects. (In your 1st game these are only Aces. Later, jokers with deck effects are added too.)

• "6" majority scoring: Whoever has the most "6"s in their deck gets 15 chips. With 3/4 players: 2nd place gets 10 chips.

Getting chips for your Trash: Look through your Trash for all "6"s, cards with trash effects, and cards that are relevant to cards with trash effects. (In your 1st game these are a joker, other players' "J"s, "Q"s, "K"s, "5"s, "4"s, and "2"s.)

• "6" majority scoring: Whoever has the most "6"s in their Trash gets 15 chips. With 3/4 players: 2nd place gets 10 chips.

Tie for "6" majority: In a tie for 1st place, everyone involved gets 10 chips and nobody else gets anything. In a tie for 2nd place, nobody gets chips.

Score the other cards with deck effects:

• Aces: Count the Aces in your decks. Get 5 chips for each.
• Joker: Get chips as described on the cards.

Score the other cards with trash effects:

• Pairs of "4"s and "5"s: Get 5 chips for each pair of a "4" and a "5" with a "trash" effect. Each "4" can only be paired with 1 "5" and vice versa.
• "2"s: Get 1 chip per foreign face card in your Trash (each card with at least 1 "J", "Q", and/or "K" on it) for each "2" that specifies this.
• Joker: Get chips as described on the cards.

Whoever has the most chips wins.

In a tie, whoever has fewer cards in their deck wins. If there's still a tie, everyone involved simply loses. Tough luck. Whoever then has the most chips wins. What, still a tie?? EVERYONE HAS LOST. Done. I hope you're proud of yourselves.

You now know how a round and a game are played. On the following pages you'll find more details on flushes, jokers, card effects, and upgrades!

Flushes

After you've determined your hand rank, check whether you have a "flush":

If your PLAYED cards contain 5 symbols of the same suit, they form a flush. You get 4 RP additionally!

A flush is therefore not a hand rank of its own, but a bonus in addition to the hand ranks.

What would be called a flush in regular poker is, in Trash Poker, a "flush high card".

Note: All your played cards count toward a flush, even the ones you didn't use in your hand rank. It also doesn't matter if the cards themselves have multiple different suits on them. As long as all your played cards have (at least) 5 matching symbols, it is a flush (see page 16 for an example).

With an upgrade (see page 17) you can improve your chances of a flush: then both red suits / both black suits count as the same suit (see example on the right).

Example: You have a Full House with a Hearts/Diamonds flush. Hearts and Diamonds count as one suit for you because you upgraded the "♥=♦" area on your tableau. Your Full House consists of 3 "K"s and 2 "2"s. The Full House earns you 7 RP, your flush an additional 4 RP. Your "flush house" is therefore worth 7 + 4 = 11 RP in total.

Note: Also see the example on page 16 for forming flushes with joker cards!

Jokers

These special cards really spice up the game! Look forward to even more weird stuff once you unlock new jokers for future games!

Every card in the joker stack is a "joker", even if it looks different. All active effects are described on the jokers themselves. If another card refers to a joker's rank, it still counts.

If something isn't printed on the card, it isn't part of the card's effect.

Anatomy of a Joker Card

A joker can have multiple ranks and/or 1 suit. The color of the effect sticker shows when the effect triggers (e.g. yellow means the effect triggers on "collect", see the overview). Normally each rank on a joker lets you upgrade once (so if a joker shows 3 ranks, that's 3 upgrades total) — but a sticker can override this and specify a different number of allowed upgrades. The sticker takes precedence over the general rule.

Any Rank and Any Suit

★ If you play a card with this symbol, choose 1 rank and 1 suit for the card when you play it.

You do not have to choose whatever would form the highest possible hand rank.

Any Suit

★ (black/white) Choose 1 suit for the card when you play it.

You do not have to choose whatever would form the highest possible hand rank.

Note: The symbols only count for their value when played, NOT during final scoring.

Multi-Jokers

Most jokers in the starting joker stack have multiple ranks and/or suits. When you determine your hand rank, choose 5 ranks and 5 suits (10 symbols total) among your played cards (see example on the next page).

You don't have to use cards completely — instead you pick out the suits/ranks you need! It can even happen that you use none of a played card's symbols at all. Always play 5 cards regardless!

Once you've played your 5 cards and determined ranks/suits for your star symbols, you MUST always choose the symbols that form the best possible hand rank. You may not choose symbols that form a lower hand rank, even if that would earn you more points (e.g. because of upgrades).

Example: You have a Flush Five of a Kind.

• The flush: you have 2 spades from the normal "2"s, 2 more spades from the "A A" double card, and 1 spade from the ★, for 5 spades total for a flush.
• The five of a kind: you have 5 "2"s total on your cards. You technically also have a full house, but must score the five of a kind, because that's the higher hand rank. Score the five of a kind, even though the full house has more upgrades.

You therefore have 9 + 4 = 13 RP.

Unlockable Jokers

At the end of the game you may possibly unlock additional jokers for future games. To keep you free of spoilers, I've put those rules on page 20. You're welcome!

Interactions and Rule Changes

Jokers break the game's normal rules. They ALWAYS take precedence if they contradict the rules in this book or other non-joker cards. The effects of your jokers only ever affect you, unless the card states otherwise.

If you're unsure how to interpret a card, choose the variant that benefits the person the joker belongs to.

If one joker contradicts another, the person the jokers belong to decides which effect takes precedence and how the cards are interpreted. If the jokers belong to different people, whoever has fewer points decides. Apply the decision for the rest of the game, even if the standings change afterward. Anything else would be madness.

"Collect" Effects of the Starting Cards

The "collect" effects (bag icon) are NOT optional. Many cards let you "upgrade" or "trash" when you collect them; I'll finally explain both properly below.

Card Rank	Effect	"Collect" Effect
7	shuffle/trash	Reveal the top card of a foreign draw pile of your choice (not the jokers'). Place the card in your Trash or your discard pile. Do not carry out its collect effect, even if it has one. Additionally, activate your "shuffle" tile by turning it to its colored side.
8, 9, 10	upgrade	Perform an upgrade by sliding EITHER 1 card of your choice from your discard pile OR the top card of your draw pile (without looking at it first) face down under an area of your choice on your tableau (see below). Tip: You may use the card you just collected to upgrade, i.e. trash it.
J, Q, K	trash	Trash up to 3 cards of your choice from your discard pile and/or the top card(s) of your draw pile (see "Trashing Cards").

Note: Joker versions of these cards generally have the same or similar effects. Tip: Try to collect as many cards with the same rank and the same suit as possible. This makes it easier to form high hand ranks and flushes!

Upgrades

To perform an upgrade with a card, place it face down under one of the 6 areas of your tableau, as shown on the following page.

How many cards lie in an area must be visible to everyone. Each card represents 1 upgrade. There is no limit to how often you can upgrade an area, unless explicitly stated.

The cards you used for upgrades stay under your tableau for the rest of the game. They count neither toward your deck nor your Trash. Ignore all effects on them and don't count them toward other effects either.

Once you've upgraded an area, the effect applies for the rest of the game.

The tableau's 6 upgrade areas:

• Flush suits: This area can be upgraded 2 times. For each upgrade, choose 1 of the two effects and place the card at the matching spot:

  • Vertical: Hearts and Diamonds are the same suit
  • Horizontal: Spades and Clubs are the same suit

  These upgrades make it easier for you to get flushes. The RP bonus for flushes does NOT increase.

• Draw more cards: Per upgrade, you may draw 1 additional card in the "Drawing Cards" step (in addition to the 7 cards you normally draw). In the same step you may ALSO redraw 1 additional card per upgrade (in addition to the 5 cards you normally may redraw). Drawing more cards also means you put more cards into your pot, because you still only play 5 cards.

• Trash more cards during cleanup: You may normally trash 1 card (see "Trashing Cards") at the end of each round. Per upgrade, you may trash 1 additional card. Since this happens at the end of the round, you may apply the upgrade in the same round you received it!

• Five of a Kind / Four of a Kind bonus: Increase the RP for these played hands by 2 per upgrade.

• Full House / Straight bonus: Increase the RP for each Full House by 2 per upgrade and for each Straight by 3 per upgrade.

• Three of a Kind / Two Pair / Pair / High Card bonus: Increase the RP for these played hands by 2 per upgrade.

Trashing Cards

To "trash" a card means you remove it from your deck (discard pile + draw pile) by placing it face up in your Trash. Your Trash is the separate area that you should keep clear from the start. Do NOT mix your Trash cards with your other cards, especially not with your discard pile!

Sort the cards in your Trash according to your overview sheet. If you don't have enough space, or it's unclear what's in the Trash, you may also always ask how many "6"s someone has in their Trash, for example.

At the end of the game you get additional chips for certain cards in your Trash and your deck (see the next page).

Scoring Effects

Deck Scoring Cards

The following cards have effects if they are in your deck (draw pile + discard pile combined) at the end of the game. Carry out their effects only during final scoring (see "Final Scoring"):

Rank	Effect in Deck
A	Get 5 chips per "A" in your deck.
6	Whoever has the most "6"s in their deck gets 15 chips. With 3/4 players: 2nd place gets 10 chips. For ties see below.

Ties for the "6" majority: In a tie for 1st place, everyone involved gets 10 chips and nobody else gets anything. In a tie for 2nd place, nobody involved gets chips.

Trash Scoring Cards

The more unsuited cards you trash, the higher the probability of drawing your good cards! And here are a few more cards that are especially suited for the Trash.

The following cards have effects if they are in your Trash at the end of the game. Carry out their effects only during final scoring (see "Final Scoring"):

Rank	Effect in Trash
2	Get 1 chip for each foreign face rank in your Trash. Face ranks are "J", "Q" and "K". Count the number of these ranks on your cards. Jokers sometimes have several. Foreign cards are cards that don't come from your own deck. These are jokers and cards belonging to other players.
4, 5	A pair of 1 "4" and 1 "5" in the Trash is worth 5 chips together. Each "4" can only form a pair with 1 "5" and vice versa. The "4" and "5" of a pair don't need to be the same suit.
6	Whoever has the most "6"s in their Trash gets 15 chips. With 3/4 players: 2nd place gets 10 chips. For ties see above.

Special Starting Joker

Joker	Effect in Trash
No. 14	Get 1 chip for every 3 cards in your Trash (including this card).

And now you're ready for your 1st game! (You don't need the rest just yet.)

Deck Trashing

Deck-related tips for trashing your cards effectively appear throughout the rulebook — see "Trashing Cards" for the core rule, and see "Scoring Effects" above for which cards reward you for keeping them there.

Further Rules

I Can't Draw Enough Cards Anymore. Now What?

Okay, wow. Well done. HOW did you manage that?

If at any point you have no cards left in your deck or can't redraw enough, even after reshuffling your discard pile and draw pile together, you've thrown away your entire deck.

Get 66 chips immediately. Then take ALL the cards from your Trash, shuffle them, and place them as a new draw pile in front of you. Then continue drawing cards.

Can you manage that twice? I've never seen anyone pull that off. But I'm sure you'll try, right?

Unlocking Stuff

If you achieve a new high score, you unlock new joker cards.

If you finish a game with 90 or more points, make a checkmark in the box lid, in an empty box in a row with a point value you exceeded. Write your initials next to it to immortalize yourself.

Then shuffle the unlockable jokers and draw 3 of them. Choose 1 of them and add it to the joker stack. Shuffle the other 2 jokers back into the stack.

Even if you lost, you may still unlock jokers if applicable. So per game, you have the chance to unlock several cards.

Shuffle the joker stack at the start of every future game and draw 17 cards. Always use the "Final Joker" card for the last round.

If you're playing with someone who is playing Trash Poker for the 1st time, I recommend using the starting joker cards. The effects of the starting jokers are already challenging enough while learning the game.

Over time you'll completely fill in individual rows with checkmarks. Then in future games you'll always need more chips to make a checkmark and unlock further jokers. So make an effort!

For an overview of the unlockable joker effects, see page 27.

Variants for Pros

Only play with these variants once everyone has already played Trash Poker before. The variants offer you the chance to plan ahead better and build up your decks more strategically. But they also make the game more intimidating for newcomers.

Trash only 2 cards from the pot: Instead of trashing as many cards as you like from the pot, you are only allowed to trash up to 2 of your remaining pot cards. (We only left this rule out because it would too often be forgotten. It makes sense for balance, though.)

Drafting jokers: Once you have unlocked at least 6 new jokers, you can play with this variant. At the start of the game, shuffle all your joker cards together (except the "Final Joker"). Reveal 23 jokers. Whoever lost the last game removes 1 of the cards from the game and puts it back in the box. Then the next person clockwise takes a turn and also removes 1 card. Continue until only 17 jokers remain. Shuffle these together into a joker stack.

Drafting personal jokers: Once you have unlocked at least 10 new jokers and are playing with the "Drafting jokers" variant, you can use this variant. Proceed as in the "Drafting jokers" variant, but each of you keeps the jokers you remove. Whenever someone uses a "shuffle" tile, that person may choose 1 of their own jokers, show it to the others, and shuffle it in.

Removing certain jokers: After a few games you might get the feeling that some jokers influence the game more than others. You may remove any jokers that you find boring or too strong. After all, it's your game. But don't write these jokers off completely. Give them another chance every few games — maybe your opinion will change. ;)

Solo Mode

Play with these rules against "the house". It has a slightly different personality each game, but is always annoying. You can also use it in a game with several people, to simulate an additional player.

The game follows the normal rules, with the following exceptions:

Setup

Use the 2-player side of the scoring track. Perform the following additional steps:

14. Give the house a deck and a rank marker. It doesn't need a tableau or an overview sheet.
15. Place the house's rank marker on space "1" of the scoring track.
16. Shuffle the personality cards and draw 3 without looking at them. Place them face down next to the house's deck. Put the remaining personality cards back in the box.
17. Choose a difficulty level and place one of the scoring cards face up, showing the corresponding side, next to the 3 personality cards.

Note: In a solo game, rounds 1-7 should each have 2 joker cards, and round 8 should have the "Final Joker" card.

Round Sequence

Play according to the usual rules with the following changes, to represent the house's actions:

1. Drawing Cards

The house skips this step. Do your thing, bestie.

2. Playing Cards

Roll the die to determine the house's RP. Add the roll to the value of the space the house's rank marker is on. Don't move the rank marker! Use the die to show the house's RP.

Example: In the first round, the house's rank marker is on 1. You roll a 2, so you mark 3 with the die.

Compare your RP with the house's and determine who gets how many chips, as well as the play order for the next steps. Check the "2 players" row on the scoring track for this. Whoever of you has more RP gets 5 chips. 2nd place gets nothing.

If you're in 1st place, activate your "shuffle" tile (turn it to the colored side). The house never shuffles its deck.

In a tie, the house wins. Easy to remember: the house always wins!

The house never receives the bonus chips shown on the scoring track for reaching high rank points.

3. Collecting the Pot

i) The house places the top 3 cards of its draw pile into the middle as its pot.

ii) The house removes 1 card from the pot, instead of collecting it. Use the personality cards to determine which card the house removes. How this works is described in more detail below. Also see the example on the right.

1. Reveal the top personality card and place it next to the scoring card, so that the lines line up.

   If all personality cards are already revealed, shuffle them and form a face-down pile again before revealing the top one.

2. Go through the ranks on the right side of the card from top to bottom, until a rank matches a card in the pot that the house could collect (a joker or a card of yours).

3. Remove 1 card from the pot. If several cards qualify, choose: a. a joker. b. If there is no/there are multiple jokers: choose a card whose suit has the highest priority (right side of the personality card). c. If several cards are still tied, decide randomly by rolling the die.

4. Give the house as many chips as shown on the scoring card next to the rank you just removed. Do not carry out "collect" effects. Place removed cards on a pile next to the house's draw pile. They are no longer needed and are also not relevant for final scoring.

This card has multiple ranks! Do I score all of them, or what?

Many jokers have multiple ranks. The house removes a joker if at least 1 rank matches the house's criteria. The house only gets chips for that one rank, regardless of what other ranks are also on the card. If the rank appears multiple times on the card, it still only gets the chips once.

What's that symbol for?

The symbols ★ (red) and ★ (black/white) mean that the house is looking for a card on which that symbol is specifically visible. Not generally for jokers.

4. Cleaning Up

• Move the house's rank marker forward 1 space.
• Never shuffle the house's draw pile.

Final Scoring and Unlocking Cards

Perform final scoring as usual, with the following changes:

• For the "6" majority scoring, assume the house has 4 "6"s in its deck and its Trash combined. You therefore only win the majority scoring for "6"s if you have 5(+) "6"s in your deck/Trash.
• The house gets no additional chips. Don't score any card the house removed during the game, or cards in the house's deck/Trash. The house only gets chips from taking cards from the pot. Compare your chips with the house's. Whoever has more chips wins. In a tie, the house wins as always.
• You unlock new joker cards as usual, even if you don't win. If you win, you may unlock an additional card if the house scored enough points to make a checkmark. Make the checkmark and write something cool like "Ace" as the house's initials.

Adjusting Difficulty

For an easier game, use one or more of these rule adjustments:

• You win ties.
• Place 4 cards as the house's pot each round.
• Don't move the house's rank marker forward if you lose the round.

For a harder game, use one or more of these rule adjustments:

• The house gets the bonus chips for high rank points according to the scoring track.
• Place 2 cards as the house's pot each round.
• Move the house's rank marker forward 1 additional space if you win the round.

Multiple Houses

If you want to play against several houses, start with low difficulty levels. For this I've included the multiplayer versions of the "Easy/Normal" card.

In that case, place a point chip on the rank track to mark the base points, and use the rank markers for the houses' actual points.

Card Overview

Starting Jokers

The starting joker stack (18 cards, drawn from at setup) has the following effects:

1. 10 chips at the end of the game, if in your deck.
2. "Collect": trash up to 6 cards.
3. "Collect": trash up to 6 cards.
4. "Collect": trash up to 6 cards.
5. "Collect": upgrade up to 2 times.
6. "Collect": upgrade up to 2 times.
7. No effect, but counts double for "3"-fold drawing.
8. No effect, but can form pairs with 2 "5"s.
9. No effect, but can form pairs with 2 "4"s.
10. "Collect": upgrade up to 2 times.
11. "Collect": reveal the top card of a foreign pile twice and trash/discard it. You may choose the same or different piles both times. Also activate your "shuffle" tile.
12. No effect, but counts twice for the "6" majority scoring.
13. 2 chips per foreign face card in your Trash at the end of the game, if in your Trash.
14. 1 chip per 3 cards in your Trash (including this card) at the end of the game, if in your Trash.
15. Counts for "3"-fold drawing and can be paired with 1 "5".
16. "Collect": upgrade up to 2 times.
17. 5 chips at the end of the game if paired with a "4", if in your Trash. Also counts for the "6" majority scoring.

Unlockable Jokers

Your unlocked jokers have many different effects. The symbols indicate when and where each effect triggers. Sometimes you can't use all of a joker's effects at the same time — you must decide for yourself which effect you find more important.

There are 2 new kinds of effects: lasting and on-play effects.

Lasting effects: Effects with this symbol (an infinity symbol on a trash can) are active as long as the card is in your Trash. Lay them out visibly. Possible effects include:

• You only get a bonus if you score exactly that hand rank, not if it's merely contained (e.g. a flush bonus that only applies when you actually score a flush, not when a flush is present but a higher rank is scored).
• You only get a bonus if the card rank shown is contained in your scored hand rank, not if it's just an unused extra card.

On-play effects: Carry out these effects as soon as you play the card. Possible effects include:

• Increase your RP by the stated amount.
• Get the stated number of chips.
• In this played hand, Hearts and Clubs count as the same suit.

Some unlockable jokers have the following effects (the list below only covers effects not already explained elsewhere in this rulebook):

1. No effect described beyond its printed symbols.

2. No effect described beyond its printed symbols.

3. While in your Trash: When you collect an "A", you may upgrade and activate your shuffle tile.

4. While in your Trash: When you score a Five of a Kind, you may place 1 card from any Trash into your discard pile.

5. No effect described beyond its printed symbols.

6. No effect described beyond its printed symbols.

7. At the end of the game, in your Trash/deck: Get 1 chip per "Q" in your deck.

8. This card is always worth 5 chips in the Trash, since it contains both a "4" and a "5".

9. When played: Increase your RP by +1 per pair of "4" and "5" in your Trash. This card is always worth 5 chips in the Trash, since it contains both a "4" and a "5".

10. While in your Trash: Count all your hand rank upgrades together. For EVERY hand you play, your RP is increased by this number, regardless of which hand rank it is. The upgrades lose their normal effect. This card is always worth 5 chips in the Trash, since it contains a "4" and a "5".

11. "Collect": You may upgrade exactly once, regardless of what you might otherwise expect. While in your Trash: To form a straight, you only need 4 consecutive ranks.

12. At the end of the game, in your Trash: Each of your "5"s gives you 5 chips, whether or not it's paired with a "4".

13. No effect described beyond its printed symbols.

Note: If an unlockable joker's effect isn't explained in this list, it's because it was thought to be obvious how it works. Well, sometimes assumptions are wrong. Maybe you'll find help online. You'll manage.

Achievements

I heard you're feeling a little overwhelmed by all the possibilities for building your deck. Or are you looking for new challenges? No worries, this section takes care of that and gives you gold stars for special accomplishments!

Setup

Sort the following cards out of the unlockable joker stack. You'll find the cards' numbers listed with each achievement.

Place these cards in a separate stack. They don't count toward your unlocked or unlockable jokers. You can only get them by achieving the achievements.

Rules

Here's how achievements work:

• Achievement name — these are just flavor, but congratulations once you complete one!
• (J/XX) — the number of the joker you unlock once you fulfill the achievement.

Setup: Some achievements require special setup. Perform it before the game if you want to attempt the achievement. There may also be special rules that apply during that game. You may ignore these rules at any time, but then the achievement can no longer be fulfilled in that game.

During the game: If someone fulfills the condition described here, immediately take the corresponding joker and place it on the discard pile of the person who fulfilled it.

At the end of the game: If someone fulfills the condition described here, add the corresponding joker to the unlocked cards. Whoever fulfilled the achievement may take the unlocked joker instead of the one drawn during setup in the next game.

• ☐ Check this box if the achievement is fulfilled.
• ___ Write the initials of the person who fulfilled the achievement here.

Everyone gets only 1 achievement! You can each fulfill at most 1 achievement per game. Save the rest for the future!

Solo play: The house cannot achieve achievements. You may, of course, still achieve achievements in solo play.