Tabletop RulesCategorized and Indexed

Table of ContentsI. Card Games............................................................................................................................................3Beggar My Neighbour...............................................................................................................................4Blackjack....................................................................................................................................................5Eights.........................................................................................................................................................6Go Fish.......................................................................................................................................................7Hearts.........................................................................................................................................................9Patience....................................................................................................................................................11Poker........................................................................................................................................................12Rummy.....................................................................................................................................................14Scum.........................................................................................................................................................16Sedma.......................................................................................................................................................18Slapjack....................................................................................................................................................21Spades......................................................................................................................................................22II. Dice Games.........................................................................................................................................24Balut.........................................................................................................................................................25Bunco.......................................................................................................................................................27Pig............................................................................................................................................................28Six-Five-Four...........................................................................................................................................29

I. Card Games

Beggar My Neighbour

Game SummaryThis classic children's game is also sometimes known as Taxes and Suck the Well. Some other games related to it are War or Egyptian Rat Killer, but these variations are commonly associated with added rules where the pile can also be won by slapping pairs of equal cards, also called Ratscrew or ERF. It has a wide range of house rules representing more approaches to play, so from this perspective BMN is actually the head of a family of games.

Playing the GameDivide a standard pack of 52 cards roughly in half. Each of the two players holds their half face down. The players take turns to turn over their top card and play it face up in the center of the table, thus forming a pile. There are two kinds of card the ace, king, queen and jack are pay cards and the 2-10 are ordinary cards.

Play continues alternately until a pay card appears. The opponent of the person who played the pay card must pay for it by playing several times in succession. The payment rates are: 4 ordinary cards for an ace, 3 ordinary cards for a king, 2 ordinary cards for a queen and 1 ordinary card for a jack.

When the payment is complete (e.g. A has played a queen and B has played two ordinary cards on it), the person who played the pay card (A in this case) takes the whole face up pile and puts it face down underneath their own cards.

It often happens that while paying for a card, you turn over a pay card yourself. When this happens the previous pay card is canceled and your opponent now has to pay for your new pay card.

The player who first runs out of cards loses. There is no skill in this game (you just turn your top card when it is your turn) and the game can go on for a long time possibly indefinitely.

It is possible for more than two people to play. The cards are dealt as equally as possible (with three players one player will have an extra card) and players take turns to play. When a pay card is played, the following player plays the required number of cards, stopping if another pay card is played, which the next person must pay for. The direction of play in the Caribbean version "Suck the Well" is counter-clockwise, while in Britain and North America the game is played clockwise.

Resources and Referenceshttp://www.pagat.com/war/beggar_my_neighbour.html

Blackjack

Game SummaryBlackjack, also known as twenty-one, is the most widely played casino banking game in the world. It's a banking game where the aim of the player is to achieve a hand whose points total nearer to 21 than the banker's hand without exceeding 21.

Playing the GameThe player or players are dealt an initial two-card hand and add together the value of their cards. Face cards (kings, queens, and jacks) are

counted as ten points. An ace can count as 1 point or 11 points. All other cards are counted as the number shown on the face.

After receiving their initial two cards, players have the option of getting a "hit", or taking an additional card. In a given round, the player or the dealer wins by having a score of 21 or by having the highest score that is less than 21. Scoring higher than 21 (called "busting" or "going bust") results in a loss. A player may win by having any final score equal to or less than 21 if the dealer busts. If a player holds an ace valued as 11, the hand is called "soft", meaning that the player cannot go bust by taking an additional card; 11 plus the value of any other card will always be less than or equal to 21. Otherwise, the hand is "hard".

The dealer has to take hits until his or her cards total 17 or more points. (In some casinos, the dealer also hits on a "soft" 17e.g., an initial ace and six.) Players win if they do not bust and have a total that is higher than the dealer's. The dealer loses if he or she busts or has a lesser hand than the player who has not busted. If the player and dealer have the same point total, this is called a "push." The player typically does not win or lose on that hand.

Win conditions: get 21 points on the player's first two cards (called a blackjack), without a dealer blackjack; reach a final score higher than the dealer without exceeding 21; or let the dealer draw additional cards until his or her hand exceeds 21.

Resources and Referenceshttp://www.pagat.com/banking/blackjack.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackjack

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/how-to-play-blackjack.htm

http://www.dmoz.org/Games/Gambling/Blackjack

Eights

Game SummaryEights or Crazy eights, also oddly called Swedish Rummy, likely trace its heritage back to a French gambling game known as Hoc in the mid-1600s. It's best with 2 to 4 players using a Standard 52-card deck. The goal is to discard all your cards.

Playing the GameTo start choose a dealer. In a two-player game, each player is dealt seven cards. In a game with three or four players, each player is dealt five cards. The remaining cards are placed face down in the center of the table, forming a draw pile. The top card of the draw pile is turned face up to start the discard pile.

The player to the left of the dealer goes first. Play moves clockwise.

On a turn, each player adds to the discard pile by playing one card that matches the top card on the discard pile either by suit or by rank (i.e. 6, jack, ace, etc.).

A player who cannot match the top card on the discard pile by suit or rank must draw cards until he canplay one. It is allowed to pull cards from the draw pile even if you already have a legal play. When the draw pile is empty, a player who cannot add to the discard pile passes his turn.

All eights are wild and can be played on any card during a player's turn. When a player discards an eight, he chooses which suit is now in play. The next player must play either a card of that suit or another eight. The first player to discard all of his cards wins.

With four players, it is possible to play partnership. If you do this, the game ends when both members of a partnership discard all their cards.

To play multiple games, add up the cards remaining in the losers' hands and give the points to the winner: 10 points for each face card, 1 point for each ace, 50 points for each eight, and the face value for the other number cards. Play to a set number, such as 150 or 200.

Resources and Referenceshttp://boardgames.about.com/od/cardgames/a/crazy_eights.htm This About.com article proved helpful for basic info and tracking down resources.

Go Fish

Game SummaryGo fish is a popular casual card game best played with 2 to 6 players using a Standard 52-card deck. The goal is to collect the most sets of four.

Playing the GameAt the start five cards are dealt to each player if three to six players are involved. With only two players, seven cards are dealt to each. All remaining cards are placed face down in a draw pile. Randomly choose a player to go first. On your turn, ask a player for a specific card rank.

If the player you ask has any cards of the requested rank, she must give all of her cards of that rank to you. In the example, Barb would have to give you all of her 9s. If you get one or more cards from the player you ask, you get another turn. You may ask any player for any rank you already hold, including the same one you just asked for. If the person you ask has no relevant cards, they say, "Go fish." You then draw the top card from the draw pile.

If you happen to draw a card of the rank asked for, show it to the other players and you get another turn. However, if you draw a card that's not the rank you asked for, it becomes the next player's turn. You keep the drawn card, whatever rank it is. NOTE: The next player to take a turn is the one who says"Go fish." When you collect a set of four cards of the same rank, immediately show the set to the other players and place the four cards face down in front of yourself. Go Fish continues until either someone has no cards left in their hand or the draw pile runs out. The winner is the player who then has the most sets of four.

Some variant rules include asking for a specific card or continuing play until all cards are in sets of four.

In the first case, rather than asking for a rank, you must ask for a specific card. You must already hold at least one card of that rank. If you happen to draw the card you asked for, you get another turn. If you draw anything else, it is now the next player's turn.

Before playing this way, all players should agree whether you can ask for a card you already have in your hand. If you ask for such a card, you'll have to go fish and your turn will end but it might benefityou to do this so the other players think you don't hold that particular card.

In the second case, when the draw pile runs out keep playing until all of the cards have been made into sets of four. When the draw pile is exhausted, no one says "Go fish." If you ask someone for a card she doesn't have, it becomes her turn.

Resources and Referenceshttp://boardgames.about.com/od/cardgames/a/go_fish.htm "Go Fish Card Game Rules" by Erik Arneson

Hearts

Game SummaryHistorically speaking many trick-taking card games are decedents of Bridge or Whist. Perhaps the foremost exception to this however is Hearts, which is a truly clever and intense game for four. The game is fairly easy to play, yet there's a fair amount of complexity and scope for high strategy. The object is to avoid winning tricks containing hearts and the queen of spades is even more to be avoided. The player with the least number of points in the end wins.

Playing the GameDeal and play are clockwise. All the cards are dealt out one at a time, so that everyone has 13.

On the first hand, after the deal, each player passes any three cards face-down to the player to their left. When passing cards, you must first select the cards to be passed and place them face-down, ready to be picked up by the receiving player; only then may you pick up the cards passed to you, look at them and add them to your hand.

On the second hand each player passes three cards to the player to their right, in the same way. On the third hand each player passes three cards to the player sitting opposite. On the fourth hand no cards are passed at all. The cycle then repeats until the end of the game.

The person who holds the 2 of clubs must lead it to the first trick. The other players, in clockwise order,must play a card of the suit which was led if possible. If they do not have a card of that suit, they may play any card. The person who played the highest card of the suit led wins the trick and leads to the next trick.

It is illegal to lead a heart until after a heart has been played to a previous trick, unless your hand contains nothing but hearts. Discarding a heart, thus allowing hearts to be led in future, is called breaking hearts. In general, discarding a penalty card on a trick is called painting the trick.

A player whose hand consists entirely of hearts may lead any heart, thereby breaking hearts, even if hearts have not previously been broken. Players are permitted to lead spades to any trick after the first. In fact it is a normal tactic to lead lower spades to try to drive out the queen. This is sometimes known as smoking out the queen.

Normally, each player scores penalty points for cards in the tricks which they won. Each heart scores one point, and the queen of spades scores 13 points. However, if you manage to win all the scoring cards (which is known as a slam or shooting the moon), your score is reduced by 26 points, or you maychoose instead to have all other players' scores increased by 26 points.

The game continues until one player has reached or exceeded 100 points at the conclusion of a hand. The person with the lowest score is then the winner.

Resources and Referenceshttp://www.bicyclecards.com/card-games/rule/hearts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearts

http://www.pagat.com/reverse/hearts.html

Patience

Game SummaryCard games for one player are generally called Patience in Britain and Solitaire in America, nevertheless they both refer to a broad set of single-player activities. Solitaire, in the US, typically refers to the Klondike variation of this game.

Playing the GameMost Solitaire games are played with a standard 52-card deck. The rank of cards in Solitaire games is: K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. Most of the games proceed in the following way: Some or all of the cards are distributed face up in some distinctive array, forming the "tableau." The tableau, together with any other cards dealt at the outset are often called the "layout.

The initial array may be changed by "building" - transferring cards among the face-up cards in the tableau. Certain cards of the tableau can be played at once, while others may not be played until certainblocking cards are removed.

The first objective is to release and play into position certain cards called "foundations." In many Solitaire games, such as Klondike, the four aces are the bottom card or base of the foundations, and the objective is usually to build up each foundation, in sequence and in suit, from the ace through the king. The ultimate objective is to build the whole pack onto the foundations, and if that can be done, the Solitaire game is "won."

If the entire pack is not laid out in a tableau at the beginning of a game, the remaining cards form the stock (or "hand") from which additional cards are brought into play according to the rules. Cards from the stock that have no place in the tableau or on foundations are laid face up in a separate pile called the"talon" or "waste pile."

In some games, the layout includes a special packet of cards called the "reserve," which the player attempts to use by turning up and playing one card at a time. In many games, a vacancy in the tableau created by the removal of cards elsewhere is called a "space," and it is of major importance in manipulating the tableau. In some games, a space can only be filled in with a king.

Resources and Referenceshttp://www.pagat.com/patience/patience.html

http://www.dmoz.org/Games/Card_Games/Shedding_and_Accumulating/Solitaire

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patience_(game)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_patience_games

Poker

Game SummaryPoker is a family of card games involving betting and individual play, whereby the winner is determined by the ranks and combinations of their cards, some of which remain hidden until the end of the game. Poker games vary in the number of cards dealt, the number of shared or "community" cards and the number of cards that remain hidden. The betting procedures vary among different poker games in such ways as betting limits and splitting the pot between a high hand and a low hand.

Playing the GameTraditionally, poker has been thought of as a game for 2 to 7 players, the more the better with 6 or 7 being the ideal number. However, some variants can be played by more than seven, and some versions work well for a small number of players - even with just two ("heads up"). The deal and play are clockwise.

A standard international 52-card pack is used, and in most forms of poker there are no jokers. The rank of the cards, from high to low, is A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. In certain circumstances the ace can be used as a low card, below the 2. For the purposes of comparing hands all suits are equal.

Poker is normally played for money, but it is convenient to use chips to represent money during the actual games. These generally come in various denominations, sometimes labelled with numbers 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and sometimes in colours such as white, red, blue whose values must be agreed.Players buy chips from the host before the game and redeem them for money at the end.

Players place an initial bet, if required by the game being played, by placing some of their chips into a central common area known as the pot or pool. The dealer deals cards to the players. Players look at their own cards, and have the opportunity to increase their bet, placing extra chips into the pot. All other players must then either put in chips to bring their contribution to the pot to at least an equal amount or fold, discarding their cards and abandoning any chips they have so far contributed to the pot.

Players who have not folded are known as active players. When all active players have contributed an equal amount to the pot, that is the end of the betting round. According to the variant being played, further cards may be dealt or players may have an opportunity to exchange some cards, after which there is another betting round, and so on. When the last betting round has ended there is a showdown: all active players show their cards, and the owner of the best five-card hand takes the contents of the pot. If at any point only one active player remains, that player automatically wins the pot without having to show any cards.

The objective is of course to win money, and there are two ways to do this. To have the best five-card hand at the showdown. To persuade all the other players to fold. It is the second possibility that creates the possibility for bluff. If everyone believes that you probably have a good hand, then when you raise

the stake, they may prefer to fold rather than add chips to a pot that they will probably lose. If they all fold you win, even though your hand may in reality be much worse than theirs.

Resources and Referenceshttp://www.pagat.com/poker/rules/

http://www.dmoz.org/Games/Gambling/Poker

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poker

Rummy

Game SummaryRummy, also known as Straight Rummy, Standard Rummy or Traditional Rummy, remains one of the most popular variations of its own family of card games. Many of the rule sets are well suited to wagering and contain all the exciting ingredients of a high octane Poker game. There are default, more commonly used Rummy rules which could be taken as the official rules of this card game, though no official rules actually exist as such. The alternative options for the various elements of play are numerous and often taken as distinct from the parent game.

Playing the GameThe game is best played with two to four players, but up to six can take part. Either a fixed number of deals are played, or the game is played to a target score. The number of deals or the target score needs to be agreed before beginning to play. One standard deck of 52 cards is used. Cards in each suit rank, from low to high: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen and King.

The first dealer is chosen randomly, and the turn to deal alternates if there are two players, and rotates clockwise if there are more than two. In a two player game, each player is dealt a hand of ten cards. Seven cards each are dealt if there are three or four players, and when five or six play each player gets six cards. The cards are dealt one at a time, and after the deal, the next card is placed face up on the table to start the discard pile, and the remainder of the deck is placed face down beside it to form the stock. The players look at and sort their cards.

The object of the game is to dispose of all the cards in your hand. There are three ways to get rid of cards: melding, laying off, and discarding. Melding is taking a combination of cards from your hand, and placing it face up in front of you on the table, where it stays. There are two kinds of combination which can be melded: sequences (also known as runs) and groups (also known as sets or books). A sequence or run consists of three or more cards of the same suit in consecutive order. a group, set or book is three or four cards of the same rank.

Laying off is adding a card or cards from your hand to a meld already on the table. The cards added to ameld must make another valid meld. You are not permitted to rearrange the melds in the process. Discarding is playing a card from your hand on top of the discard pile. You get rid of one card this way at the end of each turn.

If there are two players, they take alternate turns starting with the non dealer. If there are more than twoplayers, they take turns in clockwise rotation, beginning with the player to dealer's left.

Each turn consists of the following parts: The Draw. You must begin by taking one card from either the top of the Stock pile or the top card on the discard pile, and adding it to your hand. The discard pile is face up, so you can see in advance what you are getting. The stock is face down, so if you choose to

draw from the stock you do not see the card until after you have committed yourself to take it. If you draw from the stock, you add the card to your hand without showing it to the other players.

Melding. If you have a valid group or sequence in your hand, you may lay one such combination face up on the table in front of you. You cannot meld more than one combination in a turn (but see House Rules). Melding is optional; you are not obliged to meld just because you can.

Laying off. This is also optional. If you wish, you may add cards to groups or sequences previously melded by yourself or others. There is no limit to the number of cards a player may lay off in one turn. The Discard At the end of your turn, one card must be discarded from your hand and placed on top of the discard pile face up. If you began your turn by picking up the top card of the discard pile you are not allowed to end that turn by discarding the same card, leaving the pile unchanged - you must discarda different card. You may however pick up the discard on one turn and discard that same card at a later turn. If you draw a card from the stock, it can be discarded on the same turn if you wish.

If the stock pile has run out and the next player does not want to take the discard, the discard pile is turned over, without shuffling, to form a new stock, and play continues - but see the variations section for a discussion of alternatives and problems that can arise. A player wins an individual hand by either melding, laying off, or discarding all of his or her cards. Getting rid of your last card in one of these ways is called going out. As soon as someone goes out, play ceases. There can be no further melding orlaying off, even if the other players have valid combinations in their hands.

When a player goes out, the other players add up the value of all the cards still remaining in their hands, as follows: Face cards (K,Q,J) are worth 10 points each; Aces are worth 1 point each; Number Cards are worth their face value - for example a six is worth 6 points, a four is 4 points, and so on. The total value of all the cards in the hands of the other players is added to the winner's cumulative score. The game continues with further deals until a player reaches the points target that was decided before the game began, or until the agreed number of deals has been played.

Resources and Referenceshttp://www.pagat.com/rummy/rummy.html

http://rummy.com/rummyrules.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rummy

Scum

Game SummaryScum is known by many alternative names. Also known as Presidents and Assholes or Arsehole in Britain, Rich Man Poor Man, Bum, Landlord, Root Beer, Butthead and Capitalism. It's thought to be anAmericanized version of Dai Hin Min -- a Japanese card game for three or more in which the players race to get rid of all of the cards in their hands in order to become top player the following round. The last player left with cards is called the scum, asshole, or whatever term of derision is locally used.

Playing the GameThe game is played clockwise. All the cards are dealt out. Some players may have one more than others. The player to dealer's left starts by leading (face up) any single card or any set of cards of equal rank (for example three fives). Each player in turn must then either pass (i.e. not play any cards), or play face up a card or set of cards which beats the previous play.

A single card is beaten by any higher single card. A set of cards can only be beaten by a higher set containing the same number of cards. So for example if the previous player played two sixes you can beat this with two kings, or two sevens, but not with a single king, and not with three sevens (though you could play two of them and hang onto the third). It is not necessary to beat the previous play just because you can - passing is always allowed. Also passing does not prevent you from playing the next time your turn comes round.

The play continues as many times around the table as necessary until someone makes a play which everyone else passes. All the cards played are then turned face down and put to one side, and the playerwho played last (and highest) to the previous "trick" starts again by leading any card or set of equal cards.

The first player who is out of cards is awarded the highest social rank - for Americans this is President -the next is Vice-President, then Citizen and so on down. The last player to be left with any cards is known as the Beggar, Scum, Asshole or by various terms of abuse. For Europeans the ranks can be King, Minister, ... , Peasant or Boss, Foreman, Worker, Bum.

If keeping score, the players get points depending on their position - for example 2 for the President, 1 for the Vice President and nothing for the others. More importantly, the players of higher status are entitled to enjoy and generally abuse their power over the lower ranking players.

For the next hand the players move seats. The President selects the most comfortable chair, the Vice President sits to the President's left, and so on around to the Asshole who sits to the President's right, probably on a crate or packing case. The Asshole is responsible for shuffling, dealing and clearing away the cards when necessary. As the players are now seated clockwise in order of rank, the first card is dealt to the President, the second to the Vice President, and so on down.

When the deal is complete, the Asshole must give his highest card to the President, and the President gives back in exchange any card which he does not want. The President then leads any card or set of cards and the game continues as before. A victory number is typically set around 11 wins and the game ends when someone reaches it.

Resources and Referenceshttp://www.pagat.com/climbing/president.html

http://cardgameheaven.com/multiplayer-games/president.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_(card_game)

Sedma

Game SummarySedma, or Septica is a Central European 4-card trick-and-draw game group played by four in fixed partnerships, sometimes with a standard deck and some with a 32-card piquet deck. Card suits typicallydon't play a role in this game, and there is no ranking order. A trick is won by the last player to play a card of the same rank as the card led. They're members of the AceTen family related to Ukraine's Hola and the Finnish Ristikontra, both slightly earlier games.

Ristikontra is for four players rising to popularity in Finnish lumber camps. It seems likely that this the original game from which Sedma springs, where tricks are won by the last card of equal rank to the card led. This games is commonly played in the region stretching across Europe from Lapland in the north to Hungary in the south.

Hola is a sort of trick taking game for two or four players, but it is unusual in that a card can only be beaten by a card of equal value, or by a wild card, sevens and twos being wild. The object is to capture aces, tens and the last trick. Hola is a Slavic word meaning "nakedness".

Playing the GameIn Ristikontra there are four players in fixed partnerships; partners sit facing each other. The object is to take tricks containing aces, 10s, kings, queens and jacks. A standard 52-card pack is used. The cards have no ranking order and suits are irrelevant. The values of the cards are: each Ace is 11 points; each King is 4 points; each Queen is 3 points; each Jack is 2 points; each Ten is 10 points and the other cards(2-9) have no value. There are 120 points in the pack in total.

Any player can deal first; the turn to deal passes to the left after each hand. The dealer shuffles the deckand deals six cards to each player. The remaining cards are placed face down to form a stock. The gameis played clockwise. The player to the left of the dealer is first to play. A trick consists of four cards, one by each player. The trick is won by whoever played the last card of the same rank as the first card in the trick.

The object of the play is to win tricks containing valuable cards. Only the point cards A, K, Q, J, 10 count; other cards are worthless, the number of taken tricks has no effect on scoring. After playing a card from hand each player must draw the top card from the stock, so that the players always hold six cards in their hands. The winner of the trick leads to the next trick. When the stock is empty, the last sixtricks are played without replenishing the players' hands.

The players are free to play any cards they wish, with one exception. A player is not allowed to lead all four cards of one rank to four successive tricks. After leading the same ranked card to three consecutivetricks, a different ranked card must be led. When there are still cards in the stock, any time it is a player's turn to lead a card or play to the trick, the player may turn up the top card of the stock and play

that. This is known as 'playing in the dark'. Once the stock card is turned over it must be played - the player cannot choose to play a card from hand instead. After playing the top card of the stock, the player will still be holding six cards and therefore does not draw a card from the stock.

At the end of the deal each team counts the value of the cards in the tricks they have won. The object is to get 61 card points, more that half of the total, and the winning side scores 1 game point. If a side gets120 card points, they score two game points. If both sides get 60 card points, the game point for this deal is held in abeyance, and awarded to the winners of the next deal, in addition to what they would normally win for that deal. The overall winners are the first team to reach an agreed target, usually 7 points.

Hola is for two players, or four players in fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite. A standard 52 card pack is used. Six people can play, in teams of three, each player sitting between two opponents. In this case two 52-card packs are combined to make a pack of 104 cards.

Aces and tens are worth 10 points each - the other cards have no value. There are also 10 points for winning the last trick. The object is to take as many of the available 90 points as possible by winning tricks containing aces and tens, and winning the last trick. Sevens and twos are wild, and can be used tocapture cards of any rank. With four players the game is played clockwise.

The first dealer is chosen at random and deals four cards to each player. The remaining cards are placedface down to form a stockpile. In the two player game the non-dealer leads to the first trick. With four players it is the player to dealer's left who leads. Any card may be led, and each of the other players in turn must play a card. They may play any card they hold but in order to beat the card led they would have to play either a card of the same rank as the lead or a wild card.

The player who led to the trick now has two options: to end the trick, in which case it is won by the lastplayer who played a wild card or a card of the rank led; to fight (i.e. to continue the trick) by leading another card. If the player who led decides to fight, each player in turn now plays another card. When everyone has played, the leader may end the trick or fight again by leading another round. This can continue for up to four rounds, after which everyone has run out of cards and the trick has to end.

The winner of the trick is the last person who played a card of the same rank as the original lead or a wild card. The winner of the trick gathers up all the played cards and keeps them face down (in the fourplayer game partners can keep their tricks in a single pile). Then each player, beginning with the one who led to the trick, draws sufficient cards from the undealt stock to bring their hand back to four cards. The player who won the trick then leads to a new trick.

If after a trick there are not enough cards left in the stock for all the players to replenish their hands to four cards, the remaining stock cards are distributed equally among the players. When there are no cards left in the stock at all, play continues with the cards the players have in their hands, until all the cards have been played. At the end of the play, each team scores 10 points for each ace or ten they won in tricks, and the team which won the last trick, known as table, gets an extra 10 points.

If one team won all the tricks (called a Hola), they score 170 points (rather than 90). This happens very

rarely. If the non-dealing side take 50 or fewer points, the same player deals again for the next hand. If the non-dealing side take 60 or more points, the opponent to the left of the previous dealer deals the next hand. The players should agree in advance the number of points needed to win the game - usually somewhere between 200 and 500. In the six-player game, there is no score for the last trick, but because a double deck of cards is used there are 160 points at stake - eight aces and eight tens. The game is played to 500 points.

Resources and Referenceshttp://www.pagat.com/sedma/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedma

http://www.pagat.com/sedma/ristikontra.html

http://www.pagat.com/sedma/hola.html

Slapjack

Game SummarySlapjack, also known as Slaps, is a popular yet simple standard-deck card game. It's a good first card game for children to learn.

Playing the GameDivide the pack roughly equally between the players. Everyone holds their cards as a face down pile. Going around the table clockwise, each player paces the top card of their pile face up in the center of the table, making a face-up pile. When someone plays a jack, the first player to slap it or put their hand palm down on top of the center pile, wins the center pile and adds these cards face down to the bottom of their own pile. Play then continues starting with the player to the left of the one who won the cards.

When playing a card you must not peek at it in advance; you must turn it over so that everyone sees it at once. It is best if the card is moved to the center of the table face down and then turned "away from" the player (so that if anything the others will see it a split second before the player). If several people slap, the person whose hand is underneath (i.e. in contact with the card) is the winner of the cards. A referee might be needed if you are very competitive about this.

If a player slaps a card that is not a jack, the player who slapped has to give the top card of their own pile face down to the person who played the card that they wrongly slapped. That person adds it to the bottom of their own pile. If you run out of cards you no longer play a card when it is your turn, obviously. You are still entitled to take part in the slapping of the next jack and if you win you are back in the game. If someoneelse wins, or if you meanwhile slap a card that is not a jack, you are out of the game.

When one player has all the cards, that player wins. If you wish, you can play with the time limit, and if no one collects all the cards before then, the person holding most cards when the time limit is reached is the winner.

Resources and Referenceshttp://www.bicyclecards.com/card-games/rule/slapjack

http://www.classicgamesandpuzzles.com/Slap-Jack.html

http://www.pagat.com/war/slapjack.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slapjack

Spades

Game SummarySpades was invented in the USA in the 1930's where the majority of the game is played. Until recently it was only played in a few places where American troops were stationed, for example in parts of Germany but it's growing in popularity. Spades is a plain-trick game in which spades are always trumps. It is most often played as a partnership game by four players, but there are also solo or cutthroat versions and for three or even six players. The object is to take at least the number of tricks, also known as books, that were bid before play of the hand began.

Playing the GameThe four players are in fixed partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other. Deal and play are clockwise. A standard pack of 52 cards is used. The cards, in each suit, rank from highest to lowest: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. The first dealer is chosen at random, and the turn to deal rotates clockwise. The cards are shuffled and then dealt singly, in clockwise order beginning with the player ondealer's left, until all 52 cards have been dealt and everyone has 13.

In Spades, all four players bid a number of tricks. Each team adds together the bids of the two partners, and the total is the number of tricks that team must try to win in order to get a positive score. The bidding begins with the player to dealer's left and continues clockwise around the table. Everyone must bid a number, and in theory any number from 0 to 13 is allowed. Unlike other games with bidding, there is no requirement for each bid to be higher than the last one, and players are not allowed to pass. There is no second round of bidding bids once made cannot be altered.

A bid of 0 tricks is known as Nil. This is a declaration that that the player who bid Nil will not win any tricks during the play. There is an extra bonus for this if it succeeds and a penalty if it fails. The partnership also has the objective of winning the number of tricks bid by the Nil's partner. It is not possible to bid no tricks without bidding a Nil. If you don't want to go for the Nil bonus or penalty you must bid at least 1.

Some players allow a bid of Blind nil. This is a nil bid declared before a player looks at his cards. After everyone has bid and before the first lead, the bidder may exchange two cards with partner - the bidder discards two cards face down; partner picks them up and gives back two cards face-down in return. It isusually agreed that Blind Nil may only be bid by a player whose side is losing by at least 100 points.

The player to dealer's left leads any card except a spade to the first trick. Each player, in turn, clockwise, must follow suit if able; if unable to follow suit, the player may play any card. A trick containing a spade is won by the highest spade played; if no spade is played, the trick is won by the highest card of the suit led. The winner of each trick leads to the next. Spades may not be led until either: some player has played a spade (on the lead of another suit, of course) or the leader has nothing but spades left in hand. Playing the first spade is known as "breaking" spades. A side that takes at least

as many tricks as its bid calls for receives a score equal to 10 times its bid. Additional tricks (overtricks) are worth an extra one point each.

Sandbagging rule: Overtricks are colloquially known as bags. A side which (over several deals) accumulates ten or more bags has 100 points deducted from its score. Any bags beyond ten are carried over to the next cycle of ten overtricks - that is if they reached twenty overtricks they would lose another 100 points and so on. (Note: it is not necessary to keep track of overtricks separately as the cumulative number of overtricks taken appears as the final digit of the team's score, if positive).

Example: Suppose a team whose score is 337 bids 5 tricks. If they win 7 tricks they score 52, taking their score to 389. If they win 8 tricks they score 53, but lose 100 because they now have 10 bags, and their score becomes 290 (337 + 53 - 100). If they win 9 tricks they score 54 and lose 100, bringing theirscore to 291.

If a side does not make its bid, they lose 10 points for each trick they bid. If a bid of nil is successful, the nil bidder's side receives 100 points. This is in addition to the score won (or lost) by the partner of the nil bidder for tricks made. If a bid of nil fails - that is, the bidder takes at least one trick - the bidder's side loses 100 points, but still receives any amount scored for the partner's bid.

The usual rule is that when a nil fails, the tricks won by the nil bidder do not count towards making the partner's bid, but do count as bags for the team. A bid of blind nil scores twice as much as an ordinary nil it wins 200 points if successful and loses 200 points if it fails. The side which reaches 500 points first wins the game. If both sides reach 500 points in the same deal, the side with the higher score wins.

Resources and Referenceshttp://www.pagat.com/boston/spades.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spades

http://boardgames.about.com/od/spades/a/spades_rules.htm

II. Dice Games

Balut

Game SummaryThe game involves rolling five dice up to 3 times to make various combinations, which are noted on a scorecard. A Balut is a five-of-a-kind of any denomination, but unlike in Yahtzee it counts for little in terms of points. Players who obtain a Balut announce it to the other players by calling out "Balut!"similar to calling out "bingo!", and note it on a special scorecard. Players try to guess before game play how many Baluts will be made during the game; correctly guessing the total number can earn a prize.

Playing the GameEach game consists of 28 rounds in which players try to score four separate times for each of the seven categories marked on their score sheet.

In each turn a player has up to three throws rolling the dice, setting aside any they wish to use for a category and rolling the remainder. They do not have to use all three throws and may stop after the first or second. Players must fill in a score for a category after each turn but once it is used they may not change it. It is quite common for a player to enter zero for a category because they are unable to fulfill its criteria. Categories may be filled in any order.

Fours Scores total of all the fours rolled. Fives Scores total of all the fives rolled. Sixes Scores total of all the sixes rolled. Straight Either 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (small straight) or 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (large straight), which scores the total of the five consecutive dice values rolled, 15 for a small straight or 20 for a large. Full House Three-of-a-kind and a pair which scores the total of all five dice values. Choice No pattern required, which simply scores the total of all five dice values. Balut Five-of-a-kind which scores 20 plus the total of all five dice values.

After each player has had 28 turns and all the categories on their score sheets have been filled, the scores are totaled. Players then get points for fulfilling certain criteria for their category scores. The points awarded for each category score are as follows:

Required Category Score Points AwardedFours scores more than 52 2Fives scores more than 65 2Sixes scores more than 78 2All Straights scored 4All Full Houses scored 3Coices scores more than 100 2Each Balut scores... 2 each

Players then score one set of further points for their score total:

Total Score Points Awarded0 - 299 -2300 - 349 -1350 - 399 0400 - 449 1450 - 499 2500 - 549 3550 - 599 4600 - 649 5650 - 812 6

Players' points are then totaled and the player with the highest points total, wins the game. 29 points is the maximum score possible in a game.

Resources and Referenceshttp://www.teambalut.com/asp/rules-of-balut.html

http://www.dice-play.com/Games/Balut.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balut_(gam e)

http://www.balut.org/rules.html

Bunco

Game SummaryUsing 3 dice get a three-of-a-kind for the number that corresponds to the round, IE: three 1's in Round One and three 2's in Round Two traditionally ending with a total of six rounds.

Playing the GameThere's a great deal of variation but there are some widely recognized Bunco standards: there are generally six rounds, progressing in order from round one to six, where the number of the round serves as the target for the rolls. Within a round, players alternate turns rolling three dice, aiming to obtain the target number. Players gain one point for each die matching the target. If the player gets three-of-a-kindof the target number (a Bunco), they get 21 points. The round stops when a player at a head table obtains 21 points. Whoever wins the most rounds is the overall winner.

A more elaborate explanation of tournament play gets a little more complicated.

With larger games Bunco is traditionally played with 12 players who are divided into three tables with 4 players at each table. But really, any number can play.

A game of Bunco is played in two to four sets, with six rounds in each set. A player at the head table rings a bell to signal the beginning and end of each round. During the game, players at each table take turns rolling three dice to try and earn points. All tables play simultaneously.

During each round, players attempt to roll the same number as the number of the round. For every number rolled that matches the round number, one point is awarded to that player. A player keeps rolling until they score no points. The scorekeeper then records the score they earned onto the table tally as the temporary team score. Then the dice are passed to the player on the left.

When the head table has earned 21 points, the round is over. The head table rings a bell to signal that the round has ended. At the end of every round, players change partners and/or tables. At the end of a game, there are typically multiple "winners." The player(s) with the most Buncos, wins, losses, etc, may earn prizes for their successes.

Resources and Referenceshttp://www.dicegamedepot.com/bunco-rules A lot of the tournament rules text is based on this article.

http://www.dice-play.com/Games/Bunco.htm How to play Bunco at dice-play.com.

http://www.worldbunco.com/history1.html -- A history of Bunco from the World Bunco Association.

Pig

Game SummaryPig, also called hog, is a simple dice game with a wide range of variation and history of being frequently played with added off-the-cuff rules.

Playing the GameEach turn, a player repeatedly rolls a die until either a 1 is rolled or the player decides to hold. If the player rolls a 1, they score nothing and it becomes the next player's turn. If the player rolls any other number, it is added to their turn total and the player's turn continues. If a player chooses to "hold", their turn total is added to their score, and it becomes the next player's turn. The first player to score 100 or more points wins.

Alternatively roll 2 dice, total up the pips and add them as points. If you get a single 1, you score nothing. If you get 2 1's, your total score goes back to 0.

Big Pig is a variation similar to two dice Pig, except: if two 1s are rolled, the player adds 25 to the turn total and if other doubles are rolled, the player adds twice the value of the dice to the turn total.

Skunk or Think is another variation played with large groups. Rather than rolling in turn, all players begin the round standing. At any point in the round, a player may hold by sitting down. The round continues until a 1 is rolled, or all players have sat down. Skunk is played in five rounds, and scoring is recorded in a 5-column table with columns labeled with the letters of the word "SKUNK". The first round score is entered in the "S"-column, the next in the first "K"-column, and so on. After five rounds,the highest-scoring player is the winner.

Resources and Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_(dice_game)

http://yarddice.com/dice-games/pig-2

Six-Five-Four

Game SummaryAlso called Destroyer and Ship of Fools. Get a six (ship), a five (captain), and a four (crew) with three six-sided dice, and get the highest score with the other two dice (the ship's cargo) by the end of three rolls.

Playing the GameAssembling the ship and crew: Each turn consists of three rolls of the dice. The player must roll a 6, 5 and 4 in descending order. Getting the cargo: Once the crew has been assembled, the player may add the pips on the remaining 2 dice to determine their score from their cargo or the player may use any remaining rolls to try for a higher number. Determining the winner: The winner is the player at the end of a round who has the highest score.

Consequences: At the end of the round everyone except for the winner must drink. Alternatively, the winner may roll dice to determine how many drinks the losers must consume. Next round: When beginning the next round, play begins with the player to the right (counter-clockwise) of the first playerin the previous round. Alternatively, the player who won the last round starts the next round. Traditions:The last person to throw the dice in a round is "the hammer." The current winning score is "the point." It is common to hear a player who is not keeping up ask, "What's the point and who's the hammer?"

A two is the lowest score and is called a "minimum." Double sixes, or scoring a twelve, is often referred to as a "midnight", most likely because 12 o'clock at night on a non-military clock is known as midnight. Sixes have also been known to be called boxcars.

Players often stay with their dice after achieving a score of nine or better (assuming no other player hasan established point above their nine or better), but are often subjected to elevated pressure from players with a lower, or no score at all and are advised to "man-up" and "re-roll", thus discounting proven statistics and general logic for the sake of pure machismo. However, it is important to note that in some rare cases, even low scores sometimes win. It is possible to play this game for money, either byante or by playing for a set value per point.

Resources and Referenceshttp://www.dice-play.com/Games/Ship.htm How to play Ship, Captain and Crew at dice-play.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship,_captain,_and_crew

I. Card GamesBeggar My NeighbourGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

BlackjackGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

EightsGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

Go FishGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

HeartsGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

PatienceGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

PokerGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

RummyGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

ScumGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

SedmaGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

SlapjackGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

SpadesGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

II. Dice GamesBalutGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

BuncoGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

PigGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References

Six-Five-FourGame SummaryPlaying the GameResources and References