This game is known by our family as 3 Up 3 Down, because you have 3 cards face up in front of you and 3 cards face down. These instructions were sourced from a website which called it by a different name, but the instructions are exactly the same. There are no different rules as far as I can tell.
Players and Cards
From two to five may play. The game is best is with at least three.
The game requires one regular 52-card deck. Make sure you take out the Jokers. This particular game does not require them. The cards rank highest to lowest 2, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (twos are high and low - see below).
Deal
The dealer is randomly selected for the first hand. The deal rotates clockwise after each hand.
1.) The dealer deals a row of three face-down cards to each player, one at a time.
2.) The dealer deals three cards face-up to each player, one at a time, covering the face-down cards.
3.) The dealer deals a three card hand face-down to each player, one at a time.
Any cards remaining undealt are placed face down to form a draw pile. The players pick up their three card hands and look at them.
Before play each player may exchange any number of cards from the hand with her face-up cards. A player may never look at the face-down cards until they are played. (Players usually take lower ranking face-up cards into their hands.)
Play of the Cards
The first player is the person who receives the first 3 dealt face-up. If no 3 is face-up, the first person to call a three in a hand is the first player. If there is no 3 dealt to a hand, then the same procedure is followed for the first 4, and so on, if need be.
The first player begins a discard pile on the table, playing face-up from her hand any number of cards of the same rank, and taking cards from the draw pile to replenish his or her hand to three cards. Taking turns clockwise, each player must either play a card or a set of equal cards face up on top of the discard pile, or pick up the pile. The card or cards played must be of equal to or of higher rank than previous play. This continues, possibly several times around the table, until eventually someone is unable or unwilling to equal or beat the previous play. If after playing you have fewer than three cards in your hand, you must immediately replenish your hand by drawing from the stock so that you have three cards again. If there are too few cards in the stock, you draw as many as there are. When there are no cards left in the stock at all, play continues as before, but without replenishment.
If at your turn you cannot or do not wish to play a card, you must pick up all the cards in the discard pile and add them to your hand. If you pick up you do not play any cards on that turn, but your left hand neighbour, who is next in turn to play, starts a new discard pile by playing any card or set of equal cards she wishes. Play then continues as before.
As long as you begin your turn with cards in your hand, you are not allowed in that turn to play from the cards you have on the table; you can only play from the cards in your hand on that turn.
Twos, Tens and clearing the pile
Twos may always be played on any card, and any card may be played on a two.
A ten may be played on any turn, whatever the top card of the discard pile is (or even if the pile is empty). When a ten is played, the discard pile is removed from play and the same player who played the ten takes another turn, playing any card or set of equal cards to start a new discard pile.
If someone completes a set of four cards of the same rank on top of the discard pile (either by playing all four cards at once or by equalling the previous play), the whole pile is removed from play, and the same player who completed the four of a kind takes another turn, playing any card or set of equal cards to start a new discard pile.
The Endgame
If you begin your turn with no cards in your hand (because you played them all last time and the draw pile was empty), you may now play from her face-up cards. When you are playing your face-up cards and cannot (or do not wish to) play a card of equal or higher rank than the card(s) played by previous player, you add one of your face-up cards to the pile before taking the whole pile into your hand. It is then the next player's turn to begin a new discard pile by playing any card or set of equal cards. Having picked up the pile, you will have to play from your hand on subsequent turns until you have once more got rid of all your hand cards and can begin playing from your table cards again.
When you have played all your face-up table cards, and have no cards in your hand, you play your face-down cards blindly, flipping one card onto the pile when your turn comes. If the flipped card is playable, it is played, and it is the next player's turn to equal or beat it. If your flipped card is not playable (because it is lower than the previous play), you take the whole pile into your hand including the flipped card. It is then the next player's turn to start a new discard pile. Having picked up the pile, you will have to play from your hand on subsequent turns until you have once more got rid of all your hand cards and can flip your next table card.
When you completely get rid of all of your hand and table cards, you have successfully avoided being the loser and can drop out of the game. When you flip your last table card, you can only drop out at that point if it beats the previous play (or if you are flipping it to an empty discard pile). If you flip your last card and it is not playable, you must pick it up along with the pile. As people drop out of the game, the remaining players continue playing. The last player left holding cards is the loser.
It sounds horrifically complicated but I can assure you that it is really fun!! It's not as hard as it sounds, either. Seriously, try it. It's fun. :)
Warning: This game is horribly addictive. Players may find themselves addicted for life. This is your warning.
Players and Cards
From two to five may play. The game is best is with at least three.
The game requires one regular 52-card deck. Make sure you take out the Jokers. This particular game does not require them. The cards rank highest to lowest 2, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (twos are high and low - see below).
Deal
The dealer is randomly selected for the first hand. The deal rotates clockwise after each hand.
1.) The dealer deals a row of three face-down cards to each player, one at a time.
2.) The dealer deals three cards face-up to each player, one at a time, covering the face-down cards.
3.) The dealer deals a three card hand face-down to each player, one at a time.
Any cards remaining undealt are placed face down to form a draw pile. The players pick up their three card hands and look at them.
Before play each player may exchange any number of cards from the hand with her face-up cards. A player may never look at the face-down cards until they are played. (Players usually take lower ranking face-up cards into their hands.)
Play of the Cards
The first player is the person who receives the first 3 dealt face-up. If no 3 is face-up, the first person to call a three in a hand is the first player. If there is no 3 dealt to a hand, then the same procedure is followed for the first 4, and so on, if need be.
The first player begins a discard pile on the table, playing face-up from her hand any number of cards of the same rank, and taking cards from the draw pile to replenish his or her hand to three cards. Taking turns clockwise, each player must either play a card or a set of equal cards face up on top of the discard pile, or pick up the pile. The card or cards played must be of equal to or of higher rank than previous play. This continues, possibly several times around the table, until eventually someone is unable or unwilling to equal or beat the previous play. If after playing you have fewer than three cards in your hand, you must immediately replenish your hand by drawing from the stock so that you have three cards again. If there are too few cards in the stock, you draw as many as there are. When there are no cards left in the stock at all, play continues as before, but without replenishment.
If at your turn you cannot or do not wish to play a card, you must pick up all the cards in the discard pile and add them to your hand. If you pick up you do not play any cards on that turn, but your left hand neighbour, who is next in turn to play, starts a new discard pile by playing any card or set of equal cards she wishes. Play then continues as before.
As long as you begin your turn with cards in your hand, you are not allowed in that turn to play from the cards you have on the table; you can only play from the cards in your hand on that turn.
Twos, Tens and clearing the pile
Twos may always be played on any card, and any card may be played on a two.
A ten may be played on any turn, whatever the top card of the discard pile is (or even if the pile is empty). When a ten is played, the discard pile is removed from play and the same player who played the ten takes another turn, playing any card or set of equal cards to start a new discard pile.
If someone completes a set of four cards of the same rank on top of the discard pile (either by playing all four cards at once or by equalling the previous play), the whole pile is removed from play, and the same player who completed the four of a kind takes another turn, playing any card or set of equal cards to start a new discard pile.
The Endgame
If you begin your turn with no cards in your hand (because you played them all last time and the draw pile was empty), you may now play from her face-up cards. When you are playing your face-up cards and cannot (or do not wish to) play a card of equal or higher rank than the card(s) played by previous player, you add one of your face-up cards to the pile before taking the whole pile into your hand. It is then the next player's turn to begin a new discard pile by playing any card or set of equal cards. Having picked up the pile, you will have to play from your hand on subsequent turns until you have once more got rid of all your hand cards and can begin playing from your table cards again.
When you have played all your face-up table cards, and have no cards in your hand, you play your face-down cards blindly, flipping one card onto the pile when your turn comes. If the flipped card is playable, it is played, and it is the next player's turn to equal or beat it. If your flipped card is not playable (because it is lower than the previous play), you take the whole pile into your hand including the flipped card. It is then the next player's turn to start a new discard pile. Having picked up the pile, you will have to play from your hand on subsequent turns until you have once more got rid of all your hand cards and can flip your next table card.
When you completely get rid of all of your hand and table cards, you have successfully avoided being the loser and can drop out of the game. When you flip your last table card, you can only drop out at that point if it beats the previous play (or if you are flipping it to an empty discard pile). If you flip your last card and it is not playable, you must pick it up along with the pile. As people drop out of the game, the remaining players continue playing. The last player left holding cards is the loser.
It sounds horrifically complicated but I can assure you that it is really fun!! It's not as hard as it sounds, either. Seriously, try it. It's fun. :)
(I haven't posted any card game tutorials before. Do you like it? Do you want more? I know a lot of awesome card games that I could teach you too, such as Golf, Tongues, War and Arabian. What do you think?)
Wow! That does sound complicated. But if we sat down and you taught me I think it wouldn't be too hard to understand. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's actually really quick to learn. I don't know why but instructions always make it sound so complicated!
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