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--Games
unique
to this site!-
Skarney-- John Scarne’s scoring rummy
Skarney Gin-- Scarne’s gin rummy
Sequence Gin-- gin rummy variant
The Big Game-- 42 with 11 tricks
42 variations-- we’ve got them all
Yukon-- unique trick-taking game from the 1898 gold rush.
Quinto-- unusual fun game from 1900
Marjolet-- one-deck Bezique from France
Jo-Jotte-- complex Bridge-like game for two
Domino Euchre-- Euchre with dominoes
Call-Ace Domino Euchre-- variant
Iceberg-- unique scoring rummy
Arlington Hts-- our own invention
Fortune Rummy-- lost since the 1940s
Teeko-- “lost” board game
Ringo - unusual board game
--42 family
Dominoes--
42 -- the parent game
The Big Game -- 42 with 11 tricks instead of 7
42 Variations -- including 80, 88, 84, 79, Nello, Plunge, and Sevens
Moon -- 3 player relative to 42
Partnership Moon -- 4 player Moon
---Cuban
Games---
Cubilete -- Great Cuban dice game
Domino Cubano --
Dominoes, Cuban-
style
---Dice
Games--
Farkle-- Among the best dice games, it dates back hundreds of years
Cubilete -- Great Cuban dice game
More dice games
--Games by
John Scarne-
Skarney Gin-- Takes Gin Rummy to a whole new level
Skarney-- The most sophisticated scoring rummy.
Scarney Dice games
Teeko-- board game
Scarne’s Bio
---Download
FREE game
books!---
A to Z of Dice Games -- rules for many great dice games (55 pages)
American Hoyle by Trumps 1894 (540 pages)
Foster’s Hoyle 1897 (625 pages)
Pirate Bridge -- great 3-person Bridge variant from 1917 (190 pages)
Conquian -- ancestor to modern rummy 1913 (90 pages)
---Scoring
Rummies---
500 Rummy
500 Partnership
Persian Rummy
Fortune Rummy
Arlington
Arlington Hghts
Skarney
---Gins---
Oklahoma Gin
Sequence Gin
Skarney Gin
--Bezique
Family--
Marjolet -- 2 players with 32 cards
Bezique -- 64 cards
Polish Bezique -- 64 card variant
Rubicon Bezique -- 128 cards
Chinese Bezique --
192 cards for Bezique-mania!
Zetema -- a long lost related game
BBC rules for all
forms of Bezique
--Rare Card
Games--
Bridgette -- Best two-handed Bridge variant. Compare it to Jo-Jotte
Bid Whist -- Unique whist variant popular among African Americans.
Eleusis Express -- famous unique inductive logic game.
--Historic
Card
Games--
Historic British Card Games-- rules for 12 once-popular games no longer played.
Medieval and Renaissance card and dice games.
--Fascinating
Profiles---
Ely Culbertson--
He made Contract Bridge famous.
Al Sobel on the invention of Jo-Jotte
John Scarne--
Houdini’s friend, card magician, author, games inventor.
The rather odd and interesting story of the United States Playing Card company.
Joseph Wergin--
Skat should have been it, not Contract Bridge!
R.F. Foster--
Biggest game book author from the 1880s to the 1930s
Stewart Culin--
Invented the modern science of ethnography - based on games!
-- Original
card,
dice &
domino
games--
Parlett’s games
Pips web site
Pagat web site
--Hundreds
more
games!--
The Card Games Web Site
Domino Game Rules
A - Z of Dice Games
BoardGameGeek - all board games
---Computer
Games--
Products to which we have no commercial ties but recommend:
Ringo (free)
Teeko (free)
Curtis Cameron offers fine 42 and Moon programs.
Cardmaster offers 25 games including Zetema, Bezique, Klabberjass, and Bid Whist.
Here’s Bid Whist online or on your PC.
--Domino
Games--
Domino Euchre--the card game played with dominoes!
Call-Ace Euchre-- domino Euchre variant
42 -- the parent game
The Big Game -- 42 with 11 tricks instead of 7
42 Variations -- including 80, 88, 84, 79, Nello, Plunge, and Sevens
Moon -- 3 player relative to 42
Partnership Moon -- 4 player Moon
---Favorite
Sites---
The Card Games site has the most card games rules anywhere
Playing Cards site has playing card history and pictorial examples.
House of Cards has a nice mix of rules, PC games, handheld games, and books.
Kadon Enterprises sells beautiful quality board games
Find hundreds of chess variants here
The Life of Games is an online games magazine
DominoLinks site links to many domino sites
David Parlett invents great card & board games!
BoardGameGeek covers all board games
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Rules for the best little-known games in the world
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-- with unique games you won’t find elsewhere !
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-- What are the BEST Games? --
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-- Our Games --
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-- What are the BEST Game Books? --
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Oxford A-Z of Card Games
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Lists hundreds of games alphabetically. Includes both the well-known and the obscure from around the world. Complete rules for all.
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A History of Card Games
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Describes how card games evolved, the kinds of games available, basic principles of play, relationships between games, and more. This book will give you a much deeper understanding of card games. A unique book!
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Great Book of Domino Games
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A compilation of more domino games than most people know exist.
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Dice Games Properly Explained
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This one book covers everything about dice games: rules, strategies, etc. It focuses solely on traditional, six-sided dice.
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World’s Best Dice Games
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In print continuously since 1981 under various titles, its longevity says it all.
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Scarne’s Encyclopedia of Games
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The 625-page classic, now out of print. Scarne’s Encyclopedia of Cards is the exact same book but it excludes all games that are not card games.
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Winning 42: Strategy and Lore of the National Game of Texas
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This fascinating book tells all about 42, how it’s played, its history, strategies, etc. Surprisingly enjoyable and earns its five stars at Amazon. Now in its 3rd edition.
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Jo-Jotte
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Written way back in 1937 by the game’s inventor, Ely Culbertson, this is the only book on Jo-Jotte. You can sometimes find a used copy for sale online. It’s worth picking up a copy if you take up the game.
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-- The BEST Similar Web Sites --
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X == ! == X == ! == X == ! == X == ! == X == ! == X == ! == X == ! == X == ! == X == ! == X == ! == X == ! == X
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Skarney is a rummy game in which scoring is both a matter of playing melds to the table and going out first (rummying). It is a bit like Canasta or Fortune Rummy. Along with Persian Rummy, it is one of the very few rummies that makes a fine partnership game for four players.
Skarney was invented by John Scarne, a magician who befriended Houdini, mobsters, and Presidents. His life was full -- and so interesting he wrote not one but two autobiographies. You can read his fascinating story here. Here are complete rules to Skarney--
Goal--
To win a Hand by scoring the most points by melds to the table. To win a Game by winning the most total points across 7 hands.
Deck and Deal--
This game can be played by 2, 3, or 4 players individually, or by 4 players in 2 partnerships of 2 players each. We describe the partnership game below first, then the individual-play version.
Use two 52-card decks and add in 4 Jokers, for a total of 108 cards. All 2's and Jokers are wild cards; they can represent any other card in the deck.
The rank of the cards is-- A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A.
Aces can be played either high or low (example: A-2-3 or Q-K-A).
Aces can not be played "around the corner" (example: K-A-2).
Deal 11 cards to each player. All remaining cards become the draw pile. Do not turn up any card to start the “discard pile” -- unlike most rummy games, there is no discard pile in this game.
Melds--
Matched cards or melds are played to the table in this game. Cards in melds are scored at the end of the hand, and they determine (in large part) your score for the hand.
You can make two kinds of melds in this game--
1. Sets (groups of 3 or more cards of the same rank). Example: 4 - 4 - 4
2. Sequences (3 or more cards of the same suit in sequence)
Example: 4 Spades -- 5 Spades -- 6 Spades
Recall that 2’s and Jokers are wild. A meld can have 0 or 1 wild cards in it but never more than 1.
Valid-- 3-Joker-3-3
Invalid-- 3-Joker-2-3-3 (contains more than 1 wild card)
Invalid-- 3-2-5-6-2 in Spades (contains more than 1 wild card)
You can also make special melds consisting solely of matching wild cards. These consist of three or more 2's or Jokers.
Examples: 2-2-2 or Joker-Joker-Joker-Joker
2's and Jokers played in these special melds score more points than they do when played as wild cards mixed into other melds.
You can extend your and your partners' melds (but not your opponents' melds) by adding either 1 or 2 cards to any or all of your melds in your turn.
At the start of a hand, your immediate goal is to make your team's contract meld and put it down on the table. Until you and your partner make your team's contract meld, you are not allowed to make any other melds. Once your side has made your contract meld, you may:
1. Add either 1 or 2 cards to any or all of your team's meld on your turn
2. Place any number of additional melds you want down on the table
(these melds contain 3 or more cards each)
Remember that you may never play cards on your opponents melds.
The contract meld is as follows. For the first 3 hands, it consists of either--
1. Three Sets of 3 cards each
or
2. Three same-suit Sequences of 3 cards each
For hands 4 through 7, the contract meld consists of--
1. Four Sets of 3 cards each
or
2. Four same-suit Sequences of 3 cards each
So in hands 1 through 3, your contract meld consists of exactly 9 cards. In hands 4 through 7, your contract meld consists of exactly 12 cards.
You can not put down more or less cards for your contract meld. As always, each Set or Sequence in the contract meld may include up to one wild card (2 or Joker).
Once either player on a side plays the contract meld, the contract meld requirement is considered fulfilled for both players on that team.
Play--
In his turn, a player does the following--
1. Draws 1 card from the top of the draw pile.
2. He may exchange a natural card for any 2 or Joker his opponents have played
as a wild card in their melds.
For example, one of your opponents has the set 4-4-Joker before him. You make
take his Joker up into your hand by laying a 4 in his meld to replace it.
You may not take up 2's or Jokers that are not used as Wild cards. For example,
if an opponent has a set of 2's or Jokers (eg: 2-2-2 or Joker-Joker-Joker),
you can not replace and take up the wild card into your hand. You can only
"exchange" for 2's or Jokers used as wild cards to represent some other card
in the deck.
Once you have exchanged for a 2 or Joker and taken it into your hand, you may
use it whenever you like. (You are under no obligation to immediately use it).
You may not exchange for a wild card in your own or your partner's melds, you
may only exchange for wild cards used in your opponents' melds.
3. If you have not yet played your contract meld to the table and are able to do so,
you play it now.
If you have already played your contract meld to the table, you may--
1. Play any additional melds to the table you like
2. Lay off either 1 or 2 additional matching cards to any of the existing
melds created by yourself or your partner, if you like
4. If you have more than 1 card in your hand, you now display 1 card to your
opponent to your left and ask if he wants it. If yes, he takes it into his hand.
If no, you offer the card to the remaining 2 players around the table in
clockwise order until someone accepts it into their hand.
If no one accepts the potential discard, you keep it in your hand.
If you only have 1 card left in your hand at the end of your turn, you say "1 card"
and do not offer a potential discard to the next player.
Aces and wild cards (2's and Jokers) are only offered to the next player to your
left. If he does not accept it into his hand, you do not offer it to the other players.
Instead you merely keep it in your hand.
Whenever a player accepts and takes an Ace, 2, or Joker into his hand
as an opponent's discard, that player skips step (1) and does not draw a card
from the draw pile at his next turn. Aces, 2's, and Jokers are thus stop cards --
they stop an opponent from drawing a card at the start of his turn. For all other
potential discards, whether a player accepts them into his hand or not, he
always draws one card from the draw pile to start his turn.
End of a Hand--
A hand ends in either of two ways--
1. Any player goes out ("rummies") by melding his last card to the table.
or
2. A player draws the last card from the draw pile and does not go out.
He melds any last cards, then does not offer a potential discard and
play stops.
Scoring--
The partnership that rummies gets a hand bonus of 100 points for hands 1 through 3. This hand bonus increases to--
200 points for hand 4
300 points for hand 5
400 points for hand 6
500 points for hand 7
If a partnership rummies before their opponents play their contract meld, they get an additional 200 point shutout bonus in addition to the hand bonus.
If no partnership rummies (the game ends with the last card from the draw pile), the team with the higher number of points wins the hand and scores the hand bonus.
If no partnership rummies and the two teams have the exact same number of points, the hand does not count and no team wins it. (This case is extremely rare).
In addition to one team scoring for going out or rummying, both teams score points for all cards they have in their melds on the table. For each melded card score--
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---Card---
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---Points---
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Joker (in a special Joker-only meld)
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100
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Joker (used as a wild card)
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50
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2 (in a special 2’s-only meld)
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50
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2 (used as a wild card)
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25
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Ace
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15
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K, Q, J, 10
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10
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9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
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5
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For the side that did not rummy (if any), subtract these points for each card still in their hands--
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---Card---
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---Points---
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Joker
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100
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2
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50
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Ace
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15
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K, Q, J, 10
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10
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9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
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5
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Rules Differences for Individual Play--
Skarney can be played by 2, 3, or 4 persons as individuals. This game is called Skarney Singles. All rules are the same--
* Players may swap for the 2's and Jokers of any of their opponents
in a turn.
* Players may only lay off (add cards to) their own melds.
* A player who goes out only receives the shutout bonus of 200 points
if none of his opponents has yet played their contract meld.
Skarney Strategy--
We won't spoil the fun by spilling too much about winning strategies. Explore the game for yourself -- half the fun is figuring out its principles.
Here are a few tips-- by playing 2's and Jokers to the table in mixed melds, you expose them to "theft" by your opponents. When they take a 2 from you, you not only lose 25 points but they (usually) also gain 25 points.
Pure 2's or Jokers melds can not be robbed. But if you try for one and fail, penalties are very high for having wild cards in hand when your opponents rummy.
Sets are generally easier to get for contract melds than sequences.
Players tend to accept discards early in the game and when building up weak hands. They tend to reject them later when trying to rummy. Potential discards are direct player-to-opponent card transfers; consider them carefully. This is one of Scarne's unique innovations for play and it leads to interesting dynamics lacking from other rummies.
2's and Jokers score the exact same value regardless of the card they take the place of in a mixed meld. For example, the 2 has the same value in either of these melds--
3-3-2 or A-A-2.
The 2 in either of these two melds scores 25 points. But playing a 2 with the Aces leads to scoring 30 points for the two Aces (15 + 15) versus only 10 points (5 + 5) for the two 3's.
You score points by the kind of card played to the table in this game. You do not score different numbers of points according to how the card has been played (unlike other rummies like Canasta).
Also Try--
If you like Skarney, you might also try Scarne’s version of Gin, called Skarney Gin. Read our profile of John Scarne here and visit the John Scarne memorial web site.
Alternate Rules--
We have tried to faithfully reproduce all rules above. Scarne mentions two fun variations you should try--
1. Omit the four Jokers (play with two regular decks totaling 104 cards). This reduces the
“luck element” in the game as there are four fewer wild cards.
2. Remove all restrictions on first melds. Meld anything you want, whenever you want. This
leads to a very “gutsy” game as you can surprise someone holding a lot of cards by
rummying without having melded -- but of course you could be the player who is surprised!
For Further Information--
Scarne’s Encyclopedia of Card Games has a chapter on Skarney and Skarney Gin. The ultimate authority is his rare book Skarney. There are some very slight differences in the rules between these two sources. We have followed the more accessible Encyclopedia of Card Games where differences occur.
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The original plastic playing card from Kem, dated 1935. The woman glancing hard to her left is an iconic image from the 30’s.
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