Mao

a crazy memory card game

for 4 or more

 

 

This game is known by many names, some of them unprintable here. 

 

 

 

 

This crazy game requires a good memory. The longer the game, the more memory required! Basic play goes very much like Crazy Eights: On your turn, you discard a card from your hand that matches the top card of the discard pile in either suit or number... unless, of course, another rule requires you to do something else.

 

 

Five Rules About the Cards:

   1. When you play an 8, it skips the next player; i.e., after you go, the second player around the table from you goes next.

   2. When you play an Ace, it reverses the direction of play; i.e., if play was going around to the left, the player on your right goes next and play continues around to the right.

   3. Kings are wild and can be played on anything as long as it doesn't break another rule, like the 7's rule below. 

   4. When you play a 7, the next player has to play another 7 or draw two cards for every "live" 7 in the stack. When a player doesn't have a 7 and has to draw, all the 7's played already become "dead", and the next player no longer has to play a 7: they can match suit or number or play a wild card. If they do play a 7, however, this new 7 is "live" and the next player must follow the 7's rule.

   5. Whenever you play a Spade, you have to announce the rank and suit of the card you play; e.g., if you play the 3 of Spades, you have to say, "3 of Spades".

 

Ten Rules About Play:

   6. Swearing and cursing are not allowed.

   7.  Delaying the game is not allowed: players may take a few moments to decide which card to play, but unnecessary delay of game (for instance, if a player doesn't know it's their turn or just plain takes too long) is not allowed. 

   8. Questions are not allowed during play.

   9. If you need to ask a question, discuss a play, shuffle the deck because there's no more cards on the Draw Pile, or take a break for some other reason, call "Time Out" and all players must put their cards face down on the table in front of them. You are now official Not In Play. You may now ask questions, but all other rules still apply.

 10. You are not allowed to touch your cards during Time Out.

 11. Time Out ends when all players say "Time in", then everyone picks up their cards and play continues where it left off.

 12. If your turn ends and you have one card left, you must announce, "Last Card."

 13. When you play your last card, you must say, "Mao." Hence the term: Mao Out.

 14. If someone breaks a rule, any player may give them the top card off the Draw Pile face down as a penalty card and must announce what rule they broke while doing so.

 15. If you Mao Out, you make up a new rule that applies for the rest of the game!

 

NOTE: If the players decide to take a break and come back to the same game later, any new rules (#15 above) still apply. However, if you end the game and later start a new one, only the original 15 rules apply.

 

TREVOR'S QUALITY GUARANTEE:
YOU WILL BE 100% SATISFIED AND
YOUR GROUP WILL HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF FUN...
OR IT'S FREE!

 

[TREVOR's Recommended Card Games]
 

   

trevor@trevorthegamesman.com

PO Box 463, Haydenville, MA 01039