Kingmaker

A card game you make somebody else win

Objective

A pile of cards is built up in front of each player. The object of the game is to wind up with a "Win" card in your pile. The hitch is that you can't play any cards into your own pile.

What you need

• A standard poker deck of playing cards, jokers included.

How to play

1. Shuffle the deck.
2. Deal five cards to each player.
3. Place the remaining deck in the middle of the table.
4. The player to the left of the dealer takes the first turn.
5. On your turn, draw one card, then play one card from your hand into another player's pile.
6. Follow the instructions for the card you played.
7. If the instructions do not force a change in the playing order, play passes to the left of the player who just played a card.
8. If the deck runs out, it is not re-shuffled. The players must keep playing from their hands until a winner is declared.

Card Instructions

Joker

Zilch.
(No effect.)

Ace

Play one on me.
(Player must play a card into your pile.)

Two

Take two, they're small.
(Player draws two.)

Three

You're next.
(Turn passes to that player.)

Four

Look to your left.
(Turn passes to player's left.)

Five

Look to your right.
(Turn passes to player's right.)

Six

Gimme that.
(Player must give you a card of your choice from their hand.)

Seven

Take this.
(Player must take a card of your choice from your hand.)

Eight

Back at ya.
(Turn passes to previous player.)

Nine

Win free zone.
(No player can play a win card onto this pile until this card is covered by another.)

Ten

Strange attractor.
(Any "Win" card played, must be played onto this pile until this card is covered by another, or another attractor is played)

Jack

Shake the tree.
(All other players must play one card into your pile. Only "Win" cards have any effect.)

Queen

The hat game.
(All players play one card onto the pile of the player to their right. Only "Win" cards have any effect.)

King

Win.
(Player wins immediately.)