© 2008 Newscool™,
Rules Q & A©
(Suggestion: Going in order helps.)
Q: Are all cards face up on the table at all times?
A: Yes. All cards in play are grouped in open "spreads" along with chips in front of
their owners.
Q: How many identical cards are they in the deck?
A: There are 16 sets of 3 identical symbol face cards (like 3 X- hearts), but each
set of three identical cards has different chip values on their backs; 25, 50 or 100.
Q: What are you trying to do?
A: Have the most chips at the end.
Q: How do you get chips?
A: Two ways. Either:
• by selling matching 3-card sets back to the game, or
• by drawing cards, putting them up for bid, and having other players pay you for them.
Q: What's a matching 3-card set?
A: Any 3 cards sharing at least the same suit or shape on their faces is a set.
Q: Who pays you for the sets you sell?
A: The game bank pays you when you put the sold cards in the game tray face-up
discard pile.
Q: When do other players pay you?
A: If you draw, you must draw 3 cards and auction them off to the highest bidder.
That bidder pays you and takes all three cards adding them to his or her spread.
Q: Can you bid for the cards you drew?
A: Yes. And if you win the bid, pay the bank and take the three cards into your spread.
Q: How many times does the bid go 'round?
A: As many times as necessary until all but one player has passed. That remaining
player wins the bid, pays and takes all three cards.
Q: What happens when many players need cards from the same drawn set?
A: They bid like crazy for the cards. If you need cards and can't bid, sorry. No credit
in this game.
Q: When selling, are all matching sets worth the same?
A: No. Sets matching only one symbol (like 3 hearts or 3 squares) are worth the total
amounts on their backs when sold. And identical symbol sets, sets matching both
symbols are worth an automatic 500 chips when sold.
(Disregard values on backs of sold identical sets.)
Q: How do you get cards to make sets?
A: Two ways.
• Either by out-bidding other players for them when they are drawn and auctioned, or
• by trading them away from other players. Maybe it's more "traiding" than trading.
Q: How do you trade cards away from other players?
A: By taking any unprotected card from any other player, and giving one of your own
cards in return. The player who you trade with has no say, except to protect the card.
Q: What is an unprotected card?
A: Any card in a spread that has the only suit or shape in that spread is unprotected.
All cards in spreads with lone symbols are unprotected and can be taken by traders.
Q: Is a card protected if each symbol on the card appears on other cards in
the spread?
A: Yes. A card can be protected either by another identical card, or by two other cards,
each of the other cards sharing a different one of the symbols on the protected card.
Q: Why do cards need to be protected?
A: Ownership is one of the pillars of free market economics. Why would you want to
achieve anything if it could be taken from you at will? So, protect what you own
or leave it unprotected. It's your choice.
Q: So, exactly what must you do on your turn?
A: Choose and do any one of 3 moves, and end your turn-
• Sell any number of matching 3-cards sets to the game, or
• Trade away a card you need from another player, or
• Draw 3 cards and put them up for bid. Start the bidding.
After your turn, the player to your left takes a turn.
Q: How many cards can you have in your spread?
A: Any number in multiples of three; 3-6-9-12...
Q: What about those three, purple BUX 1-2-3 cards?
A: They control the game and are never in spreads. They must be separated and well
mixed into the draw deck. When drawn, during play, they are shown to all players and
tucked, number-side up, half under the game tray, and another card drawn in their place.
Q: How do the BUX cards control the game?
A: When the first BUX card is drawn, it means only that "Time is passing." The second
BUX card drawn means that the game is paying double. So it pays 1000 for identical sets
and double the chip values for single-symbol sets. The third BUX card pauses the game.
During this pause, all unowned cards, including the three BUX1-2-3 cards are reshuffled
to become the next draw deck. (Separate the three BUX cards before shuffling the
numbers-up deck.) The game goes back to single payment as play continues with the
player who drew the third BUX card continuing to draw 3 fresh, new cards.
Q: When does the game end?
A: When the third BUX card is drawn in the third draw deck played.
Q: How does the game start?
A: Each player gets 3 symbol-face up cards and 200 chips, all to be kept on the table.
(If a purple BUX card is dealt at the beginning, tuck it back into the deck and deal
another card in its place.)
Q: What are chips worth?
A: White chips-5 each, silvers-10, golds-50, blacks-100, reds-1000.
Q: Where does the draw deck go?
A: In either tray, number-side up, within reach of all players.
(And the sold cards are placed symbol-side-up in the other, discard-pile tray.)
Q: How does the bluffing work?
A: Whenever cards are drawn, especially if you draw them, you can bid to tempt
players who need the cards, to bid more. But look out! This strategy could backfire
on you if they pass, forcing you to waste your money on cards you may not need.
Q: Anything else?
A: Not much, but it's always better to read the rules. There are two last things:
• If you start your turn with no chips, you can either take 100 and pass your turn, or
take nothing and play normal, without chips.
• If you start your turn with no cards, you must draw 3 cards and either keep them
without a bid, or put them up for bid. It's your choice.