Idea of the game

You're in control of your own economics, buying and selling cards and making money. Starting with 200 chips (your money), and 3 cards (your resources), you're playing to get the most chips before the game ends itself. Earn chips by selling matching 3-card sets back to the game. When selling:
• Mixed sets matching 1 symbol pay the total on the backs of the cards,
• Perfect sets matching both symbols- on 3 identical cards, pay an automatic 500 chips.

The more sets you sell back to the game, the more chips you earn. Sell at the right time and double your chip take. Wait too long and get nothing. ("Oink!")

Getting cards takes action. You get cards by out-bidding others, or taking unprotected cards from other players' open spreads. Cards are drawn from the deck in 3's and immediately put up for bid in a card auction. Bidding wars break out between players who need the same drawn cards to complete their sets. All three drawn cards go to the highest bidder. You must do something to get cards in this game.

On your turn, do any one of three moves, and end your turn. Either:
(1), Draw 3 cards and put them up for bid by holding a card auction. Start the bidding. Or
(2), Take an unprotected card from another players' spread of cards- while giving
one of your cards in return. Or
(3), Sell any number of matching 3-card sets back to the game for chips.

Three special, purple BUX cards in the deck control the set-selling prices, timing, and play cycles.

Go to your limits, thinking and risking to control this poker-rummy-chess-like game, while bluffing, bidding and reading others' moves, and playing against time and the odds. (Whew!)

So, you're getting cards– to make matching 3-card sets– to sell back to the game for more chips– to buy more cards to make more sets... The more sets you make and sell, the more chips you get to buy more cards. That's the idea, with a few more twists and surprises.

The one-game record of 11,690 was established in tournament play. How do you stack up?.

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