Idea of the game (Youtube video)

It's about using what you have to get more. You're earning chips mostly by getting cards, making matching sets, and selling those sets back to the game for more chips. Simple, right? Starting with 200 chips and 3 cards, you're playing to get the most chips before the game ends itself. All cards and chips stay on the table throughout the game.

You earn chips by selling matching 3-card sets (your products) back to the game.
• 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!")

But, getting cards isn't so easy. To get cards, you either must out-bid others, or snatch (trade away) unprotected cards from other players' open spreads. And while you're getting cards, you better protect the cards you already have. Oh, it can get pretty wild.

On your turn, do any one of three moves, and end your turn. Either:
(1), Draw 3 cards from the deck and immediately put them up for bid in a card auction. Start the bidding which goes round and round until there is a highest bidder who pays and takes all 3 cards adding them to his/her spread. 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 of ways to win this poker-rummy-chess-like game, while bluffing prices up, bidding, reading others' moves, and playing against the odds and time. Whew! (You'll need all the air you can get into that thinking cap.)

OK. You're getting cards (resources)– to make matching 3-card sets (products)– to sell back to the game for more chips (a profit)– 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 little twists and surprises. Makes sense, right?

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

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