Rummoli

Rummoli is a family card game for 2 to 8 people. This Canadian board game, created in 1940, requires a Rummoli board, a deck of cards (52 cards, no jokers), and chips or coins to play.

Rummoli board

A "Rummoli board", used during play, has the shape of an octagon.In the centre of the board is a spot called "Rummoli", surrounded by eight spots:
*The "poker pot"
*Ten of Spades
*Jack of Diamonds
*Queen of Clubs
*King of Hearts
*Ace of Spades
*Ace-King of Diamonds
*Sequence 7-8-9

Each of these spots on the board is used to store chips.

Play

Before the cards are dealt, everyone pays one chip to each spot on the Rummoli board.The dealer then deals around the table to every player, dealing himself two hands, one his own and the other called the "widow".All the cards are dealt, which may result in players having an unequal number of cards.Once this is completed everyone looks at their hand, the dealer looking at one of the hands he dealt himself.If the dealer wishes to exchange his hand he may exchange it for the widow hand.He may not exchange hands if he can win one of the pots on the board (like the Ace of Spades).If the dealer does not exchange hands for the widow, he auctions off the widow hand to the highest bidder. Any other player may bid.

There are two phases to play, the "Poker phase" and the "Rummoli phase".

Poker phase

Once the widow hand is used, the poker phase begins.The player to the left of the dealer starts off the betting, having the option to check.Betting continues in regular poker fashion. Players may wish to establish a limit prior to starting the game. e.g. Maximum bet of $1.00, with a maximum of 3 raises.The remaining player with the highest poker hand wins the poker pot.Once the poker pot has been collected this player then lays down their lowest card and the Rummoli phase begins.If they have two or more cards in different suits as their lowest card they can choose whichever suit to start off with.The player with the next card in the sequence of the suit, lays down their card.If no one holds this card, in other words it is in the discarded hand, the person to last play lays down their lowest card of the opposite colour suit.If the last card played was a black card, they must lay down a red card.

Rummoli phase

If the player does not have a card of the required colour they must pay one chip into the "Rummoli pot".Play then moves in a clockwise fashion until a card can be played.The first person to lay down all of their cards wins the Rummoli pot.All other players must then pay one chip for each remaining card they hold in their hand.The winner then picks up the Rummoli pot.While this phase is being played if any player lays down a card corresponding to a pot such as Ace of Spades, the player picks up that pot.All pots that are not picked up are left on the board and are in play the next round.The deal shifts players after each round, clockwise.

Final poker round

The game ends by all money on the Rummoli board being shoved into one pot, (or more if seen fit) and one round of poker being played.The winner of the round acquires the pot, and the person with the most chips at the end of the game wins.