Racko!

Racko! is a Parker Brothers card game with the objective of obtaining 10 numbers, in numerical order, in one's hand. Score may be kept on a separate piece of paper, based upon either a custom system or the system provided in the rule book. Racko! allows between 2-4 players, and is recommended for players age 8 and up. Racko! celebrated its 50-year anniversary in 2006. [ [http://www.hasbro.com/media/default.cfm?page=release&release=433 Racko! 50] ]

Gameplay

The deck consists of 60 cards, each containing a number from 1 to 60. Depending on how many people are playing, the deck may be reduced in size. If two people are playing, only the cards from 1 to 40 are used; if three people are playing, the cards from 1 to 50 are used; and if four people are playing, the entire deck is used.

A dealer will shuffle the cards and then deal to each player, dealing 10 random cards to every player. The players will take one card at a time, without looking at what number is on the card, and place it in the first available place until the rack is full. For example, on space 10, you might have a 3, on space 9, you might have a 23, on space 8, you might have a 59.

Each player's goal is to replace cards that are not in numerical order with cards that are in numerical order. The cards need to be in order from lowest to highest, but they do not need to be consecutive. For example, if a 58 appears in slot 1, you know you have to replace it with a smaller number. This is where the strategic thinking comes in, as you must decide what numbers to discard and what numbers to keep. A player may not switch the numbers within their own racks; only numbers drawn from the deck can be used.

It is not necessary for numbers to be a certain size or in a certain order, as long as they are in numerical order. You are considered a winner if you get this order: 1, 27, 31, 39, 43, 46, 50, 56, 59, 60, even though the jump from 1 to 27 is dramatic.

THE PLAY: Each player, when it is his turn, will either draw a card from the remainder of the deck, or will take the card discarded by the previous player. He will then put that card into one of his own 10 slots, and will then discard the card which he has replaced in that slot.

In order to be counted as the game winner, you must yell "RACKO!" as soon as your cards are in numerical order.

Point System

While it is very easy to play with a custom point system, or no point system at all, the game does have a built-in point system in the rule book.

Every time a player calls RACKO!, he or she is awarded 75 points. Bonus points may be distributed for a sequence of three or more numbers on the rack that appear in EXACT numerical order, meaning if your rack looks like this: 1, 7, 8, 9, 33, 41, 47, 54, 57, 59, you may be awarded points for the matching "7,8,9". However, the players are not bound to any of these point rules.

References

External links

* [http://www.hasbro.com/default.cfm?page=browse&product_id=9632 Racko at official Hasbro website]
* [http://www.boardgames.com/racko.html Racko at boardgames.com]