Golf (card game)

Last updated
Golf
Golf card game.jpg
A player's grid of cards, in six card golf
Alternative namesPolish Polka, Polish Poker, Turtle
TypeDraw and discard
Players2+
CardsSingle deck of 52 or double deck of 104
Deck Anglo-American
Playing time10 minutes

Golf (also known as Polish Polka, Polish Poker, Turtle, Hara Kiri and Crazy Nines [1] ) is a card game where players try to earn the lowest score (as in golf, the sport) over the course of multiple deals (or "holes", as in a golf course hole), usually nine. [2]

Contents

This game is not to be confused with the solitaire game of the same name, with which it has little in common.

Deal

A single 52-card deck is recommended for a two or three player game. If played with four or more players, a double-deck of 104 cards is ideal.

Each player is dealt six face-down cards from a shuffled deck. The remaining cards are placed face down to form the stockpile, from which the top card is taken and turned up to start the discard pile beside it. Players arrange their cards in two rows of three in front of them and turn any two of these cards face up. [1] This arrangement is maintained throughout the game; players always have six cards in front of them.

Play

The objective is for players to reduce the value of the cards in front of them by swapping them for lesser value cards. After the end of each round, players calculate the score of their respective six cards.

Beginning with the dealer's left, players take turns drawing a single card from either the stockpile or discard pile. The drawn card may either be swapped for one of that player's six cards or, if drawn from the stockpile, discarded. If the card is swapped for one of the face-down cards, the card swapped in remains face up. If the card drawn is discarded, the player can then choose to flip a card face up.

The round ends when a player has six face-up cards (sometimes the other players are given one final turn following this), [1] after which scoring happens as follows: [3] [4]

During play, it is not legal to return a card drawn from the discard pile without playing it. When a player picks up the top card of the discard pile, that card must be played by swapping it with one of that player's cards.

A full game is typically nine hands, also known as "holes", after which the player with the fewest points total is designated the winner. [1] A longer game can be played to eighteen hands. [1]

Variations

There are many variants of multiplayer golf. [1] Some common ones include:

Single-deck golf

For two to four players. Rules are the same as in double-deck golf. Sometimes, jokers are not used.

Knocking

Golf can be played so that instead of ending the game automatically, a player must choose to "knock" instead of taking their turn. Remaining players then have one turn to draw a card to improve their hands and then scores are totaled and recorded on a running score sheet. This rule is more common for four-card golf. [1]

Four-card golf

Suitable for 3-7 players, in four-card Golf each player receives four cards face down in a 2×2 grid and reveal two before play begins. [5] Play proceeds similar to six-card golf. The end of a round is initiated by a player 'knocking', after which other players get one final turn.

Nine-card golf

One or two decks are involved, depending on the number of players. One deck is adequate for 1-3 players, two or more decks are suggested for 4+ players. [6] To begin the game, each player is dealt nine cards, laying out the cards face down in a 3x3 grid. The method or pattern for how the players layout their 3x3 grid is arbitrary, as long as the cards remain face down.

The game is played as six-card golf. Once any grid contains only face-up cards, the game is immediately ended, there are no further turns, and all players must flip all their face-down cards to determine their scores. Scoring is the same as six-card golf, with players having to form a full three-of-a-kind column to have that column score zero. [1]

This process of game play continues for nine total games or until a player exceeds 50 points.[ citation needed ]

Optional rules of this version include:

Alternative scoring

There are many variants for point values of cards, including:

In some versions, making a pair or triple of cards of equal rank (sometimes vertically, sometimes horizontally and sometimes diagonally) reduces those cards' scores to zero. [1]

Cambio

Variants known as Cambio, Pablo or Cactus include "power cards". When a power card is drawn from the stock, it can either be used for its normal value or discarded to activate its power. (If a power card is drawn from the discards, it must be played as its number.) [1] A simple version of the game played in Malaysia has the following power cards: [1]

John McLeod of Pagat.com speculates that these variants are Spanish in origin, as the game is recorded as being played by students in Spain, and many of its variant names are Spanish words (cambio meaning "exchange"). [1] The game had a commercial release as Cabo in 2010 [1] and is similar to the 1996 Mensa Select winner Rat-a-Tat Cat .

Knocker's penalties and bonuses

Some play Golf and its variations such that a player who knocks (turns over all cards first) but doesn't end with the lowest score is penalized:

If the knocker's score is lowest, some play with a bonus:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Rules of Card Games: Golf". Pagat.com. 2012-05-25. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
  2. Parlett, David (2004), The A–Z of card games (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 169f, ISBN   978-0-19-860870-7
  3. Six Card Golf, BicycleCards.com. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  4. Six Card Golf, Pagat.com. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  5. "Golf" (p.51) in Card & Dice Games by N.A.C. Bathe, Robert Frederick Ltd, 2004. ISBN   1-889752-06-1
  6. "9 Cards of Golf - Rules | Golf". BoardGameGeek. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  7. Kiley, Oliver. "9 Cards of Golf - Rules". 9 Cards of Golf. BoardGameGeek.com. Retrieved 25 February 2021.