Ruleset 1.2.1

INTRO

King Cut-Throat is a trick-taking card game. Each player plays for themselves. The first player to score 10 points wins.

PREAMBLE

Following the Lore and Ruleset you will find Optional Rules, FAQ's, Origin Details, Timeline, Token Information, Discussion, Strategy, & Closing Statements.

LORE

Throughout the land, the Kings of the valleys wanted supporters. Most of all, they wanted farmers to make them rich and bow in service. So the Kings came together and awarded three lucky farmers with great honor. One shall be named The Best Bower, the second The Right Bower, and the third The Left Bower. They were to be looked upon highly. Some people of the valleys did not appreciate the favoritism, however, and quarreled in the streets. Should they support their Kings? ...or march with the farmers? Seems the jester knows the conflict was intentional...

PLAYERS

3 or 2 players. 3 highly recommended.

CARDS

A pack of 33 cards is used.

A K Q J 10 9 8 7 of each

• Diamonds♦️
• Spades ♠️
• Hearts ♥️
• Clubs ♣️

One Joker ✪

RANK

The named trump suit has 10 cards, highest to lowest as follows:

• Joker, always the highest trump, "The Best Bower"
• Jack #1, Jack of the trump suit, "The Right Bower"
• Jack #2, Other Jack that's the same color as the trump suit*, "The Left Bower"
• Ace
• King
• Queen
• 10
• 9
• 8
• 7

There is always a trump suit, and all cards of the trump suit rank higher than any card in the other 3 suits.

The other 3 suits rank in standard order:

• Ace
• King
• Queen
• Jack*, except the other suit same color as trump has no Jack
• 10
• 9
• 8
• 7

*For Example, if the trump suit becomes Spades, the Jack of Clubs is considered a Spade for that hand, 3rd highest card. If the trump suit becomes Hearts, the Jack of Diamonds is considered a Heart for that hand, etc., The Left Bower does NOT behave as a member of its native suit.

BEFORE THE DEAL

Players decide if they want to play "polite" (all cards played in tricks remain revealed). A dealer is chosen at random. Optional rules should be discussed.

THE DEAL

The turn to deal rotates clockwise after each hand. The cards should be shuffled and cut. 10 cards are dealt to each player, face down, as follows:

• A batch of 3 to each player
• A batch of 3 to the kitty, center of table
• A batch of 4 to each player
• A batch of 3 to each player

If only 2 are playing, a phantom 3rd player should be dealt. There should be no cards left over.

NAMING TRUMP

Before each hand is played a trump suit is named.

Each player removes 3 cards from the their hand and places them "outside", A FACE-DOWN PILE SEPARATE FROM THE KITTY.

After each player confirms they've discarded and hold 7 cards the dealer flips the top card of the kitty. A flipped Joker causes a re-deal.

The player to the left of the dealer decides if they want the suit of the flipped card to be named trump.

1. If they DO, that card is added to the hand of the player to their left**. The receiving player must then send one card "outside" and face down, returning their hand to 7 cards. The unseen, remaining two cards of the kitty then go "outside" as well at this time.
2. If they DO NOT choose the flipped card to be trump, they pass and the decision moves clockwise, see above.

If all players pass, dealer included, on naming the suit of the flipped card as trump, the card is moved to the bottom of the kitty, partially revealed to signify that suit can NO LONGER BE NAMED TRUMP.

The player left of the dealer then has the option to name any of the 3 remaining suits as trump.

1. If they DO name a suit as trump, the 2 face down cards of the kitty are added to the hand of the player to their left**. The receiving player must then send 2 cards "outside" and face down, returning their hand to 7 cards. The last card of the kitty joins the "outside" pile at this time, also facedown.
2. If they DO NOT name a suit as trump, they chose to pass and the decision moves clockwise, see above. If all players decline to name one of the three remaining suits as trump in this second round of naming, the cards are collected and deal moves to the left.

3-Player: After the trump suit has been determined dealer may elect to count (not view) the cards "outside" and confirm there are 12 and they're all face down.

2-Player: The nine card "outside" pile is unused in a two player game and can be collected with the ten card dead hand if desired.

**Note: the kitty card(s) are always given to the player left of the trump maker. Normal Euchre players may note the difference.

PLAY

Each hand is played in 7 tricks. A trick is a single card played by each player with the highest ranking card winning & taking the cards of the trick. Collected, the winner of the trick lays it in front of them. A player who has won multiple tricks arranges them as to keep count.

Player to the LEFT OF THE DEALER LEADS (plays first card) and play proceeds clockwise.

• In turn, players MUST FOLLOW (play the same) SUIT LED. IF UNABLE, PLAY ANY CARD.

WINNER of a trick LEADS next trick. See card rank above.

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Example 1, Spades as trump:

1. Player A leads the trick with 10 of Diamonds
2. Player B declares "I have no Diamonds" and plays 9 of trumps (Nine of Spades)
3. Player C holds 9 of Diamonds and 10 of trumps (Ten of Spades)
4. Player C MUST play 9 of Diamonds to follow the suit led and loose the trick

Example 2, Diamonds as trump:

• Player A leads the trick with Jack of Hearts (the Left Bower, 3rd highest trump)
• Player B holds Queen of Hearts and Queen of Diamonds
• Player B MUST play Queen of Diamonds and lose the trick. During this hand Player A's Jack of Hearts has become a Diamond, part of the trump suit, and the Left Bower is ranked higher than the Queen of trumps.
• Player C holds 7 of Clubs and the Joker (the Best Bower, the highest trump & considered a Diamond for this hand)
• Player C MUST play the Joker and win the trick to follow led suit

Example 3, Diamonds as trump:

• Player A leads the trick with Jack of Hearts (the Left Bower, 3rd highest trump)
• Player B holds King of Diamonds and Ace of Diamonds
• Player B will loose regardless of card played because the Left Bower ranks higher than both the King and Ace of trumps.
• Player C holds the Joker and Jack of Diamonds, Best Bower and Right Bower
• Player C will win the trick regardless card played

Example 4, Clubs as trump:

• Player A leads the trick with 8 of Spades
• Player B has no Spades, plays King of Hearts
• Player C has no Spades, plays 8 of Diamonds
• Player A wins the trick. Both players B and C cannot match suit and chose not to play trumps.

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THE SHOWDOWN (3-3-1)

The player who wins the most tricks at the end of the hand is awarded point(s).

In a three player game, two players may end up taking 3 tricks, while the remaining player a single trick. Instead of scoring, this triggers "The Showdown", an additional hand between the two players with 3 tricks. Players "take it outside" and proceed as follows:

Acting as mediator, the player that had the single trick shuffles the "outside" pile and deals 6 cards to each remaining player. They each discard 1 face down reducing their hands to 5. A best 3 of 5 tricks hand ensues. Of the two players in The Showdown, the last to win a trick leads. The trump suit carries over. The player who takes more tricks wins The Showdown.

Two player games are clearly decided.

SCORING

The score is typically kept by means of a 4 and a 6 from the unused part of the pack for each player. These are arranged to show a number of pips corresponding to the player's score.

OBJECTIVE

A player who reaches a score of 10 points wins the game, and play ends immediately.

END OF HAND SCORING

• Score 1 point to a single player with the most tricks, but not all 7
• Score 2 points to the player that won all 7 tricks if they named trumps
• Score 3 points to the player that won all 7 tricks but didn't name trumps
• Score 1 point for winning The Showdown
• Remove 1 point from the player losing the The Showdown (scores cannot become negative)
• Mediator does not score at the end

SCORING DURING PLAY

Any player that takes/wins a trick with a King of ANY suit immediately scores 1. Taking another players King does not score. The King must be the highest ranked card of the trick played. Player A does not score for taking player B's King in Example 4.

OPTIONAL RULES

• Mediator decides lead in The Showdown (recommended)
• A flipped Joker from the kitty acts as Spade, or other suit (time-saver)
• Queen's rank higher than Kings and score instead of Kings
• Ace's score instead of Queen's or Kings

FAQ's

Q. Do I have to lead with the trump suit?

• No. Lead with any card. Lead means doing what you want.

Q. Do both players with 3 tricks score 1 point before the The Showdown starts?

• No. If the winner of The Showdown didn't score from any Kings they'll have gained 1 point that hand. The Showdown hands are considered a continuation for scoring purposes.

Q. If a player has won enough tricks before the hand is over can we just "throw them in"?

• Only if all players agree. There may be scoring considerations.

Q: What if a player is caught not following suit led?

• Any points determined gained from the play are removed and play continues. The offending player is said to be "dagging sheep" for the rest of the hand (executing menial tasks for the other players).

Q: Can the game end in the middle of a hand with a King?

• Yes.

ORIGIN

Developed and play tested in Oregon/Washington region, USA., 2009-2011 estimated 100+ volunteered hours via 12+ participants.

TIMELINE

THE PAST

In the 2000's I began to collect interesting decks of playing cards. I especially enjoyed collecting decks with unique or antique Joker cards. I noticed that most of the card games I had learned over the years did not use them, or rarely did. I went on a hunt to discover some! I sought out aging rule books and card game history. This led to my discovery of the game Euchre, which I immediately failed to impress upon my peers. My peers were much more interested in Magic the Gathering, a specialized card game far more complex that required preparation as well. After all, that's why we were hanging out in the first place.

I didn't give up. I wanted the Joker card to see air... not be left in the tuck box. So in 2009 instead of spending my free time building more MTG decks I developed this, a card game for three players. It was intended as a quick time filler to be played while waiting for the rest of the crew to show up (it always seemed to be 3 of us). They were great playtesters, technically minded, and quickly cut to the most difficult oversights and design decisions. A big thanks to them.

..and then it happened. Balance. Instead of annoyance that I was bringing distraction we started having fun, especially during The Showdown, exactly as I'd hoped. The feedback that started as critical turned positive, a few even taught others. I started playing with family. I felt encouraged to write a better than scribbled version of the ruleset. I wrote some lore and few sentences on strategy. I presented the game online in an unofficial capacity where it was buried as a variant of a variant and faded away. I loved it just the same and felt proud it had sturdy base of stress-testing.

THE PRESENT

The "living document" format is a fantastic way to officially release cardgame rulesets. It will be easy to find, clear which rules are current, and kept with a history. Proof of involvement with the game is a bonus.

I wish I could say I played more these days. The MTG nights have become a rarity, and this with it. Once idle family members have moved or started families of their own. Time has passed.

Now fx(text) has presented another chance for the game to find a new audience.

Will I offer "support" for this Ruleset? To a reasonable degree of my free time, sure! It would give me great joy to hear others experiences with the game. The fx(hash) discord is currently one of my most visited as some of you know. Would I create a server for a community around the game? Yes, if it needs it.

This is a generative art platform! Why here?! These questions bring me to...

THE FUTURE

It certainly would be fun to develop or collaborate a generative token cardback or cardface specific to this game's design. Even more fun if printable. This will only be pursued if the game itself gains momentum. You can show interest, curiousity, or support by...

MINTING THE ARTICLE

1089 tokens (33 x 33) will be available.

Single tokens purchased will be enjoyed as support & holders viewed as official participants of the game.

Holders of 10 or greater Ruleset Tokens may consider themselves Official Judges. Please take care to understand the rules, Judges.

Holders of 100 article tokens will be considered Official Tournament Organizers and may decide bracket structure and optional rules for tournaments they support. Keeping results recorded on-chain is recommended using a mechanism such as fx(text).

DISCUSSION & STRATEGY

While the game contains echoes of Euchre, knowledge of how to play it is not required. Understanding how trump suits work is helpful. Cards (such as 5's) from the unused part of the pack may be used as a reminder which suit is currently trump if desired. The most difficult rule to teach new players is how the Left Bower is played correctly.

When teaching it can be pragmatic to simply "just keep the highest 7 cards". It's usually not the worst play and the subtleties of discarding skillfully become apparent with further experience.

Players must decide if they're going to keep cards to support their King(s) since a single trick can score. Heavy trump suited players can best the hand while a well played relatively crummy hand can sneak in, take a trick with a King, and keep up. This adds value to lower non-trump cards suited with a King as they can be used to draw out cards threatening a chance to score with it. Remember, in deciding trump you are essentially giving value to the player on your left, either the single known trump card, or the 2 unknown cards.

The drama of The Showdown is nuanced by whether the game is played "polite". There remains two cards face down near the end only one of which each player is not aware. Playing "impolite" (tricks won placed face down) gives advantage to those with a confident short-term memory.

The game has been balanced such that "epic comebacks" are possible. As a result, there's the occasional "I just couldn't do anything..." hand.

25-60min on avg. If the game is interupted just finish the hand, score it, and pack up. If you can remember 3 digits, you can resume.

CLOSING

With a single standard deck of cards, everything is included for enjoying and scoring a Joker focused, 3-player experience with subtle depth and a satisfying tempo. I hope you enjoy it!

Suggestions, inquiries, and collaborations are always considered. –Gibberish Umbra ♦️♠️♥️♣️ ✪