Multiple of Twelve

Created and contributed by Jack Boettcher (germankdog@hotmail.com)

This isn't a conventional card game, I would describe it as math strategy.

Players

Two, I have tried three but it does not work as well.

Object

To score multiples of twelve by adding, subtracting and multiplying cards. The higher the multiple the higher the points of the score.

Deck

regular 52-card deck, and jokers.

Scoring

12=1, 24=2, 36=3, 48=4, 60=5, 72=6, 84=7, 96=8, 108=9, 120=10, 132=11, 144=12.

Obviously, 144 is the greatest play and 12 is barely worth it. Some gamers may wish to go further, but generally I suggest playing only multiples up to 144.

How to play

Red cards (hearts, diamonds) are subtraction. Black Cards are addition. You can multiply two reds by each other, or two blacks by each other (a negative times a negative is a pos. and so on). You can never multiply something three times.

You play in hands of five, so you may wish to multiply two cards and add or subtract some cards. Multiplying two cards and adding it with another pair of multiplied cards is legal, for instance, (6 of diamonds times 10 of hearts) plus (6 of spades times 10 of clubs) would equal 120. Ten points.

Since you play in hands of five, you must eliminate two cards from the deck to have an even number of ten hands. Take two cards off the top of the deck at the start of the game and put them face up between yourself and your opponent. Also take the jokers out but put them to the side for you will need them. 50 card remain. The ten hands can be distributed in any way, depending on whoever plays faster. There is no turn-taking.

[Each player takes a hand of five cards from the 50-card deck.]

Once you have played a multiple, [i.e. arranged some or all of your cards to result in a multiple of twelve] you show it to the other player, and get five more cards, and so on until the cards are gone. The cards you do not use in your play (play= the cards you use to form the multiple) are discarded.

At the end of the game the cards in your discard pile are added up, and for every 20 points, one point is taken off your gross overall score (the gross overall score is the total of your points from the multiples, see scoring chart at top).

Some gamers may wish to play with smaller intervals in the discard pile, say 10, so that the pile will make a bigger difference. Aces are 1 or 11, but are eleven in the discard pile. Everything else is worth the same in the discard pile as it is in the game. All face cards are worth ten. The cards you do use in a play are put in a separate pile, and are not used again.

What if I can't play? - If you are stuck you may use one of the two extra cards, or both, to help. These cards are first-come, first-serve, but for each one you use, you must put a joker in your discard pile. A joker is worth twenty in the discard pile, or one whole point off the overall score. If you still can't play after you've taken a joker card, you can keep looking or discard all five cards and get a new hand.

Always remember - Make sure you see your opponents play, and watch to see if he/she made a mistake or is trying to pull a fast one on you. Try to use your cards efficiently as not to have a large discard pile, but more importanly try to make big multiples, and compute quickly.

Variations

Team multiples can be played where two games are played, and members from each game pair up. At the end of both games, the players add up their scores by team, and the team with the highest overall score wins.

Players who feel at a disadvantage may use a calculator.