Ottawa

This game, contributed by Jorge Mata , was devised as an adaptation of Uno to play with a standard deck and all the 'meanness' was removed with the lack of any Draw 2/4 cards. It is interesting that the result was not the recreation of the parent game Crazy Eights, but a rather different game.

This game is well suited for family play from 6 years and up.

The game is best played with three to four players, but up to six can take part. Either a fixed number of deals are played, or the game is played to a target score. The number of deals or the target score needs to be agreed before beginning to play.

The Deck

One standard deck of 52 cards is used. Cards in each suit rank, from low to high with the Ace used to make-the-turn:

(Ace) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Jack Queen King (Ace)

The Deal

The first dealer is chosen randomly, and the turn to deal alternates and rotates clockwise. With up to four players, seven cards each are dealt each player; when five or six play each player gets six cards. The cards are dealt one at a time, and after the deal, the next card is placed face up on the table to start the lay off pile, and the remainder of the deck is placed face down beside it to form the stock. The players look at and sort their cards.

Object of the Game

The object of the game is to lay off (dispose) of all the cards in your hand. There are three ways to lay off cards: a run, a set or a running set.

• A Run is taking a single or a combination of two or more cards from your hand, and placing them on top of the lay off pile in front of you on the table.
  • a run consists of any number of cards of any suit in consecutive order, such as 4, 5, 6 or J, 10, 9, 8.
  • a run can be reversed if the next card in the opposite direction matches suit. Such as 6, 7, 8 then 7, 6, 5.
  • a run can also make-the-turn with an Ace if the next card after the turn matches suit. Such as Q, K, A then 2, 3.
• A Set is adding one or more cards from your hand that match the face of the top card on the lay off pile, such as adding 4, 4 on top of 4.
• A Running Set is playing a combination of a run and a set in one play. In each case the transition card must match the suit of the last run/set card. Such as adding J, J, J then Q, K or 4, 5, 6 then 7, 7, 7.

Play

Players take turns in clockwise rotation, beginning with the player to dealer's left.

Each turn consists of the following parts: The Draw and the Lay Off

1. The Draw consists of taking one card from the top of the Stock pile and adding it to your hand. If you HAVE NOT yet played a lay off, you may play a lay off at this time. If you HAVE played a lay off you CANNOT play after your draw.
2. The Lay Off. If you have a valid run or set in your hand, you may make one play either before or after the draw. Playing a lay off is optional; you are not obliged to lay off just because you can.

Note that when laying off, the card you play, or the first card of the run or set you play, must match the top cards of the pile as follows. It may be:

1. the same rank as the top card of the pile and any suit
2. the next rank above or below the top card of the pile, and the same suit as the top card
3. if the top two cards of the pile are adjacent ranks, and the top card is not an ace, your card may continue that run in the same direction, and may be any suit.

Examples:

1. The top card of the pile is 8 and the card underneath it is a 7. Your lay off may begin with any 8 (equal to the top card) or any 9 (continuing the run) or the 7 (reversing) but not a 7 of any other suit.
2. The top card of the pile is 8 and the card underneath it is another 9. Your lay off may begin with any 8 (equal to the top card) or the 9 or the 7 (reversing) but not a 9 or 7 of any other suit.

If the stock pile has run out the lay off pile (except for the top two cards) is turned over and shuffled to form a new stock, and play continues.

A player wins an individual hand when all of his or her cards have been discarded. Getting rid of your last card is called going out. As soon as someone goes out, play ceases. There can be no further laying off, even if the other players have valid combinations in their hands.

Scoring

When a player goes out, the other players add up the value of all the cards still remaining in their hands, as follows:

• Face cards (K,Q,J) are worth 10 points each
• Aces are worth 15 points
• Number Cards are worth their face value - for example a six is worth 6 points, a four is 4 points, and so on.

The total value of all the cards in the hands of the other players is added to the winner's cumulative score.

The game continues with further deals until a player reaches the points target that was decided before the game began, or until the agreed number of deals has been played.

Adjusted Rules:

The target score can be adjusted to the level of play desired as it is possible for an extended time to be used in playing a single deal.