Contents

1 ESCOBA

ESCOBA

Escoba is a cool card game that can be played by 2 to 4 players. If you have 4 players, you can either play in teams or as individuals. If you play in teams, make sure your partner sits across from you.

The main goal of Escoba is to be the first player or team to reach a total of 21 points. You can do this by capturing cards with your hands during each round and earning points for completing specific objectives.

SETUP

To start the game, the first dealer is chosen randomly, but in the future, the dealer position moves to the right. The dealer will handle the cards for each hand, so they should keep the remaining deck nearby for easy dealing.

Alright, here’s how the game goes. First, the dealer shuffles the deck and lets the player on their left give it a cut. Then, the fun begins!

The dealer starts by dealing each player a hand of 3 cards. After that, they place four cards face-up in the center of the table. Exciting, right?

When players have played out all their cards from their hand, the dealer steps in again. They deal each player 3 more cards, and this continues until the deck is empty. Cool, huh?

Card Values

Ah, let’s not forget about card values! These babies determine which cards you can capture from the center. So, here’s the lowdown:

Cards labeled 1 through 7 have their numerical value. Easy peasy!
Jacks, well, they’re worth 8. Pretty sweet, right?
Now, horses. They have a value of 9. Giddy up!
Last but not least, kings. They’re worth 10. Fit for a royal, wouldn’t you say?

Now, keep in mind that jacks, horses, and kings have numbers on them, but those don’t reflect their value. You’ve got to remember their true worth!

GAMEPLAY

When we start playing the game, it’s the player to the right of the dealer who goes first. Then we go around in a counterclockwise direction. Each player takes their turn by playing a card from their hand. At this point, two things can happen: either you capture cards or you leave your card on the table to be captured later.

You’re not required to play cards in order to capture, but if the card you play can capture cards, you have to do it. Let’s say you have an 8 and a 6 in your hand. You can choose to play the 6 on the table even though it won’t capture anything. However, if you play the 8, you must capture the cards.

When I’m capturing cards, I can either grab a single card or a group of cards that add up to 15 when combined with the card I just played. Let’s say there’s a 4, 1, King, and 5 on the table. If I play a 5, I have two options. I can either snatch that King or I can nab the 4, 1, and 5. But here’s the catch: I can’t capture both options—I have to choose one.

When you capture cards, you take the cards you grabbed from the table, along with the card you played, and stash them in your score pile, face down.

If you manage to collect all the cards from the table at once, we call that an Escoba. It’s a cool move that gives you an extra point in scoring. To show that you got an Escoba, just leave the card you played faceup in your score pile. The dealer can even get an Escoba right at the beginning of the game if they deal four cards that add up to 15 or 30. In that case, they take all the cards and score one or two Escobas.

The game keeps going like this until all the cards are used up. When the last card of the last hand is played, it’s time to score. The player or team who last captured a card from the table will also get all the remaining cards. But this doesn’t count as an Escoba, just so you know.

SCORING

Once we finish playing a round, it’s time to tally up the scores. Each team will add up their points to see who comes out on top. There are a total of 4 points up for grabs in this scoring round.

The first point is for Cards. This point goes to the player or team that managed to capture the majority of the cards. In the event of a tie, no points are given.

The second point is for the suit of coins. The player or team with the most coin-suited cards earns a point. If there is a tie, no points are awarded.

The third point is for the seven of coins. If a player or team successfully captures the seven of coins, they are awarded a point.

When it comes to the scoring system in Escobas, there are four important points to consider. The first is the ‘Cards’ point. This point is awarded to the player or team that has collected the majority of cards throughout the game. In other words, whoever has more cards wins this point.

The second point is the ‘Coins’ point. It is awarded to the player or team that has collected the majority of coins. Coins are obtained by capturing specific cards during the game. The player or team with the most coins at the end of the game earns this point.

The third point is the ‘Sevens’ point. It is given to the player or team that has scored the most sevens during the game. Sevens are ranked from high to low: 7 (high), 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and picture cards (low). The team with the highest-ranking sevens wins this point.

Finally, the fourth point is the ‘Prime’ point. It is awarded to the player or team who captured the best prime. The ranking of the prime is determined by the suits of the cards. The best possible prime is made up of four 7s, with each card being of a different suit. If both teams have the same prime, no point is awarded. Otherwise, the team with the highest-ranking prime wins this point.

In addition to these points, Escobas are also scored by tallying up the face-up cards in your piles. This cumulative score is kept over several rounds.

End of the Game

The game of 21 is all about reaching the highest score before anyone else. If both players or teams hit 21 in the same round, the one with the most points wins. And if there’s still a tie, the game goes on until someone comes out on top. That’s the winner.

Hi, I’m Amber! I’m a big fan of gaming and I know a thing or two about it. I’m also an expert when it comes to dogs, plants, and D&D. So if you’re into those things too, we’re gonna get along just fine.

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