Welcome to Loba De Menos

Loba De Menos is an exciting card game for 2 to 5 players. The aim of the game is to outlast your opponents and be the last player standing.

In Loba De Menos, players often place bets, so it’s important to decide on a standard amount before starting the game.

Getting Set Up

First, each player contributes an equal amount to the pot. Then, a dealer is randomly chosen, and the role passes to the left for each subsequent round.

The dealer shuffles the deck, which includes two full decks of cards and all four jokers. Each player is dealt a hand of nine cards, and the remaining cards form the draw pile. The top card from the draw pile is then placed face-up to start the discard pile.

Card Rankings and Values

In this card game, the ranking of cards goes as follows: Ace is the highest, followed by King, Queen, Jack, and then the numbers 10 through 2. After 2 comes the low Ace. It’s worth noting that the Ace cannot bridge the gap between high and low, like in the sequence King-Ace-2.

Now, let’s talk about the jokers. They are wild cards and can be used in Escaleras, also known as runs.

Aside from their rank, cards also have certain values assigned to them, which are used for scoring later on. Here’s the catch: in this game, you want to keep your score as low as possible, so it’s best to avoid ending the round with high-value cards in your hand.

When it comes to scoring, the cards from 2 to 9 bear their respective numeric value. On the other hand, 10s, Jokers, Aces, Kings, Queens, and Jacks are all worth 10 points.

Now, let’s delve into melds.

There are two types of melds in this game. The first type is called Piernas, also known as sets. The second type is called Escaleras, also known as runs.

Now let’s talk about Escaleras. They’re a bit different from Piernas. Escaleras are runs of 3 or more cards that are in sequential order and all of the same suit. You can use the ace as high or low, but it can’t bridge the gap between cards. It has to follow the natural order. So if you have a sequence like 5, 6, and 7 of hearts, that would make an Escaleras.

When it comes to playing Escaleras, jokers are an important part of the game. They can be used as any card in a sequence, but there is a catch – you can only use one joker per Escalera. And here’s another thing: you can move a joker if it’s on the outside of an Escalera, but not if it’s in the middle.

Say you have a run of spades that goes like this: 5, 6, 7, 8, and joker. Now, if you have a 9 of spades, you can move the joker to represent the 4 of spades. This way, you can place your 9 of spades into the run.

Now, let’s talk about gameplay.

The game starts with the player to the left of the dealer. It’s their turn. On their turn, they do three things: draw a card, play cards, and discard to end their turn.

When I’m playing a game of cards, I have a couple of options for drawing a card. I can either take the top card from the stock or I can take the top card from the discard pile. However, if I choose to draw from the discard pile, I need to keep in mind that I have to play that card during my turn. I can use cards from my hand to play it, or I can add it to a meld that I’ve already established. It’s important to note that I can only play onto existing melds, not create new ones, until I’ve made at least one meld myself.

Once I’ve drawn my card and decided whether or not to play, I have the option to make a move. I can either play a valid meld from my hand or I can add to an existing meld on the table. It’s worth noting that I can only play cards to other melds once I’ve made my own meld.

To end my turn, I must discard a card from my hand to the discard pile.

Now let’s talk about scoring.

So, here’s the deal: when I manage to get rid of all the cards in my hand, the round comes to an end. Pretty cool, right? But here’s the catch – I don’t score any points for that. Instead, the other players score points based on the cards they still have in their hands. And get this, those scores keep adding up over multiple rounds. Can you believe it?

Now, if I’m able to play all the cards in my hand and discard them in a single turn, without playing any cards previously, I can subtract 10 points from my score. A little bonus for my skills, you know?

But here’s where things get really interesting. If, at any point, I reach a total of 101 points or more, I’m out of the game. Yup, eliminated. However, if everyone agrees, I can buy my way back into the game not once, but twice! That’s right, two chances to redeem myself. And guess what? When I rejoin, my points get set to match the highest scoring player. Pretty sweet, huh?

So, that’s how it all ends

In the game, the round will continue until there is only one player left. However, if all but one player has reached a score of 100 or more, the game will also end. In this case, the player who is below 100 will be declared the winner, and no one will have the opportunity for a rebuy. The winner of the round will receive all the stakes that have been placed in the pot, and a new round can then begin.

I’m Amber, a writer and gaming enthusiast from Austin. I consider myself to be a gaming expert, and I have a passion for dogs, plants, and playing D&D.

I’m Amber, a writer and gaming enthusiast from Austin. I’m proud to call myself a gaming master, and I adore dogs, plants, and Dungeons & Dragons.