Welcome to Malilla

Hey there, I want to introduce you to a cool card game called Malilla. It’s a game designed for 4 players, and the objective is to reach 35 points before your opponents in order to win!

What makes Malilla unique is that it’s a partner game, which means you’ll have a teammate sitting opposite you at the table. Teamwork is the key to success!

Getting Started

Before we jump in, let’s get everything set up. If you’re using a regular deck of playing cards, make sure you remove all the 10s, 9s, and 8s. This will give you a 40-card deck, which is perfect for Malilla.

Now, let’s talk about the dealer. The first dealer is chosen randomly, and for each new deal, the dealer passes the deck to the right. Once the deck is shuffled, the player to the left of the dealer has the option to cut the deck if they want.

So here’s how it goes: me, the dealer, gives each player a hand of 10 cards, one card at a time. But don’t worry, I’m not left out either. I get the last card, which I deal face up. Why? Well, that card decides the trump suit for the game. See, if that card has a point value, my team scores those points when it’s revealed. Here’s the catch though, if scoring those points would make us win the game, we can’t count them just yet. We have to wait till the round is over and all the other points are scored. Fair, right? But if nobody wins after all the points for the round are scored, then we can finally count the points for the trump card I dealt.

Now, let’s talk about how the cards rank and their values:

For this game, we have a special order: 7 is the highest (also called Mililla), followed by the Ace, King is next, then the Queen, the Jack, and it goes on with 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 being the lowest.

Did you know that each card in a game has a specific value for scoring? It’s true! Let me break it down for you. 7s are worth 5 points, aces are worth 4 points, Reys are worth 3 points, Horses are worth 2 points, and Sotas are worth 1 point. But here’s the catch – all the other cards don’t have any point value at all.

Let’s Play!

Okay, so here’s how the game goes. It starts with the player who is sitting to the right of the dealer. They get to choose any card they want to play first. The other players must follow suit, if they can. And if their opponent is winning the trick, well, they better try to beat them! Now, here’s where it gets interesting. If you can’t follow suit, you have a couple of options. You can either choose to play a trump card, or you may even have to play a trump card if your opponent is winning. And if you don’t have a trump card or you’re not required to play one, well then, you can play any card of any suit. But here’s a rule – you can’t play a non-trump 7 to a trick if its suit hasn’t been led to a trick before.

To win a trick, you need to play the highest trump card. If nobody played a trump, then the trick is won by the highest-ranking card of the suit that was led. After winning a trick, you collect it into your score pile, and then you become the leader of the next trick.

SCORING

Once all the tricks have been played and won, it’s time to score. You add up the value of all the cards you won and earn an extra point for each trick you won. If your team scores more than 35 points, you subtract that number from 35. The remaining value is the number of points your team earns for the round, while the other team gets nothing.

END OF GAME

The game comes to an end when a team reaches 35 points or more. That team is declared the winner.

There are also two special wins called Capote and Zapato. These can give you extra points and bring excitement to the game.

Have you ever heard of a Capote in the game? It’s a remarkable achievement where a team manages to win all 10 tricks in a single round, securing the victory by earning all 35 points required. It’s like hitting the jackpot!

And then there’s the Zapato, which is equally impressive. This occurs when one team reaches 35 points to win while the opposing team is still at a score of 0. Talk about a landslide victory!

Let me introduce myself. I’m Amber, and I’m an avid writer from Austin who’s also a gaming connoisseur. I take pride in my gaming skills and consider myself a true master. When I’m not playing games, you can find me showering love on my dogs, tending to my plants, or indulging in a thrilling session of Dungeons & Dragons.

So, if you’re looking for an exhilarating gaming experience, keep these incredible accomplishments in mind. Who knows, maybe you’ll achieve a Capote or Zapato of your own!