MAU MAU

Hey there! Have you ever heard of Mau Mau? It’s a cool card game from Germany, kind of like Crazy Eights, UNO, or Shithead. The goal of the game is simple: get rid of all your cards before anyone else does. But here’s the twist – some cards have special powers!

For example, the number 7 card is a troublemaker. When you play it, the next player has to draw two additional cards. And then there are the Jacks – they’re wild and can be played on any card. They’re like the jokers of the deck.

What sets Mau Mau apart from other card games is its unique deck. Instead of the usual 52 cards, Mau Mau only uses 32. This makes for a fast-paced and exciting game. No time for boredom here!

Each round of Mau Mau is a chance to earn points. The player who gets rid of all their cards gets rewarded based on the cards left in their opponents’ hands. The rounds keep going until one player reaches 150 points or more. And guess what? That player becomes the ultimate winner!

THE CARDS & THE DEAL

Alright, here’s how you play Mau Mau! We’ll be using a deck of 32 cards, starting from low 7 to high Ace. First, decide who will be the dealer. Once that’s settled, the dealer will shuffle the deck and deal five cards to each player. The remaining cards go face down and become the stock. Now, flip over the top card to kickstart the discard pile.

Let the Game Begin

The player to the left of the dealer will take the first turn. During their turn, they can play one card onto the discard pile. To do this, the card they play must either match the suit or rank of the card on top of the discard pile.

If for some reason a player can’t or doesn’t want to play a card, they have to draw one from the top of the stock. If that card can be played, the player can choose to play it. However, if that card can’t be played or the player doesn’t want to play it, their turn ends.

Power Cards

There are some special cards in the game that have unique powers.

When you play a 7, the next player has to draw two cards from the deck and miss their turn. They can’t play any cards on the discard pile. The fun part is that you can keep stacking 7‘s. So if the player who has to draw two cards also has a 7 card, they can play it and the next player will have to draw four cards. And if that player has a 7, they can play it and make the next player draw six cards.

If someone plays an 8 card, the next player is skipped and it’s not their turn.

When you play a 9 card, the order of the turns immediately changes. It goes the other way.

Jacks are cool because they are wild cards. You can play them on any other card. And the person who plays the Jack gets to decide which suit has to be played next.

ONE CARD REMAINS

When you’re down to your second-to-last card in a game of Mau Mau, you better remember to say “Mau.” If you forget and someone else says it before you, well, you’ll have to pay the price by drawing two extra cards. And not only that, you’ll also be benched for the rest of the round.

Now, here’s another twist: if your very last card happens to be a Jack, you’ve got to say “Mau Mau” to end the round. But hold on! If you only say “Mau” and manage to play your Jack, still thinking you’ve won, but one of your opponents catches you, then it’s penalty time again with two extra cards for you. The game doesn’t end here, though.

Ending the Round

The round finally comes to its grand finale when someone plays their very last card. Take a break, do a little math, tally up the score, and get ready for the next round. Keep playing until one player reaches or surpasses 150 points.

Scoring

If you manage to get rid of all your cards, you’ll earn points based on the ones left in your opponents’ hands.

The value of the cards from 7 to 10 is equal to the number on the card.

Queens, Kings, and Aces are each worth 10 points.

Jacks, on the other hand, are worth a whopping 20 points each.

WINNING

Whoever reaches 150 points first is the winner of the game.

The first player to earn 150 points or more wins the game.