Welcome to the world of Norwegian Gurka!

Norwegian Gurka is a super fun card game that can be played with 2 to 7 players. It’s a lot like the game Cucumber, but with its own unique twist. The ultimate goal of the game is to outlast all the other players and be the last one standing. Are you up for the challenge? Let’s dive in!

Getting Started: Setting Up the Game

First things first, we need to set up the game. One player will take on the important role of the dealer for the round. The dealer will shuffle the deck, including any jokers if you decide to use them, and deal out 7 cards to each player. The remaining cards will be placed facedown in a pile that everyone can reach. Ready, set, let’s get this party started!

Now, let’s talk about the ranks of the cards. In Norwegian Gurka, the Ace is the highest-ranking card, while the 2 is the lowest. Here’s the full card ranking for you: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Suit doesn’t matter in this game, so no need to worry about that.

Oh, and don’t forget about the jokers! In this game, jokers are like extra aces. They can come in handy, so keep an eye out for them!

Let’s Play!

In Norwegian Gurka, we play a series of rounds, and each round consists of 7 tricks. To begin the game, the player sitting to the left of the dealer takes the lead and plays the first card for the trick. After that, the winner of each trick starts the next one.

When playing a trick in Norwegian Gurka, the player who starts the trick can play any card they want. The other players then have to play a card of the same rank or higher, unless they don’t have one, in which case they must play their lowest-ranking card. The player who plays the highest-ranked card or the last card in the trick becomes the winner of that trick.

All the cards played by the players stay in front of them. You can look at other players’ cards when deciding which card to play next.

SCORING

When the last trick of the round is won, I’m penalized. I receive a score equal to the rank of the card the trick was won with. Aces and Jokers are worth 14 points, king 13, queen 12, jack 11, and the remaining cards are worth face value.

When I receive a score of 21 or more, I’m eliminated from the game.

When new rounds are started, the player to the left of the dealer (if not eliminated) becomes the new dealer until we determine a winner.

END OF GAME

The game ends once there is only one player who is not eliminated. They are the winner.

VARIATION

There is a variation used in this game that states that an ace cannot be played to match another ace.

Hey, I’m Amber! I’m an Austin writer and gaming connoisseur. I fancy myself a gaming master, and I’ve got a soft spot for dogs, plants, and D&D.