The Goal of PAN: I want to get rid of all the cards in my hand.
Number of Players: PAN can be played with 2-4 players.
Number of Cards: The game is played with a French deck of 24 cards.
Rank of Cards: The cards are ranked from highest to lowest: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9.
Type of Game: PAN is a shedding game.
Audience: PAN is suitable for teens and adults.
Introduction to PAN
PAN is an exciting card game from Poland. It’s important not to confuse it with another rummy game called Panguingue, which is also sometimes called PAN. In PAN, the main objective is to get rid of all the cards in your hand. If you’re the last player with cards, you lose and are given one letter of the game’s name, P-A-N. The first player to spell out “PAN” is the ultimate loser, or the first player to lose three times.
The word “pan” is a Polish term for “gentleman.” It’s interesting to note that any three-letter word can be used for this game. “Historycznt Upadek Japonii” is an alternate name for the game, but it’s best not to use the acronym as it carries a vulgar meaning in Polish. The objective of the game is to avoid collecting the first three letters of each word, as the player who does so will be declared the loser and insulted.
Now let’s talk about the cards used in this game. Traditionally, a 24-card French suited deck is used. However, the suits of the cards don’t matter, so you can also use a standard Anglo card deck by removing the cards 2 through 8. It’s worth mentioning that the 9 of Hearts has a special role and is used at the beginning of the game.
When it comes to dealing the cards, any player can start as the dealer. The deal and the gameplay then proceed in a clockwise direction, or to the left. The cards are thoroughly shuffled and then distributed evenly among the players who are actively participating in the game. For instance, in a game with 2 players, each player would be dealt 12 cards. In a game with 3 players, each player would receive 8 cards, and so on.
It’s quite fascinating how such a simple game can bring excitement and amusement. Remember to choose your words wisely and strategically. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor!
Let’s Play the Game
I start the game by playing the 9 of Hearts to the table, creating the play pile. If I have the other three nines in my hand, I can play them right after the 9 of Hearts.
Now it’s your turn. You can play cards to the play pile or pick them up, following these rules:
- Play a card that is higher or equal in rank to the one on top of the play pile.
- Play three cards of the same value as the top card of the play pile all at once.
- Play four cards of the same value that are higher in rank than the top card of the play pile.
- Pick up the top cards from the play pile, but remember, the nine of hearts must stay on the table.
The End of the Game
When we play a card game, and as players keep playing their cards, some of them may drop out of the game because they don’t have any cards left in their hand. When there are only two players left, and one of them runs out of cards, the other player has only one turn left to play. This creates a tense situation!
If the player who still has cards in hand manages to finish their hand off, then it’s a tie. But if they can’t, they lose the round and earn a letter, the first of the three letters that spell out the word “PAN”.
The game continues until one player has earned all three letters – P, A, and N. This unlucky player is the loser of the game. It’s not easy to avoid earning those letters!