Panjpar
Welcome to Panjpar! The goal of this game is very simple: you need to play all the cards in your hand before the stockpile runs out. It’s a fast-paced and exciting card game that can be enjoyed by two players. Are you ready to dive in?
Here’s what you need to know:
- Two players are needed to play Panjpar.
- A standard deck of 52 cards is used.
- The cards are ranked from highest to lowest: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
- Panjpar is a shedding game, which means the objective is to get rid of all your cards.
- And the best part? Panjpar is suitable for players of all ages!
Discovering Panjpar
Let’s take a closer look at Panjpar. This exciting card game originated in Afghanistan and even made an appearance in the famous novel “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. The name “Panjpar” translates to “five cards,” which perfectly describes the initial hand each player receives.
Throughout the game, we play cards and draw new ones from a pile. The objective is to play all our cards before the pile runs out, or else we lose.
Now, let’s talk about how the game gets started. First, the deck of cards is shuffled. Each player is then dealt 5 cards to start with. The next card in the deck is placed face-up on the table, and this card determines the trump suit for the game. The remaining cards are placed face-down on top of the trump card, but in a way that allows the trump card to be seen.
Before the deal, one player makes a guess about the color of the trump suit. If they guess correctly, they get to play first. If not, their opponent starts the game.
Now that we know how the game is set up, let’s dive into the gameplay itself. The gameplay consists of battles between players. In each battle, one player attacks while the other player defends themselves.
When it comes to the game of Attackers, I get to “throw” or play 1, 3, or 5 cards from my hand. It’s really simple – I just place the cards side-by-side and face-up right on the table.
- If I want to make a single card attack, I can go for any card in my hand.
- Now, if I feel like making a three card attack, things get a little trickier. I have to play a pair plus an odd card. For example, I could go for something like K-K-7. Or, I can go all-out with a three of a kind, like K-K-K.
- If I want to go big and make a five card attack, I have a few options. I can go for two pairs plus an odd card, like K-K-A-A-5. And you know what? A full house is totally legal as a 5 card play, like K-K-K-A-A. And for the really brave, how about playing a four of a kind plus an odd card? Yep, something like 5-5-5-5-2.
But wait, it’s not just about attacking! Now it’s time for the Defenders to get in the game. They have the chance to “kill” or beat those cards I played. They do this by playing cards from their own hand right on top of my attacking cards. And here’s the rule: to beat a card, you need a higher ranked card of the same suit.
Non-trump cards can only be beaten by trumps – that’s the trump suit.
When I play the game, if I successfully attack and destroy cards, I set them aside and don’t use them until the next round. But if the defender is able to beat all my attack cards, they get to attack in the next round.
However, if the defender can’t beat all my attack cards, or they don’t beat any at all, they have to add those cards to their hand. Then I get to attack again.
Remember, you don’t have to beat all the cards you can. Sometimes it’s strategic to purposely lose and gain certain cards, like trump cards.
We keep playing like this until there are no more cards left in the deck. Before each attack, both players need to have at least 5 cards in their hands. This goes for attacking and defending. If you have less than 5 cards, just draw the rest from the deck.
Did you know that in a card game, there are certain rules you have to follow? It’s true! While you’re allowed to ask your opponent how many cards they have in hand, you can’t count the cards left in the stockpile, nor can you look through them or the cards placed aside. These actions are against the rules.
The Exciting Finish
Here’s an important twist: when the last card is drawn from the stockpile, that card becomes the trump indicator. From then on, you don’t draw any more cards to replace it. The game continues with the cards already in play.
Now, there’s something else you should know – you can’t attack your opponent with more cards than they have in hand. Once a player runs out of cards, the game ends after that battle. The loser is the player who still has cards left in their hand.
But here’s an interesting scenario: if both players use up all their cards in the same battle, the game is considered a draw. It seems like a fair outcome, doesn’t it? It adds an element of suspense and excitement to the game.