Ugly

Hey there! Have you heard of a game called Ugly? It’s a really cool card game that’s kind of like Hearts, but with its own unique twist. Back in the 1980’s, a group of awesome college students in Australia came up with this game, and it’s been a hit ever since. Let me tell you a bit about how it’s played!

The Cards and the Deal

In Ugly, you use a standard deck of 52 cards. If you’re playing with three players, you’ll just remove the 2 of Spades. To decide who goes first, you’ll cut the deck and see who gets the lowest card. That person becomes the dealer. Once that’s settled, it’s time to shuffle up and deal! In a four-player game, each player gets 13 cards. In a three-player game, each player gets 17 cards.

Calling Trump

Okay, so here’s what happens in a card game after the deal and after everyone looks at their cards. The player on the left of the dealer gets to choose which suit is the most important for this round. They can also choose not to pick a specific suit if they want.

Before the game starts, there’s another step called “the pass.” Each player has to give some of their cards to the player on their left. The number of cards they pass increases each round. In the first round, they pass one card. In the second round, they pass three cards, and so on. In the last round, they have to give away their entire hand to the player on their left. Just remember, this passing of cards happens after the trump suit has been chosen.

Now let’s talk about how to play the game:

The first thing to know is what happens during the first trick.

Let’s start with the player to the left of the dealer. They get to play any card to begin the trick. The other players must play a card of the same suit if they have one. If they don’t have a card of the same suit, they can play any card. The highest-ranking card of the leading suit or the highest-ranking trump card wins the trick.

After someone wins a trick, they get to lead the next one. We keep playing like this until all the tricks are done.

Now, let’s talk about scoring.

For each trick you win, you earn 1 point.

But watch out! There are some cards that can make you lose points:

If you capture the Jack of Spades, you lose 1 point.

If you capture the Jack of Clubs, you lose 2 points.

If you capture the Jack of Diamonds, you lose 3 points.

If you capture the Jack of Hearts, you lose 4 points.

The 7 of Diamonds, also known as the Ugly Card, has an interesting effect in the game. If I capture the Ugly Card, any Jacks that I capture will give me negative points. It’s like a curse! But if I manage to capture the Ugly Card without capturing any Jacks, my score will double for that round. It’s a risky move, but it can pay off big time!

On the other hand, we have the 7 of Clubs, also known as the Charm Card. If I capture the Charm Card along with the Ugly Card, the Ugly Card doesn’t affect the value of Jacks. It’s as if its power is nullified. But if I’m able to capture both the Charm Card and the Ugly Card, and avoid capturing any Jacks, each trick I capture will be worth a whopping 4 points instead of just 1. Talk about charm and luck!

Winning

When we finish all the rounds, the player with the highest score is declared the winner of the game. It’s all about racking up those points!

Mark’s Thoughts

Wow, there are so many different card games out there! It’s amazing how some of these games have stood the test of time and become classics. But sometimes we forget about the newer games, like Ugly. It’s a hidden gem that often gets overlooked. Ugly takes elements from popular trick avoidance games and takes them to the next level. While games like Hearts can be taken more seriously, Ugly brings a fresh and fun twist to the card table. Give it a try, especially if you’re a fan of Hearts, Spades, or Oh Heck. You might just discover a new favorite!