Welcome to Elewenjewe!

Hey there! Have you heard of Elewenjewe? It’s an awesome fishing game that you can play with 2 to 5 players. I’m here to tell you all about it, including some exciting rule sets! Let’s dive in!

First things first, Elewenjewe can be played in different ways. We have rules for professional play, where things can get real serious, and rules for casual play, where you can just kick back and have some fun. But wait, there’s more! We also have a special set of rules called the Yoruba rules, for those who like things super intense!

Now, let’s talk rounds. In Elewenjewe, you’ll play either 3 or 4 rounds, depending on what you and your friends decide. The ultimate goal? To score the highest number of points and become the champion of the games!

So how do you earn points, you ask? Well, my friend, it’s all about capturing cards. Throughout the rounds, you’ll have the chance to snatch up those valuable cards and rack up the points. The more cards you collect, the closer you’ll be to victory!

Let’s Get Set Up!

Before we get started, there’s just a small setup to take care of. Grab the deck of cards and remove the king, queen, jack, and 9 of diamonds. Place them right in the middle of the playing surface. They’re special cards that will come into play later on. Once that’s done, we’re ready to roll!

When we play a game of cards, the first thing we need to do is choose a dealer. This person is selected at random and then passes the deck clockwise for each new round. Before we start playing, the deck is shuffled and the player sitting on the right side of the dealer gets to cut the deck.

Once the deck is prepared, each player will receive a hand of four cards. At this point, the players can start playing, using the cards they have been dealt. After everyone has played their four cards, there will be another deal of four cards.

This process of dealing and playing continues until it becomes impossible to deal four more cards to each player. In the last deal, there may be some cards remaining. These cards can either be set aside without being used or placed in the center for capturing.

Sometimes, there may be enough cards left for each player to receive just one more card. In this case, a final hand can be played where each player receives one card.

Understanding the Values of the Cards

In this game of cards, the ranking and suits don’t matter at all. All we care about are the values of the cards. Aces have a value of 1. The numerical cards (2 to 10) have their respective numerical values. However, jacks, queens, and kings don’t have any specific value. These values come into play when we capture cards.

Capturing cards is a simple concept. You can only capture jacks, queens, and kings with cards that have the same face value. So, if you have a king, you can only capture another king. Similarly, a queen can only capture another queen, and a jack can only capture another jack.

Now, let’s talk about jokers. If jokers are being used, they have the power to capture any card when played. They are like wild cards that can snatch up any card on the table. However, if we have jokers on the capture area, they can only be captured along with the next valid capture.

GAMEPLAY

Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of gameplay. The game starts with the player who is sitting to the left of the dealer, and then proceeds clockwise from there. Each player takes their turn, which involves either playing a single card from their hand to capture cards on the table or adding more cards to the ones they have already captured.

When you play a card that matches a card on the table, you can capture it. But that’s not all! If you can add up the value of your played cards to match the value of other cards on the table, you can capture those too. Just remember, each card can only be captured once, so you can’t use it multiple times to capture more cards. Let me give you an example: if you play a 9 and there’s a 6, two 3s, a 7, a 9, and two aces on the table, you can capture the 6 and one 3, the 7 and the two aces, and the 9. Unfortunately, you can’t capture the other 3 because you don’t have another 6 to add up to 9.

Now, capturing cards is not mandatory. You have the choice to let your card stay on the table, so you can capture it later. It’s totally up to you!

But what if you can’t capture any cards from the table? Well, in that case, the card you played simply stays on the table, waiting to be captured at a later time. Keep this in mind as you strategize your moves!

When you capture cards in this game, you keep them together with the card you played, all in a pile in front of you, facedown.

Now, here’s an interesting twist: some people like to play it where the last person who plays the final card of the round gets to capture all the remaining cards. But remember, this is optional.

Now, let me tell you about the special Yoruba rules. They make the game a little more challenging. In these rules, all the captured cards have to be different from each other and the card that was played. So, for example, in the scenario I mentioned earlier, you can only capture the 6 and one of the threes. You can’t capture the two aces together, and you can’t capture the 9 either.

Now, there are two additional rules called Esun and Isiwo. You and the people you’re playing with need to agree on these rules before you start the game.

When playing Esun cards, you have the ability to create powerful combinations called protected piles. This allows you to play a card and then merge it with other cards on the table, forming a group that can only be captured as a whole. It’s crucial to capture the entire pile before the next round begins, otherwise you will face a penalty. Let me give you an example to illustrate this. Let’s say I play a 9 on the table and then add an ace, a 2, an 8, and two 5s to the pile. By doing this, I’m indicating that I have a 10 in my hand and I intend to use it to capture the entire group of cards. However, it’s worth noting that other players can also capture the pile, but they must use a card that can validly capture all the cards in the group. It’s important to mention that if you’re playing with Yoruba rules, the cards in the group cannot match the card played or each other. For instance, in the example I provided earlier, the two 5s would not be allowed. So, when playing Esun cards, it’s crucial to strategically form protected piles and consider the rules of the game to come out as the victor.

Hey there! I wanted to chat with you about an awesome game called Isiwo. This one has a cool rule that lets you peek at the captured cards you have. It’s pretty crucial because without this rule, it’s against the law to do so. You’ve got to play by the rules, right? Oh, and just a heads up – you can’t take a look at your opponent’s captured cards. Gotta respect their privacy!

Getting Caught

We need to talk about penalties, my friend. Cheating is a big no-no, of course. That’s an automatic penalty. But there are a few more things you can get in trouble for: peeking at your own or your opponent’s cards when you’re not supposed to, messing up a capture, falsely accusing someone of messing up a capture – you get the idea. Before you start playing, make sure everyone agrees on what penalties will be in place. It’s all about fairness and fun!

Counting Up

Okay, so let’s talk about scoring. Once a round is over, you’ll count up the stacks of captured cards. Each card is worth one point. Keep track of those points because they add up as you play more rounds. Maybe you’ll become the Isiwo master!

The Grande Finale

When the number of rounds is finished, that’s when the game ends. The person with the most points will be the winner. So give it your all and aim for that victory. You can do it!