Welcome to African Casino!

Ready to play? Let’s dive into the exciting world of African Casino, also known as Swazi Casino. This thrilling variant of Casino keeps capture cards face-up and gives you the power to snatch the top card from your opponents’ capture piles. Get ready for some adrenaline-pumping action!

How to Play African Casino

Before we jump in, let’s go over the basics. In African Casino, we play with a standard 52-card deck. The goal is to capture cards from the layout and accumulate points. Are you excited? Let’s get started!

In African Casino, face cards have special values. Here’s a quick rundown:

• 2-10: Their face value is their point value.
• Jack: A valuable card worth 11 points.
• Queen: An impressive card with a value of 12 points.
• King: The king of cards, worth a mighty 13 points.
• Ace: A versatile card that can be worth either 1 or 14 points. It’s up to you!

The Deal

African Casino starts with a randomly chosen dealer. After the first deal, the dealer position moves clockwise to the next player. Simple, right?

Get ready to embrace the thrill of African Casino! Take your place at the table, capture those cards, and show off your skills. It’s time to enjoy the excitement and strategize your way to victory. Good luck!

When playing this card game, the first thing we do is shuffle the deck. Next, the player to my right cuts the deck and takes out four cards from the middle. These four cards are then placed face-up in the center of the table, forming what we call the main layout. Meanwhile, the dealer hands out all the remaining cards one by one to each player.

Now it’s time to begin the game!

Whenever we capture cards during the game, we keep them face-up in a pile. If we’re playing with partners, our capture piles are shared. When capturing multiple cards at once, we can arrange them however we like, as long as the capturing card is on top.

Right in the center of the table, we have the layout. These cards can be captured, and we can also add more cards to them. The cards in the layout can help us create builds, which are piles of cards with a specific value. And guess what? We can capture a build as a single unit!

• Single builds are piles of cards that add up to the value of the build.
• Augmented builds are piles of cards that have 2 or more single cards or sets of cards and add up to the same value. For example, if the value is 12, an augmented build could be a Queen and a 7+5.
• The player who last added cards to a build is the owner of that build. Cards that are not part of a build are called loose cards.

During their turn, players have several options and must choose one card from their hand to play:

• Capture one or more cards from the layout or a build
• Create a new build
• Add a card to a build to change its value
• Create or add to an augmented build
• Discard a card from your hand into the layout

Capturing Cards or Building a Chow

So, here’s what happens: when I play a card from my hand, some pretty cool things can unfold. I can make a capture if:

• That card matches one already on the table.
• That card adds up to the exact total of multiple cards already on the table.
• That card matches the established value of a build.

When it comes to capturing, there’s a lot you can do. You can grab just one card, a whole bunch of cards, or even an entire build if it matches the value of the card you played.

Now, here’s the deal: you can’t snatch the top card from an opponent’s capture pile, not directly anyway. But, if you’re clever, you can indirectly capture that card. We’ll get into that more when we talk about augmented builds.

But here’s something important: you can’t add cards to a build just to capture it. However, you can make something called “drifting.” This is when you use a card that could have been used to make a capture to instead create a build. Pretty nifty, huh?

SINGLE BUILDS

Making Single Builds

When you’re playing a game of Single builds, you can create a build by using the cards in your hand. It’s not necessary to add a card from your hand, but you can if you want to. The important thing to remember is that whoever creates the build owns it. And to create or add to a build, you need to have a card in your hand that matches its capture value.

Changing the Value of Single Builds

You can change the value of a single build in the following situations:

• If the build is owned by an opponent.
• If you add a card from your hand to change its value.
• If you have a card in your hand that matches the new value of the build.

However, keep in mind that you can only play one card at a time from your hand. So you cannot change the value of a build and capture it in the same turn.

It’s also worth noting that augmented builds cannot have their value changed.

AUGMENTED BUILDS

In the world of card games, I have discovered a fascinating concept called “building.” It’s a way for players to enhance their game by combining different cards strategically. The great thing is, this technique can be applied to both your own builds and those of your partner.

Let me explain how it works. You can start by adding single cards or sets of cards with the same value to your existing builds. These cards can come from various sources: you can use the cards already laid out on the table, cards from your own hand, or even the top cards from your opponents’ capture pile(s). The possibilities are endless!

Here’s a quick example to give you a better understanding. Let’s say you have a card in your hand that matches a card on the table layout. Well, my friend, this is your chance to create a build! But wait, there’s more. To really elevate your strategy, you can continue adding cards to this build that either sum up to or match the value of the original build. And guess what? You become the proud owner of this augmented build.

Now, here’s an interesting twist. You don’t have to limit yourself to just your own builds. You can also augment and capture your opponents’ builds in a single turn. Just remember, you can only use one card from your hand in the process. It’s like having the power to regenerate your response while keeping your opponent on their toes.

So there you have it, my curious friend. The concept of building in card games is truly a double-edged sword, offering endless possibilities for strategy and surprise. It’s a game-changer that allows you to harness your creativity and outwit your opponents. How exciting is that?

Hey there! Let me break down the rules for you, so you can fully enjoy the game. Remember, these are just guidelines to help you get started!

Discarding and More on Builds

You have options when it comes to discarding your cards. If you have a build, you don’t have to capture any cards if you don’t want to. Cards that can’t capture any other cards or builds can simply be left in the layout.

Now, if you do have a build and you want to discard it, you can’t just play your capture card(s). Builds cannot be split up or combined to increase their capture value. They must remain as they are.

But here’s an interesting twist: you can use the top cards from your opponent’s capture piles to enhance your own builds. Pretty cool, right? Just keep in mind that you need a base to do this. A base can be:

• a build owned by you or your partner
• at least one card in the layout that doesn’t match the value of any existing build, and that you can capture with a card in your hand
• When your partner manages to capture a build, it’s probably because they have a build of the same value that was either captured or altered by other players.

All builds have different capture values. If you already have a build of a certain value and want to make another, simply combine those cards together – this is called a single augmented build.

Aces can have a capture value of 1 or 14, depending on the player’s preference. Once an ace is added to a build, its value is fixed and cannot be changed. If there is a pair of aces in a build, their value must be established as either 1 or 14.

Partner Rules

If your partner’s build is captured or its value is changed, you have the option to create a new build of equal value. Your partner will become the owner of this new build, unless they have already played that card.

If your partner decides to capture a build that either of you owns, and you happen to have a card with the same value in your hand, you can ask your partner not to capture it. They don’t have to listen to you, though. However, some may choose to add to an opponent’s build, which would make you the new owner of that build.

The End Game and Scoring

Once all the cards have been played, the player who makes the final capture gets to collect the remaining cards on the table.

Each player or team scores points based on the cards they have captured.

Most Cards: You get 2 points if you have the most cards captured. If there’s a tie, each player or team gets 1 point.

Most Spades: You earn 2 points if you have the most Spades captured. In case of a tie, each player or team gets 1 point.

Two of Spades (Spy Two): This card is worth 1 point.

Ten of Diamonds (Big Ten): You earn 2 points for capturing this card.

Aces: Each Ace you capture is worth 1 point.

In total, there are 11 points available in each deal.

No extra points are given for sweeping the table, which means capturing all the cards on the table at once.