The Coup d’Etat Game: Take Control and Win!

Objective: The goal is simple – be the richest player by the end!

Number of Players: Gather at least two players for a thrilling game.

Number of Cards: You’ll need a standard deck of 52 cards, excluding the jokers.

Materials: To play, you’ll need a special Director’s board, along with six dagger markers, four charts, and some money. Get ready!

Rank of Cards: Remember, the highest card is the Aces, followed by the 10s, Kings, Queens, Jacks, and all the way down to the 7s.

Type of Game: Get ready for an exciting game of Trick-Taking!

Audience: This incredible game is suitable for players of all ages – everyone can join in on the fun!

Welcome to the Thrilling World of Coup d’Etat!

Coup d’État is an intriguing game with an uncertain origin. Legend has it that this game was first played by political prisoners in French dungeons more than 200 years ago. It is closely linked to the French game called Barbu. The phrase coup d’État translates to “stroke of the state,” which signifies the overthrow of a government by political revolutionaries.

In Coup d’État, there are 6 distinct hands, each with its own unique qualities, that need to be played and completed in order to progress to the next round. The number of rounds in the game always matches the number of active players. It’s every player for themselves, as there are no partnerships or alliances allowed. The winner is the player who accumulates the most money by the end of the game.

Now let’s talk about the cards involved in this exciting game.

So here’s the deal. Coup d’Etat is a card game that you can play with a regular deck of 52 cards. But here’s the twist: you only use certain cards from each suit. Specifically, you’ll need the A, K, Q, J, 9, 10, 8, and 7 cards. Oh, and there’s one special card called the Coup card.

Getting Ready

Before we dive into the game, let’s get set up. Each player will need a chart and some currency. You can use 10,000 francs, or any other type of money you have on hand. Make sure you have two 2,000 francs, three 1,000 francs, five 500 francs, and five 100 francs. And don’t forget to place the six daggers in the holes on the Director’s board, under the “S” for start.

Time to Play

Now that we’re all set up, let’s get this game going. The director, who can be any player, should place the director’s board in front of them. They’ll be in charge of keeping things running smoothly. Each player gets dealt 8 cards face-down, and the remaining card is placed in the middle of the table, also face-down.

When I play the game, I start by grabbing my cards and sorting them by suit. It’s important to keep my cards a secret so that other players can’t figure out what I have. If I happen to have the coup card, I need to let everyone know. This is a special card that allows me to overthrow the director and become the new director.

If the coup card is in the center of the table, the current director has to reshuffle and deal new cards to everyone. This ensures that the game remains fair for everyone.

The Director’s Chart

How to Use the Director’s Chart

Let’s imagine a scenario: I have the coup card, but I decide not to use it. In that case, I discard the coup card and it doesn’t come into play for this round. Instead, it is replaced with an extra card from the center. Now, it’s the director’s turn to make a choice. They carefully look at their hand and decide which of the six hands listed on the chart they want to play. They announce their choice and move the dagger marker under column one on their board.

All the players turn their charts to the director’s side, ready to begin the game. The director takes the lead by playing a single card face-up in the center of the table. However, there are some rules they must follow when choosing which card to play:

• If the director selected the Barbu hand, they cannot start with a Heart card.
• If the Siege hand was chosen, they cannot lead with a Spade.
• If the Guillotine hand was picked, they are not allowed to lead with a Heart or a Spade card.

When we play cards, the first thing to remember is that the person on the left goes first. Everyone takes turns playing one card at a time. If you have a card that matches the suit of the card that was played before you, it’s best to follow suit. But if you don’t have a matching card, you can play any card you want.

The winner of each round is the player who plays the highest-ranking card of the same suit that was led with. The winner then leads the next round. This goes on until all eight rounds have been played.

Now, let’s talk about a few specific card games: Touche, Guillotine, Barbu, Waterloo, and Siege. In Touche and Guillotine, if you win the first and last rounds, you have to pay the person in charge directly. But in Barbu, Waterloo, and Siege, you can wait until the end of the game to pay all the penalties at once.

DOMINOS

In a game of Dominos, the main objective is to get either all the other players or just one other player to play their very last card. What makes Dominos unique is that in this game, the 10 card is ranked between the Jack and the 9. This is different from other card games where the 10 might hold a different rank. When the person in charge, called the director, decides to play a Dominos card, they have the freedom to choose any card from their hand to start the game. The player sitting to the left of the director then has to play a card that either has a rank one higher or one lower than the card that was led, but it must be from a different suit. If a player has a card that meets these requirements and can be played, they have to play it. However, if they don’t have a card that fits the criteria, they can pass and not play any cards.

HOW TO USE THE COUP CHART

COUP CHART GUIDELINES

Once the first hand is over, I shuffle the cards and deal them out just like before. The coup card rules still apply, so remember to announce it or we’ll have to deal again. Keep in mind that one hand has already been played, so there are only five hands left to choose from. If we decide to play the coup, we move the dagger to the “1” column and all players move their charts to the coup side.

To pull off a successful coup, we have to meet the requirements on the chart for the chosen hand. It’s not easy, though, because the other players will be trying to block us. They don’t have to follow the penalties listed on the director’s chart.

If you want to pull off a coup, you’ve got some advantages. First, you get to choose which hand to play. Second, you lead the first trick. And to top it off, the coup card is like a wild card that outranks all the others in a trick. There’s just one exception – it can’t beat an Ace of the suit that was led.

The extra card on the table becomes part of the trick. Whoever wins the first trick gets that extra card too.

If you try to execute a coup and it doesn’t work out, you’ll have to pay the penalty listed on the chart to the director. This exchange is called the Treasury. The money goes to the player who manages to successfully pull off the first coup of the game. If nobody can do it, then the money stays with the directors.

If you manage to succeed in the coup, you’ll be paid out by other players based on the chart and game you played. Afterward, you’ll take the director’s board and the game will continue until another coup happens or the game ends.

In the unlikely event that the director is dealt the coup card, they have the option to coup themselves in order to win money.

If there are no coups, starting from the second round, the player to the left of the director will take on the role. This rotation will continue until each player has been the director.

HIDDEN COUP d’ETAT

A Hidden Coup can occur during Waterloo, Siege, or Guillotine. Essentially, a player with a coup card tries to carry out a coup without announcing their intentions. They might fail and face penalties, but they can keep trying until they succeed.

BORROWING

If you run out of money in the game, you can borrow from another player. But be aware, there’s a catch – the interest rate is 200 francs for every 1000 you borrow.

WINNING

Once all the rounds are done, it’s time to tally up the cash. If you borrowed money, you’ll need to subtract your debts. And don’t forget about the interest! On the flip side, if you were the lender, you can add the amount you lent along with the interest to your total. The player who ends up with the most money is crowned the winner.

Once all the rounds are done, it’s time to tally up the cash. If you borrowed money, you’ll need to subtract your debts. And don’t forget about the interest! On the flip side, if you were the lender, you can add the amount you lent along with the interest to your total. The player who ends up with the most money is crowned the winner.