Get Ready for a Wild Ride with Crazy Solo!

Imagine a card game that combines strategy, luck, and a dash of chaos. That’s Crazy Solo, a thrilling trick-taking game that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

But what exactly is trick-taking? Well, it’s all about trying to win as many rounds as possible and score big points from your opponents. The ultimate goal? To be the ultimate card shark!

Now, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty details. Crazy Solo can be played with a group of 3 to 12 players. That means you and your crew can gather around the table and get ready for some serious fun!

Here’s how it works:

Setup and Bidding – Time to Get Started!

First things first, let’s talk about modifying the deck for different numbers of players. It’s important to adjust the deck so that it works well for the number of people playing. Are you ready? Let’s go!

When playing with three people, you have two options for the deck: a 36-card deck or a 24-card deck. If you choose the 36-card deck, you’ll need to remove all the cards that are 5 and below. On the other hand, if you go with the 24-card deck, you’ll need to remove the 8s and below.

Now, let’s move on to games with 4, 6, 9, and 12 players. In these cases, you’ll want to use a 36-card deck. No need for any modifications here.

For games with 5 or 7 players, there’s a slight tweak you’ll need to make. Take out the 6 of spades from the 36-card deck, and you’re good to go.

Next up, we have 8-player games. In this case, you’ll need to remove all the cards that are 6 and below. This will give you a 32-card deck that’s perfect for your game.

If you’re playing with 10 players, it’s a bit more complicated. You’ll have to remove the 6s and below, as well as the seven of clubs and the seven of spades from the 36-card deck. Once you’ve done that, you’ll have a 30-card deck that’s ready to be shuffled and dealt.

Finally, if you have 11 players, there are a few cards you’ll need to remove. Say goodbye to the 5s and below, as well as the 6s of diamonds, clubs, and spades. This will leave you with a 33-card deck that’s just right for your game.

So, there you have it! Adjusting the deck for different numbers of players is an important step in setting up your card game. With these modifications in mind, you’ll be ready to play and have a great time!

When I modify the deck, I randomly choose the dealer. As each new deal begins, the dealer position shifts to the left. I shuffle the cards and start dealing them, one at a time, to each player until the deck is empty and everyone has an even number of cards.

Once the hands are dealt, we begin the bidding process. This determines who will play against whom. The player to the left of the dealer starts the bidding. On their turn, each player makes only one bid. If applicable, they must increase the bid of the previous player, or else pass. However, there is one exception to this rule. When a player bids to play alone with hearts, the next player may make the same bid.

The bids are ranked from lowest to highest as follows: pass, solo, solo in hearts, go alone, and go alone in hearts. If all players pass without placing a bid, we take the cards and deal them again.

When I play a game of Solo, it means I have the power to choose a partner and the trump suit. If I choose Solo with hearts, then the trump suit automatically becomes hearts. But if I decide to go alone, I can still choose the trump suit, but I won’t have a partner to help me.

Now, if I choose to go alone with hearts, it means I’m playing all by myself, and the trumps are, you guessed it, hearts.

The person who wins the bidding will get to call the trumps, unless it’s already hearts. If they decide not to go alone, they will call a specific card to determine their secret partner. For example, they might say “trumps clubs, call Ace of clubs.” The player who holds that card becomes their partner, but they won’t let anyone else know.

Anyone who isn’t the partner of the solo player will team up against them.

Now, things work a little differently in three-player games. We only have the options to pass, go alone, or go alone with hearts. No choosing partners in this game.

Let’s Talk About Card Rankings and Values

Here’s how the cards are ranked, from highest to lowest: Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, 7, 6.

The values of the cards are as follows: 11 points, 10 points, 4 points, 3 points, 2 points, and 0 points for the remaining cards.

Each round has a total value of 120 points. The team that scores at least 61 points wins the round.

How to Play

The game starts with the player to the left of the dealer and continues clockwise. You can play any card as your first move. The other players must play a card of the same suit if they have one. If they don’t, they can play a trump card if they have one. If they don’t have any of these options, they can play any card. Remember, there’s no requirement to win tricks. The winner of a trick gets to lead the next one.

Scoring

You can keep score with either paper or chips. At the beginning of the game, each player has 150 points.

Payouts in the game of hearts are determined by the suit used and the points scored. If hearts are chosen as trumps, you’ll receive three points for each point your team scores over 60. For other suits, you’ll get two points for each point over 60. The payouts are rounded to the nearest 5 and are paid by the losing players. If both teams score 60, there is no payout. If there is an odd number of payouts, the caller will pay or receive the extra. Let’s say there’s a 5-player game and the solo player and their teammate win. Each of the other players makes the payment. The solo player and teammates receive one payout each, and the extra payout goes to the solo player.

End of Game

The game comes to an end when the players decide to stop or when a target, predetermined before the game began, is reached.

I’m Amber (They/Them), an Austin-based writer and gaming enthusiast. I consider myself a gaming pro and have a fondness for dogs, plants, and D&D.