DUCK SOUP
Hey there! Have you heard of Duck Soup? It’s a super fun card game for two players, created by David Parlett. Let me explain how it goes. There are two phases in the game, and in the first phase, we start with 13 cards each and a draw pile. Then, when the draw pile runs out, we move on to the second phase with our remaining 13 cards.
Here’s a cool thing: in phase one, the Ace is actually the lowest card, but in phase two, it becomes the highest! So keep that in mind as you play. After each phase, we’ll do some scoring, and the points we earn get multiplied to determine our final round score. Exciting, right?
THE CARDS & THE DEAL
Let’s talk about the cards and how we deal them. We use a regular deck of 52 cards. Make sure to shuffle them up nicely before the game starts. Each player gets 13 cards, and the remaining cards form the draw pile. Don’t forget, in the first phase, Aces are low, but watch out because they become the highest ranking cards in the second phase!
Oh, and just a heads up, the deal switches back and forth each round. So you’ll take turns being the dealer. Fair and square, right?
THE PLAY
FIRST TRICK
When we start playing, I get to go first and lead the first trick. I can play any card from my hand. The person sitting across from me can play any card too, without having to follow the suit that I led. In the first phase of the game, the trick is won by the person who has the lowest card in the suit that was led. Just a reminder, Aces are considered the lowest cards in this game.
If I win the trick, I get to keep all the cards in the trick and draw from the draw pile. Then, it’s the other player’s turn to draw from the pile. I’m also the one who leads the next trick.
CONTINUING PLAY
We keep playing tricks until there are no more cards left in the draw pile. That’s when Phase 1 comes to an end.
PHASE 2
During Phase 2, once the draw pile is empty, every player will have their last 13 cards in hand. The player who won the previous trick will start off the first turn in Phase 2. In this phase, the trick is won by playing the highest card in the suit that was led, and now Aces are considered the highest cards. Just like in Phase 1, the next player is not required to play a card of the same suit. The round ends when all the cards have been played.
Now let’s talk about collecting tricks. If a player captures a trick that contains two cards of the same suit, that trick is kept face down. However, if the captured trick has two cards of different suits, it is kept face up. These tricks have different values, so keep an eye out for them.
Next up is Duck Soup. If a player matches the rank of the card that was led, something interesting happens. The player who led the trick can choose to pass on it, allowing the player who followed to collect the trick. It’s like a little bonus for making a matching play.
When I’m playing a card game, there’s a special move called a Duck Soup trick. It’s pretty interesting, let me explain how it works. So, let’s say I’m the one leading the trick. If I have the third card of the same rank, I can add it to the trick. This gives the opposite player a chance to play. Now, if the opposite player happens to have the fourth card of the same rank, they can play it and capture all four cards. Pretty neat, right? And to make things even cooler, those four cards count as two tricks and are stored face up. It’s like getting a little bonus for your skill!
But wait, what if the opposite player doesn’t have the fourth card of the same rank? Well, in that case, they can play any card from their hand. But here’s the twist – the trick-leader gets to capture both tricks! The first one is stored face up, but the second one is stored based on the suit combination. It’s like a strategic move that lets you take control of the game.
Now, here’s another cool thing. If four cards have already been played to the trick, we all get to draw back up to a hand of thirteen cards. Unless, of course, there aren’t enough cards left in the draw pile. Then we just have to make do with what we have. But hey, that’s part of the fun, right?
If I play a card that matches the one already on the table, I don’t have to start the Duck Soup process. I can simply pass and let someone else lead the trick, regardless of whether I have another card of the same rank or not.
To learn more rules that might make the game more enjoyable for your personality type, check out David’s page. If you want to add some quacking fun to the game, click here.
SCORING
Scoring happens at the end of each phase. When the draw pile runs out, Phase 1 ends and it’s time to tally up the scores. Each trick that is face down is worth 1 point, while each face-up trick is worth 2 points. Make sure to keep the tricks from different phases separate by placing them in a separate pile.
Phase 2 tricks work in the same way. Once you’ve figured out your phase two score, you’ll need to multiply it by your phase one score. This total will be your score for the round.
Here’s an example: Let’s say I earned 5 points during Phase 1 and 7 points during Phase 2. By multiplying those two scores together, my total score for the round would be 35.
WINNING
The game is won by the first player to reach 250 points or more.
The game is won by the first player to reach 250 points or more.