SKIN

Hey there! Let me tell you about a fun game called Skin. It’s great for a group of 6 players. The goal of the game is to win bids and collect stakes from other players. What’s cool is that you can be a player or even the bank, taking turns around the table.

Now, since this is a bidding game, it’s important to agree on any minimum or maximum bids before we start playing.

SETUP

Alright, let’s get set up. The first dealer, also known as the banker, is randomly chosen. Then, for each new deal, the dealer position moves to the right. The banker shuffles the cards, and any player can have a go at cutting the deck. Once it’s all set, the deck is placed face-down in front of the banker.

Now it’s time for the banker to give you a card. You can decide whether to keep that card and bet on it or pass it to someone else. If you pass it, the card will go around the table counterclockwise until someone accepts it or everyone passes on it. If everyone passes, the card will be turned faceup in the middle of the table and become a new card.

Card Ranking

Cards are not ranked based on their value. The only thing that matters is if two cards have the same value, regardless of their suit.

GAMEPLAY

Once you accept a card, the banker will then deal themselves a card from the top of the deck. If it matches your accepted card, both cards are discarded and that particular rank of cards is no longer in play.

If the cards don’t match, you can make a bet. You can choose any amount, but not more than the maximum bid. The banker has to bet on your card, up to the maximum bid you set. Then, you have to match that bet with your card. This is how all future bets work.

Once you’ve made your bet with the banker, you can also place side bets for other players who have cards. These bets are separate and you can bid any amount. The other player can accept all, some, or none of the bid. If you lose, the side bets are paid out to the player who hasn’t lost yet.

Once again, the banker will reveal a card, and what happens next depends on the rank of the card. There are a few possible outcomes: the card could match a player’s card, the banker’s card, a fresh new card, a card in the center of the table, or a dead card.

If the card matches a player’s card, that player has lost and they must pay the banker the amount they bid on their card, as well as any side bets they lost to other players. On the other hand, the player also has the option to take a card from the center of the table and place new bets with the dealer, as well as side bets with other players.

If I have the same card as the banker, I lose my bet and all the other players who bet on their cards win. But if there are still side bets that haven’t been resolved, the banker has to keep playing. They can choose to take a new card or reveal cards to resolve the bets. If they take a new card, I and the other players with cards can choose to bet again, but we don’t have to. Either way, cards keep getting revealed until all the side bets are resolved.

Now, if I have a fresh card, starting from the player who last got a card, I offer it to the next player on the right who doesn’t have a card. They can either accept the card or pass it to someone else, just like before. If nobody wants the card or there are no players left to take it, it becomes a central card.

If a card matches a central card, those cards become dead cards, along with any other card of the same rank.

If the card matches a dead rank, then it gets discarded and you draw a new card.

PASSING THE BANK

Once all bets and side bets are resolved, I finish the hand, and the new hand can start with the new dealer.

END OF GAME

The game ends when you decide you’re done playing. It’s a bidding game, so you have the option to cash out or join in between hands.