In this post I'll lay down the rules of Gabong. I can't promise that I'll remember to put down all the rules, intitially, but I'll keep editing it.
Gabong is supposed to be learned without knowing the rules. However, as I have put together this Gabong blog you are going to know them when the game starts.
You need:1 At least two decks of cards. The numer can be andjusted to the number of players. There can never be to many decks of cards.
2 At least four players. There is no upper limit on the number of players, but it gets hard to control the game, even for the most seasoned Gabong, when the number exceeds ten.
3 A table.
The ultimate rule:1. The Gabong Rules! He or she is the ultimate dictator, although there are some rules even dictators have to abide by!
The gist of the game:
1. Get rid of all your cards as fast as possible.
2. Get as few points as possible.
Before play starts:
1. You chose a person to be the Gabong.
Before each round:
1. The Gabong deals the cards, seven to each player.
Conserning the Gabong:
1. The Gabong must cut the deck and use the cut to deal the cards .
2. Penalty cards must be given from the other part of the deck.
3. The Gabong can deal the cards in "any" way he or she wants.
4. The Gabong is however not allowed to count the number of cards in one of the player's piles on the table, to find out it he or she has delt the correct number of cards. The Gabong must take a penalty card, each time he or she does this.
5. If the Gabong deals to many cards, he or she has to put those cards in her or his pile, in addition to taking one penalty card for each extra card delt.
6. If the Gabong deals to few cards, her or she has to deal the necessary additonal cards and take a penalty card for each card lacking.
7. If the Gabong is left with no cards in his cut, after dealing, he or she will get withdrawn a thousand points from his or hers points total.
8. If the Gabong touches any card allready dealt or deals two cards to one player at once, he or she has to take those cards. If the cards belong to a player's pile, they have to be replaced from the other part of the deck.
Concerning the other players:
1. The other players aren't allowed to touch their pile of cards before the Gabong has touched his or hers. For every card a player touches, he or she will recieve a penalty card.
Concerning all players:
1. All extra cards (penalty or otherwise) received, before play starts and after the points of the previous round has been counted, must be played by the player in the next round.
Cards:
1. The twos gives the next player two cards from the deck. If that player has a two, he or she can put it on, giving the next player four penalty cards. If that player has a two, he or she can put it on, giving the next player six penalty cards, and so on...
2. The eights switches the suit. Can be put down, on top of any card, except if the player is facing an "unspent" two. The player putting down the card has to "call" the suit to be switched to. If he or she doesn't "call" it or is too slow, the next player can put on any card.
3. The kings switches the direction of the run of play.
4. The threes skips the next player.
The start of each round:
1. The game starts when the Gabong touches his pile of cards.
2. Before or after he or she has touched their pile of cards, the Gabong must split the remaining deck in two. Each half is put down on the table. In between the two decks, he or she must put down a card from one of the decks, face up. This will be the intial face card.
3. The two players on each side of the Gabong races to put the first card down. The play will continue with the next player, going away from the Gabong, except if one of them puts down a king. An exception to this rule occurs if the initial face card is a three. The the two players next to the Gabong will be skiped and the two next players will race to put the first card down. If the initial face card is a king or a two, it has no effect on the play.
The play:
1. You can always sneak. Sneaking is puting down exactly the same card as the face card. This can be done at any time, even after the game has officially ended and before the gabong has collected the cards. If you have two cards that identical, you cannot put the on at exactly the same time. You have to put on one card, then the other.
2. Otherwise the cards are put down in order. If a player sneaks the play will continue in the same direction as it was going, but from the sneaker's position.
3. Cards can be put down, with face cards having the same value or suit as the card on hand.
4. If a player can't put down a card, he or she must draw one card from the deck. He or she cannot put down this card untill the next turn, unless he or she is sneaking.
5. You can become the Gabong. To become the Gabong you have to get rid off all the cards you have in your hand. You get rid of them by putting all of them down on the face card, while yelling Gabong! The sum of your cards must equal the sum of the face card. This can only be done with more than one card. An ace is one on the hand and fourteen on the table. Gabonging can not be done with an eight involved, either as a card in the hand or as the face card. The player who put down the face card will recieve it and the cards used in Gabonging. This does also apply if the player Gabongs on his own face card. If the player Gabonging puts down the incorrect cards, he or she must retrieve the cards and will in addition recieve five penalty cards.
6. If a player touches a card, which isn't his or hers during the play, the player must take the card. This applies to drawing two or more cards, instead of one while complying with point 4. The exception is if the player touches somebody elses' card. Then the offending player will recieve a penalty card from the deck.
7. If a player puts down an incorrect card, he or she will have to retrieve that card. In addition her or she will get a penalty card for each incorrect card he or she have put down.
8. If a player is too slow, he or she will get a penalty card and will not be allowed to put a card down. The Gabong decides if a player is too slow or not.
The end of each round:
1. When a player has one card left, he or she must say: One card left! This also applies if a player has two idenitcal cards left. He or she must put down one card. Then say: One card left! Then put on the last card. If the player forgets to say this and does not put down his or her cards, he or she will have to draw three penalty cards and retrieve his or her card. It the player forgets to say this and puts down his or her cards, he or she will have to draw five penalty cards and retrieve his or her card.
2. When the player puts down his or her last card, they are not allowed to show any sign that they have won the game. This also applies to the other players around the table. The effect of the rule ends when any player's cards touch the table surface. If any player offends against the rule, he or she must draw five penalty cards. If it is the player who finished, he or she must also retrieve their final card. This does not apply to when a player Gabongs. If the player finishing puts down an incorrect card, he or she will recieve five penalty cards. The point of this is to conceal the end of the game from the other players.
3. If a player or more continues to put down cards after the end of the game, they must retrieve their cards. In addition they will recieve a penalty card for each card put down. If a player draws a card after the game has ended, he or she must keep the card.
Points at the end of each round:
1. The points total for a round is the sum of all the points recieved for each card.
2. The points value for each card.
A. Cards four through ten, except eight, are worth five points each.
B. The jacks and queens are worht ten point each.
C. The threes, kings and aces' are worth twenty points each.
D. The eights are worth fifty points each.
E. The twos are special. Each two adds five points to the total and in addition the sum of all the cards is multiplied by two. If a player has multiple twos the five points for each two is added first. Subsequently the sum of all the cards is multiplied by two for each two. So if a player has four twos: First, twenty points are at first added to the sum of all the cards. Second the sum is multiplied by two times two times two times two, which equals sixteen.
Points in the game:
1. The points collected in each round are added to the points collected in previous rounds.
2. If the sum of points collected in the whole game, equals any even hundred, the points total is halfed. If a player has 250 points before the round and collects 50 points in the round, his point total is 300. It will therefore be halfed to 150.
3. If a person Gabongs five times, without anybody else Gabonging, he or she will get withdrawn a thousand points from their points total. I recommend that this rule is only applied if several players have been the Gabong before.
4. A player can join the game between rounds. He or she will recieve the same number of points as the player with the highest points total.
5. The games if finished at the players choosing. However, there always have to be played one last round. The winner is the player with the least points.
The Gabong as a dictator:
1. If you do anything that anoyes the Gabong he or she can give you a penaltycard. The Gabong can interprit this in any way he or she wants, as long as it does not conflict with any of the other rules of Gabong.
2. You aren't allowed to leave the table without the Gabong's permission.
3. The Gabong can stop the game for a while for any reason. This also applies during a round. However, the game is never finished untill the last round has been finished.
4. If a situation arises, which is not described in these rules (and it will) the Gabong at the time will decide what to do. His decision will aply throughtout the game. The official verdict will be rendered by the Gabongguru.