Clubs
Clubs Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Goal
The goal of Clubs is to get 50 points. There are two ways to get points:
- Win club cards
- Get bonus points for playing all of the cards in your hand as fast as possible
Set-Up
Place the appropriate Bonus cards face-up on the table. Put the unused Bonus cards back in the box:
| Players | Bonus cards to use |
|---|---|
| 6-players | Use all the Bonus cards |
| 5-players | Use the 0, 2, 5, 8 & 10 Bonus cards |
| 4-players | Use the 0, 2, 5 & 8 Bonus cards |
| 3-players | Use the 0, 2 & 5 Bonus cards |
| 2-players | See the Two-Player Rules under "Variations" |
You will need a pen and paper to keep score. Randomly choose the first dealer.
How to Play
Deal the Cards
The dealer shuffles the deck and deals 10 cards to each player. The remaining cards are not used this Round. The person to the left of the dealer will be the first player to Lead this Round.
Leading
Players may Lead with one of the following Trick-Types:
- Single: Any card played alone
- Set: Two or more cards with the same number
- Run: Two or more cards in numerical order (they do not have to be of the same suit)
The cards are played face-up in the center of the table. Once the Trick-Type has been Led, that is the only Trick-Type that can be played until someone wins all of the cards in the center of the table (called the Trick). Play moves to the left.
Taking a Turn
Players have two options on their turn: Play or Pass.
- Play: Take cards from your hand and place them face-up on top of the previously played cards. These cards must be of the same Trick-Type (Single, Set, or Run) and contain the same number of cards as the Lead. The highest card played must be higher than the highest card of the previous play (see "Sample Plays").
- Pass: Players always have the option to pass, even if they have a legal Play in their hand. Passing does not prevent a player from Playing on a future turn.
Play moves to the left.
Winning the Trick
The Trick is won anytime someone plays a 15 (as a Single, in a Set, or in a Run) or when all other players pass consecutively. The winner collects the Trick (all of the face-up cards from the center of the table) and places it face-down by his side. Club cards in this pile will score at the end of the Round. This player becomes the next Leader (see "Leading").
Bonus Cards
Whenever a player plays the last card from their hand, they immediately take the highest remaining Bonus card. The other players continue as normal. If everyone else Passes, that player also wins the Trick and the person to their left becomes the next Leader (see "Leading").
End of Round
The Round ends when only one player is left with cards in their hand. That player has one chance to win the final Trick (to keep someone else from winning points), but will take the 0 Bonus card after the Trick is won.
Scoring
- Players score the points printed on each of the club cards they won.
- Players score the points printed on their Bonus card.
Note: The player with the 0 Bonus card receives a total of 0 points for the Round regardless of the number of club cards they won.
Starting the Next Round
Return any cards that were not dealt to the deck. The player to the left of the dealer starts the next Round as the new dealer (see "Deal the Cards").
Winning the Game
If a player has 50 points or more after scoring the points for a Round, the game ends. The player with the most points wins!
Double or Nothing
A player may call "Double Clubs" anytime before playing their first card of the Round (even if they have passed several times). If that player is the first to play all of their cards, they double their score for the Round (bonus points and club points). If unsuccessful, they score a total of 0 points for the Round regardless of the Bonus card received. It is okay for multiple people to call "Double Clubs" during a Round (although only one of them can be successful).
Sample Plays
Each row shows a legal sequence of plays for one Trick-Type, from the Lead through the 3rd Play. Each play beats the one before it because its highest card outranks the previous highest card (a 15 always wins the Trick outright).
| Trick-Type | The Lead | 1st Play | 2nd Play | 3rd Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 3 of diamonds | 7 of hearts | 12 of spades | 15 of clubs |
| Set | 1 of clubs, 1 of spades | 2 of clubs, 2 of spades | 12 of spades, 12 of hearts | 13 of diamonds, 13 of hearts |
| Set | 5 of diamonds, 5 of spades, 5 of hearts | 7 of hearts, 7 of spades, 7 of clubs | 14 of spades, 14 of clubs, 14 of hearts | 15 of spades, 15 of clubs, 15 of diamonds |
| Run | 4 of spades, 5 of diamonds | 6 of spades, 7 of clubs | 11 of clubs, 12 of hearts | 12 of spades, 13 of hearts |
| Run | 3 of clubs, 4 of spades, 5 of diamonds, 6 of spades | 5 of hearts, 6 of clubs, 7 of hearts, 8 of diamonds | 10 of diamonds, 11 of clubs, 12 of hearts, 13 of diamonds | 11 of spades, 12 of clubs, 13 of hearts, 14 of spades |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to follow suit? No. Any suit may be played to the table at any time.
Do I have to let people know how many cards are in my hand? Yes. The number of cards in a player's hand is public information and can be asked at any time.
Do I have to let people see the cards I've won? No. The collected cards are private information until scoring at the end of the Round.
Why does Clubs have 4 suits? Clubs has four suits so you can play standard card games with it. That way Clubs is the only deck you need to pack when going on vacation.
What is Crazy Clubs? It's a livelier variation of Clubs. See which version your family enjoys best!
Variations
Two-Player Rules
Only use the 5 Bonus card. The player who goes out first gets the 5 Bonus card. The other player gets points for the club cards they won, but does not receive any bonus points.
15s Are Wild
The 15s can be played as any number between 1 and 15. This does not change the point value on the card. The 15 of Clubs is always worth 1 point, and the other 15s are always worth 0 points. This is a North Star favorite!
Partnership Clubs
Players play in teams. The points won by each player are added together at the end of each Round to get the Team Score. When "Double Clubs" is successfully called, double that player's points before adding them to their partner's points. If all the players remaining in the Round are on the same team, the Round ends and that team receives 0 points.
Play to the following points:
| Teams | Points to win |
|---|---|
| 4 players (2 teams of 2) | 100 points |
| 6 players (3 teams of 2) | 100 points |
| 6 players (2 teams of 3) | 150 points |
Crazy Clubs
Crazy Clubs is similar to Clubs, but leads to more bluffing and surprises. We encourage table talk while playing this game. Crazy Clubs is especially good with 2 – 4 players.
Use the rules to Clubs except for the changes below:
- A Trick is no longer automatically won when someone plays a 15. A Trick can only be won when all other players pass consecutively.
- Any Trick-Type can be beaten by a longer version (more cards) of the same Trick-Type. Therefore, any Set can be beaten by a longer Set. Likewise, any Run can be beaten by a longer Run. For example, a Run of a 14 & 15 can be beaten by a Run of a 1, 2 & 3.
- A Single is now considered a Set of one card. A Set of one card can be beaten by a higher Set of one card OR a longer Set. For example, a Set of one 15 can be beaten by a Set of two 3s.
- To Play, the highest card must be higher than the highest card from the previous Play, OR the number of cards must be greater than the previous Play (see "Sample Plays" below).
Crazy Clubs Sample Plays
| Trick-Type | Lead | 2nd Play | 3rd Play | 4th Play | 5th Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set | 2 of clubs | 7 of hearts | 5 of diamonds, 5 of spades | 15 of diamonds, 15 of clubs | 12 of spades, 12 of hearts, 12 of clubs |
| Set | 2 of clubs, 2 of spades | 13 of diamonds, 13 of hearts | 5 of diamonds, 5 of spades, 5 of hearts | 14 of spades, 14 of clubs, 14 of hearts | 7 of clubs, 7 of hearts, 7 of spades |
| Run | 4 of spades, 5 of diamonds | 10 of clubs, 11 of diamonds | 3 of clubs, 4 of hearts, 5 of spades | 13 of hearts, 14 of clubs, 15 of spades | 9 of hearts, 10 of diamonds, 11 of clubs, 12 of hearts, 13 of diamonds |
Credits
- Game Design: Dominic Crapuchettes
- Game Development: Andrew Chen, Luke Warren, Michael Lansing, Satish Pillalamarri, Amber Cook, Edoardo Kulp and the entire North Star crew
- Graphic Design: Warren Kramer and Ali Douglas
- Rules & Editing: Todd Walden, Matt Mariani and David Lipman
- Layout: Matt Mariani and Warren Kramer
- Manufacturing: Edoardo Kulp and Tom Strom
- Playtesting: Liz & Mike Burton, Mike Hulsebus, Robert Martincic, P. D. Magnus, Jason Lott, Ben Lott, Chris McGowan, Bayard Catron, Pat Johnston and everyone who posted feedback on BoardGameGeek.com. The Butz family, the Egloff family, Kory Heath, Greg Daigle and everyone at the RoundHouse.
And Special Thanks to the 100+ other people who tested various versions of Clubs during the three years of development. Cheers!