Kemps Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Gameplay and Game Flow
• Setup
• Secret Signals
• Play Phase
• Calling Chaulcer
• Scoring
  • Correct Calls
  • Incorrect Calls
  • Clarifications
• Winning the Game
• Resolving Ties
• Strategy and Play Considerations
• Variant Play Options
  • Variant 1: Five Up
  • Variant 2: Verbal Signals
  • Variant 3: Incorrect Call Ends Round

Gameplay and Game Flow

In the game, players are attempting to form four-of-a-kind in their hand, swapping cards from their hand with communal cards in a central play space. Once four-of-a-kind is achieved by a player, their partner must be the one to call it by saying "Chaulcer!" No verbal signals can be given, so secret, silent signal(s) are created prior to each round by teammates in private. Correctly calling Chaulcer ends the round and points are tallied, before the deck is reshuffled and redealt. Incorrectly calling Chaulcer loses points for a team, no cards are revealed, and the round continues.

If card swaps have stopped, the dealer can call a halt to the game to remove the communal cards and deal a new set of communal cards. Play continues until one or more Chaulcer's are correctly called out.

It is possible for both partners to achieve Chaulcer at the same time, and one must call out "Double Chaulcer!" Conversely, you can call "Counter-Chaulcer!" on opponents if you suspect them of having four-of-a-kind, or even "Double-Counter-Chaulcer!" for pairs of teammates who have four of a kind. Combinations of these declarations can be made at once, and if any Chaulcers (four of a kind) are correctly identified, the round ends.

Rounds continue until one team reaches 10 points or there have been 12 deals (16 in an 8-player game). Alternatively, another predetermined endpoint can be set.

Setup

1. Choose partners.
2. Each set of partners is given a minute or two in private to determine their secret signals. These signals must be silent in nature, as verbal communication between partners is forbidden once play starts.
3. Shuffle a standard deck of cards (Jokers removed), and choose a dealer to start the game.
4. Deal four cards to each player.
5. The dealer then deals three cards face up to a communal offer in the middle of the play area. All players can review these cards briefly.
6. The dealer deals a fourth and final card face up to the central play area. As soon as this fourth card is placed on the table, the first round begins.

Secret Signals

You and your partner's secret signal may not interfere with play or include verbal elements. Beyond these restrictions, very little is off-limits. It can include, among other things, non-game items in or around the play area, clothing, or specific movements. Additional house rules to structure signals can be added, so long as all players adhere to them.

Your signal can be deduced by opponents, who are under no obligation to reveal that they have discovered your signal.

Between deals, any partner pair may call a private huddle to change their signals.

Partners do not need to have the same signal. One partner could scratch their nose, for instance, while the other fixes their eyebrows as their respective signals.

Play Phase

1. Players may freely exchange cards from their hand with cards on the table.
   • A card must be discarded from a player's hand before picking up a new card. You can never have more than four cards in your hand at a time.
   • You must swap one card at a time, and cannot discard 2-4 cards to pick up a corresponding amount.
2. If there is a period of inactivity in card swaps, lasting 3-5 seconds or longer, the dealer may call a halt to the game. Following this halt, no Chaulcer declarations may be made until play resumes.
3. Following a halt, the dealer wipes the existing four communal cards, removing them from the game, and deals out four more as outlined in the setup.
4. Play continues until Chaulcer/Counter-Chaulcer is correctly called. Scoring then occurs, and cards are reshuffled and redealt, with the dealer rotating clockwise.

Calling Chaulcer

Calling Chaulcer is the act of indicating that you believe your partner to have four of a kind by saying the word "Chaulcer" aloud and indicating the player it refers to. For the purposes of this section, the guidelines below also apply to all Chaulcer call variations, such as Counter-Chaulcer and Double Chaulcer.

A correct Chaulcer call ends the round immediately. If incorrect, the indicated player states this, but no cards are revealed and play continues.

1. Any player can call Chaulcer at any time, except in halts between communal deals, as indicated by the dealer.
2. A player cannot call Chaulcer on themselves. They are limited to silently indicating this fact to their partner, who must call on their behalf.
3. The secret signal from your partner is not a prerequisite to calling Chaulcer. If you believe they have four of a kind and have forgotten to give the agreed-upon signal, you may call.
4. Counter-Chaulcer may be called on one or more opponents. You must indicate which opponent you are calling. A declaration of "Counter-Chaulcer" does not apply to all opponents.
5. If you know your partner has four of a kind, you are not obligated to call, and may wish to wait to try to achieve Double Chaulcer.
6. If Double Chaulcer is called (or Double Counter-Chaulcer) and it is only half right, negative points are awarded for the incorrect call, but the round ends immediately since the table will know at that point that someone has achieved four of a kind.
7. You can make multiple calls at the same time, such as "Double Chaulcer + Counter-Chaulcer." Scoring for each call is handled separately.
8. Double Counter-Chaulcer can only be called on teammates. If you suspect two non-teammates have four of a kind and call them both, it is two separate instances of Counter-Chaulcer for scoring purposes.

If two or more players call and there is a dispute as to who called first, the table is polled to see if it was simultaneous or if one team called it first. In the case of a tied poll, the dealer breaks ties. If it's determined that the calls were simultaneous, both teams are awarded positive or negative points according to scoring below.

Scoring

Correct Calls

• Chaulcer: 1 point
• Counter-Chaulcer: 1 point
• Double Chaulcer: 3 points
• Double Counter-Chaulcer: 4 points

Incorrect Calls

• All incorrect calls are worth -1 point

Clarifications

• If more than one call is made at the same time, they are scored separately. For example, "Chaulcer + Counter-Chaulcer + Counter-Chaulcer" where two are incorrect would equal -1 point.
• Conversely, that same call where all are correct would result in 3 points for the caller's team.
• It is possible to accrue multiple negative calls in a single round. The round only ends when a call is successful.

Winning the Game

The winning team is the first to get to 10 points. Or if no one reaches 10 points, the win goes to the team with the most points after there have been 12 deals (or 16 deals in an eight player game).

Alternatively, another predetermined endpoint (either points or number of deals) can be set.

Resolving Ties

If the game ends via 12 deals (16 in 8P) and two or more teams are tied, or the game ends with a simultaneous call resulting in two teams tied at or above 10 points, one final round is played, known as the Chaulce-Off.

If the game is still tied after the Chaulce-Off, sudden death Chaulce-Off rounds continue to be played until a winner is determined. If a Chaulce-Off round results in teams dipping beneath 10 points, the game still ends immediately, so long as one team is in the lead.

It is possible for a team who was not tied for the lead to win as a result of the Chaulce-Off. For example, if three teams are tied with 8 points, and a fourth team has 6 points, they could score 3 points in the Chaulce-Off and win with a score of 9.

Strategy and Play Considerations

1. It can be difficult to monitor your own hand, your partner's possible signal, and others' card swaps all at once. In your first plays, it's recommended that you focus on you and your partner.
2. Once you have gotten the hang of the cadence of the game, pick one opponent and watch their card swaps. You can often call counter-chaulcer before their partner with close examination of what they are collecting.
3. Similarly, you can "steal" a card from the offer that you suspect an opponent wants. If you do so nonchalantly enough, you can "feed" it to them later on, allowing you to immediately call counter-chaulcer when they pick it up.
4. If you are playing with experienced players, be willing to collect three of a card type that you don't already have one of in your hand. This can induce incorrect counter-chaulcer calls, and will make them more wary of calling you in the future.
5. You're under no obligation to try for four of a kind if you find yourself with a poorly matched hand. It may be better in these rounds to monitor your partner and opponents, and simply swap cards at random to create the illusion of your own progress.
6. Four-player games often feature multiple card wipes. At six or eight players, it's more likely that the game will end within the first communal offer. Adjust your expectations of round length accordingly, which may inform your strategy.
7. The spirit of the game necessitates honesty and integrity, including admitting things like opponents beating you to a Chaulcer call. Be willing to admit defeat when it's warranted and the game will flow more smoothly for everyone.
8. Have fun!

Variant Play Options

Variant 1: Five Up

Traditional Kemps has four cards in the communal offer at all play counts. However, the game can be played with five in the offer. This will tend to speed up play, as Chaulcers will be achieved more quickly. I'd recommend it only at four players.

Variant 2: Verbal Signals

In this variant, verbal signals are permitted. This can be great fun, as it invites all sorts of random phrases uttered at the table to sow confusion and doubt. Even better can be waiting until an unrelated phrase is uttered after a verbal signal to call Chaulcer, to avoid the signal being deduced.

Variant 3: Incorrect Call Ends Round

In some rules I've seen for the game, an incorrect call ends the round, and the player is required to reveal their hand. This seems anti-climactic to me, and I prefer to simply trust the honesty of the called-upon player in stating that the call is incorrect, and continue play with the mystery of their hand makeup, only ending the round on a correct call. But this is likely the more traditional way of playing.