Lao Pengh
Lao Pengh Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 48 theme cards
- 6 joker cards
- Game rules
- Quick rules
Setup
- Shuffle the theme cards and the jokers, and deal each player 6 cards.
- Place 3 cards face up next to each other in the centre of the table. They form the start of the 3 piles.
- The remaining cards are not needed and are set aside.
- Each player takes his cards.
Sequence of Play
- All players place 1 card face down in front of themselves and reveal it simultaneously.
- The numbers in the centre of each card (1-54) show the order in which players place their cards onto the piles.
- The player with the lowest number starts, followed by the player with the next number, and so on.
Exception: If the dragon was played by only one player and all the other players played a crane, the player with the dragon may play first. The number in the centre of the dragon is ignored in this case.
Placing Cards
The following rule applies: a card may be placed only when the top card of the pile it is being placed on has at least one of the following attributes:
- Theme: crane or dragon
- Colour: yellow, red or blue
- Number: 1, 2, 3 or 4 (in the corners)
Be careful: no attribute may appear 3 times in a row in one pile, unless it has gone unnoticed by the other players.
If on his turn a player's card does not satisfy any of the 3 piles, he may play his card onto any pile.
Important: A player must always first declare which pile he intends to place his card on, so that the top card can be remembered. Note also that when cards are placed on top of one another, the cards underneath are no longer visible. Once played, cards cannot be taken back.
Jokers
- Jokers show both animals (the crane and the dragon).
- After the cards are revealed, jokers are usually placed first onto the piles.
- Jokers continue only theme rows, but they break colour and number sequences (1-4).
Suspicion
- Other players may always express suspicion as soon as a player has placed his card on a pile.
- If a player believes that the card just played is the third card in a sequence of identical attributes, he strikes that pile with his hand. In doing so he expresses the common suspicion that the card lying on the pile is not allowed.
- It must now be checked.
- If the top card was indeed placed incorrectly, that card remains in place and forms the start of a new pile. The player who placed the card takes the 4 lowest cards from those remaining in the pile and sets aside face down those that are left.
- If the pile consists of fewer cards, the player is lucky and takes only the number of cards that are available; the incorrectly placed card always forms the start of a new pile.
- If the last card played was unjustly accused (that is, it was placed according to the rules), the player who expressed suspicion must take the 2 lowest cards from that pile. The correct card remains in place alone, and any remaining cards are set aside face down.
- Cards that have been taken may also be played.
Translator's note: the printed text does not clearly say what happens to the remaining cards of the pile in the first case (the sentence reads "takes the 4 lowest cards from those remaining in the pile and sets aside face down those that are left"). It is transcribed as printed.
Important: If no player expresses suspicion, even when 3 cards with the same attribute lie directly on top of one another, the top card is considered accepted. If a player then places a card with the same attribute on top of it, a new suspicion may be voiced immediately.
End of Game
- The game ends as soon as one player no longer has any cards in hand and all cards in this round have been played onto the piles.
- The player with no cards in hand is the winner. If the game is tied, there may be several winners.
Quick Rules
The printed rulebook includes a separate quick-rules sheet ("Краткая инструкция"). It is transcribed here in full.
Setup
- Shuffle the theme cards and the jokers, and deal each player 6 cards.
- Place 3 cards face up next to each other in the centre of the table.
Sequence of Play
- All players place 1 card face down in front of themselves and reveal it simultaneously.
- Cards are laid onto the 3 piles in a special sequence (1-54).
Exception: If the dragon was played by only one player, that player may play first.
A card may be placed only when the top card of the pile has at least one such same attribute.
Attributes:
- Theme: crane or dragon
- Colour: yellow, red or blue
- Number: 1, 2, 3 or 4 (in the corners)
No attribute may follow 3 times in a row in one pile, unless it has gone unnoticed by the other players.
Jokers break colour and number sequences, but continue theme rows.
Suspicion
- Suspicion may always be voiced once a player has placed his card on a pile.
- If a player believes that the card just played is the third card in a sequence of identical attributes, he strikes the pile with his hand, voicing an accusation.
- If the card was indeed placed incorrectly, the player who placed it takes the 4 lowest cards from the pile. The top card remains in place.
- If the card was unjustly accused, the player who voiced suspicion must take the 2 lowest cards from the pile (the top card remains in place).
End of Game
- The winner is the player who first gets rid of all of his cards.