Stick 'Em
Stick 'Em Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
Each player is dealt cards. They each select one of these cards to specify for themselves their "misery colour". The object of the game is to take as many tricks as possible, while avoiding cards of the "misery colour". Cards in the "misery colour" bring negative points, while the other colours bring positive points. The player with most points wins.
Game Setup for Sticheln "Classic"
The cards used in the game depend on the number of players. The cards not listed are not used in the game.
| Players | Cards | Colours |
|---|---|---|
| Three players | Cards 0-8 | in green, brown, red, blue and yellow |
| Four players | Cards 0-11 | in green, brown, red, blue and yellow |
| Five players | Cards 0-14 | in green, brown, red, blue and yellow |
| Six players | Cards 0-14 | in green, brown, red, blue, yellow and violet |
| Seven players | Cards 0-17 | in green, brown, red, blue, yellow and violet |
| Eight players | Cards 0-18 | in green, brown, red, blue, yellow and violet |
The cards are shuffled and dealt out to each player. Each player will receive 15 cards (14 cards, if eight are playing).
Note: With seven players three cards remain un-dealt, and with eight players two cards remain. These cards are shown to all players, and set aside.
Choosing Your "Misery Colour"
Each player looks at his hand and chooses his "misery colour" for this hand. He then selects a card of this colour from his hand and places it face down in front of him. Once everyone has placed a card facedown, all players reveal them at the same time. They then remain face up until the end of the round. Thus everyone knows every one else's misery colour. It can happen that several players selected the same misery colour.
Each card in the misery colour that a player takes in tricks will score negative points according to the card's face value. The misery begins with the selection of the misery colour, because the card used to declare a player's misery colour is counted against that player at the end of the round.
Tip: When selecting a misery colour, a player should not choose a colour in which he has only 1-3 cards, nor from a colour in which he has very many cards. Also, it's better to choose a colour in which the cards he has have low numerical values, in order to avoid taking tricks with high cards in his misery colour.
Game Play
The starting player begins by playing a card to the centre of the table. Next, each player must, in turn, play a card from his hand. You need not follow suit. Any card can be played.
The cards played into the centre of the table are the "trick". The colour of the first card played is the "lead colour". Every other colour played in that trick is a trump colour. Every card in a trump colour is a trump card, with the exception of the 0 card.
Important: The 0 card is not a trump card.
Who Wins a Trick?
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If only cards in the lead colour were played to the trick, the player who played the highest number card wins the trick.
Example: Axel begins with a 6 (lead colour). Lore plays a 5 (lead colour). Uli plays a 2 (lead colour). Doris plays an 11 (lead colour) and wins the trick.
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If, other than cards of the lead colour, 0 cards were played, the player who played the highest number card in the lead colour wins the trick. A 0 card is not a trump card.
Example: Doris begins with a 3 (lead colour). Axel plays a 2 (lead colour). Lore plays a 0 (not a trump). Uli plays a 4 (lead colour) and wins the trick.
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If, other than cards of the lead colour, at least one trump card was played, the player who played the trump card with the highest number wins the trick. A 0 card cannot win this trick.
Example: Uli begins with a 10 (lead colour). Doris plays a 0 (not a trump). Axel plays a 7 (trump colour) and wins the trick. Lore plays an 11 (lead colour).
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If more than one trump cards of the same, highest numerical value were played, the player who played the first highest-valued trump card in the trick wins the trick.
Example: Axel begins with an 11 (lead colour). Lore plays a 6 (trump colour) and wins the trick. Uli plays a 6 (trump colour). Doris plays a 4 (trump colour).
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In a trick where the only cards played were 0 cards, then the player who led the first 0 card wins the trick.
The winner of the trick takes the cards and places them face-down in a pile in front of himself. This player then begins the next trick by playing the first card. The colour of this first card is the new lead colour.
End of the Round, and Scoring
After 14 tricks (13 tricks with eight players) the round ends. Each player now has at least one card in his misery colour (the card used to declare that colour), and possibly other cards taken in tricks. Each card in his misery colour counts as negative points according to the numerical value on the card. Each card not in his misery colour counts as one positive point, independent of the value on the card. To determine a player's score for the round, add the positive points and subtract the negative points.
Example: Axel used a red 4 to declare his misery colour. In his tricks he's taken a red 2 and 5, as well as 14 cards in other colours. For the 14 other cards Axel receives 14 points, and for the red cards he receives 4 + 2 + 5, or 11 negative points. Thus, his score for the round is 14 - 11, or 3 points.
The Next Round
After all the scores are tallied, the next round begins. A player shuffles together all the cards and deals them to all the players evenly, as before. The player to the left of the dealer leads the first card, and play continues as described before.
Ending the Game
The game ends after five rounds. The player with the most points is the winner. If all players have negative points, the player with the fewest negative points is the winner.
The New Variants
"Reverse" Sticheln
The players select a personal "lucky colour" from the cards in their hand. This means that each card in this colour that a player wins in tricks counts as positive points according to their numerical value. Naturally, also the card chosen at the beginning to indicate this lucky colour counts positively. However, now each card in other colours counts as one negative point, regardless of their numerical value.
Note: The lowest trump card wins the trick, rather than the highest. (A "0" card still does not win a trick.) If several players play trump with the lowest value, the first player to play such a card wins the trick. Otherwise play with the same rules as in Sticheln "Classic".
"Mild" Sticheln
Each misery card counts as five negative points, rather than negative face value. This also applies to the 0 card in that colour. Each card in other colours is still one positive point. Otherwise play with the same rules as in Sticheln "Classic".
"Aggravated" Sticheln
Each player chooses two personal misery colours, and selects two cards from his hand. Therefore, with 3-7 players only 13 tricks are played, and with 8 players only 12 tricks. Each card in the two misery colours brings negative points according to the numerical values on the cards, and cards in the other colours are worth one positive point each. Otherwise play with the same rules as in Sticheln "Classic."
"Hazy" Sticheln
The card declaring a player's misery colour remains lying face down before each player. It is not revealed until the end of the round. Otherwise play with the same rules as in Sticheln "Classic".
"Delayed" Sticheln
The players select their misery colour not at the beginning of the round, but at the end, when counting the cards won in tricks. Each player must select as his misery colour one that is represented in those cards won. If a player has not collected any cards of a colour, then that player may not choose that colour to be his misery colour. In this variant 15 tricks are played (14 tricks with eight players). Players who did not take a trick receive 0 points. Otherwise play with the same rules as in Sticheln "Classic".
Sticheln "Hat Trick"
With 4-6 players, use cards from 1-20 in red, blue, and green. A player shuffles the cards and deals them out evenly to all players: 15 cards to four players, 12 cards to five players, and 10 cards to six players. With 7 players, use cards from 0-20 in red, blue, and green. Each player will then get 9 cards.
Objective
Each player tries to collect as many cards as possible in only one colour, and to avoid the cards in another colour. Cards of one colour count one point per card. Cards of the other colours count one negative point per card. The player with the most points wins.
Game Play
The starting player begins by leading a card from his hand into the centre of the table. This begins a trick. In order the other players add a card either in the first-played colour, or in a second colour. With the second colour a second trick is begun. Thus a double trick develops.
Important: At most two colours can be played in a double trick.
Example: Axel begins with a 10 (red). Lore plays a 13 (blue). Uli plays an 11 (red). Doris plays a 3 (red). Birgit plays an 18 (blue). Uli wins the red trick and receives three red cards. Birgit wins the blue trick and receives two blue cards.
The player who played the card with the highest value wins the trick. With a double trick each colour is won as a separate trick. The trick winners take their tricks and place their cards in face up piles separated by colour. Thus everyone sees who has collected which colour.
The winner of the previous trick begins the next trick. If the trick was a double trick then whichever winner won with the highest numbered card has the start. If there is a tie, then the player who played the second, third, or fourth highest numbered card leads. If there still is a tie, then it is broken by colour sequence: red, blue, green.
The Rules of the Tricks
- In a double trick there may be at most two colours.
- The 20, as the highest card, always wins a trick.
- An individual card is considered a trick.
- Each player may over-bid the highest card or play a lower valued card.
Passing
If a player cannot, or does not wish, to play one of the two colours in the double trick, he must pass. He must show all other players any card in the third colour, and put it face down in front of himself. Passing is possible only if there are already two colours played into the trick.
The Scoring
All cards are played out in tricks successively, up to the final card.
The last card is not played. It is put aside and not scored.
A player now has up to three face-up piles in front of him, and possibly face-down cards, if he passed during play. Each player counts his cards in the respective colours. The colour in which he counts the most cards scores as one positive point per card. If there is a tie between two or three of the colours, the player chooses one colour to count as positive points. All cards from the other colours count as one negative point per card. Face down cards, from passing during play, count as two negative points each, regardless of the colour of the card.
Example: Axel has nine red cards, two blue, four green and a facedown card. That gives him a score of 1 (9 - 2 - 4 - 2).
The Next Round
After all the scores are tallied, the next round begins. A player shuffles together all the cards and deals them to all the players evenly, as before. The player to the left of the dealer leads the first card, and play continues as described before.
Ending the Game
The game ends after five rounds. The player with the most points is the winner. If all players have negative points, the player with the fewest negative points is the winner.