Makao

Match the pile, empty your hand first.

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How to play — Makao

Makao online for 2–4 players — free, in your browser, no sign-up needed (you play as a guest right away). Join a table or open your own.

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  1. In short

    Makao is a card game for 2–4 players. Everyone starts with five cards and wants to get rid of them all as fast as possible. You play a card that matches the top of the pile by suit or by value. Some cards have special effects. When you are down to one card, you must announce it by saying MAKAO.

  2. An ordinary play

    Select a card that matches the top of the pile by suit or value and choose how to play it. You may play several cards of the same value at once: the first must match the table, and the last sets the suit and the effect. Sequences such as 5–6–7 are not played. In the diagram the first card is the top of the pile and the others match it.

    Top of the pile: 7♥. These match: 7♠ (same value), K♥ (same suit) and the queen (matches any card).

  3. Drawing and the queen

    Instead of playing, you may draw a card. After an ordinary draw you may play only that one drawn card, if it matches, or end your turn. The queen matches any card, and any card matches a queen. It does not, however, get around an active penalty or demand. That is why an ordinary queen can land on a nine of another suit.

  4. Twos, threes and fours

    A two makes the next player draw two cards, a three makes them draw three. You may answer with a two or a three that matches the top by value or suit, and the penalties add up. Otherwise you draw the whole penalty and end your turn. A four means skipping a turn. The next four passes it on and increases it, and accepting means skipping the stated number of your own turns.

  5. Battle kings

    The king of hearts attacks the next player and the king of spades the previous player, with a penalty of five cards. This attack cannot be answered with another king. The defence is the queen of the same suit as the attacking king: the queen of hearts against the king of hearts, or the queen of spades against the king of spades. The other kings are ordinary cards.

  6. Ace and jack

    The ace lets you choose the suit in force. The jack lets you demand one of the values offered in the choice window, or a named ordinary king. A demand limits the following plays to the named card or value and does not disappear when someone merely draws. It expires after one circuit back to its author. After playing, choose the right option in the window and confirm.

    Special cards: 2 and 3 (drawing), 4 (waiting), king of hearts and king of spades (attack), ace (choose a suit), jack (demand).

  7. MAKAO and the finish

    When a play leaves one card, use Play and say MAKAO. Playing without that declaration immediately draws a five-card penalty. A special-action card may be your final card. Players place in the order they empty their hands. In a multi-round match, finishing places are added: first is 1, second 2, and so on. The lowest total wins.

  8. When someone leaves

    There is no resigning. Leaving a game in progress, or running out of time, is a forfeit by that player and ends the game for the whole table. The others win.