CAP-IT

OBJECTIVE OF CAP-IT: The objective of Cap-It is for you to have the lowest score after 5 rounds.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 to 6 Players

MATERIALS: Two (Three with 5 or 6 players) standard 52 card decks, 4 (6 for 5 or 6 players) jokers, a way to keep score, and a flat playing surface.

TYPE OF GAME: Rummy Card Game

AUDIENCE: Adults

OVERVIEW OF CAP-IT

Cap-It is a Rummy card game for 4 to 6 players. The goal of the game is to have the lowest cumulative score at the end of the game.

Each player plays for themselves. The game can also be played for stakes if all players agree. If playing for stakes all players ante an equal amount to the pot at the start of the game. Each round has a winner who will collect an agreed-upon portion of the pot, and the final winner of the game collects what is left of the pot after the 5th round.

SETUP

The first dealer is chosen at random and passes to the left for each new deal. There will be a total of 5 rounds that will be dealt. The dealer will shuffle the deck, deal each player a hand of 10 cards, and place the remaining cards face down in the center of play as a stockpile.

Card Ranking, Melds, and Card Values

The ranking for this game is traditional. Ace (high), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 (low). The Jokers and the 2s however are wild cards and can be used to signify any card in a meld.

The melds are standard. There are runs and sets, and the minimum number of cards needed to form a meld is 3 cards. if using wild cards in a meld there must be at least 1 natural card to form the meld and the player making the meld must specify if the meld is a run or a set.

There are also meld requirements for each round. To play melds in the round you must first complete this meld to be able to play other melds or lay off to other melds.

For the first round a meld of 2 sets of 3. For the second round, a set of three and a run of 4 are needed. In the third round, 2 runs of 4 are needed. In round four 3 sets of 3 are needed and finally, in round five a run of 3 and a run of 7 are needed.

After playing players with cards remaining in hand will score points for them. Cards ranked King to 10 are each worth 10 points. Cards ranked 9 to 3 are worth 5 points each. 2s are worth 15 points each and jokers are worth 20 each.

GAMEPLAY

The first player is the player left of the dealer. Play proceeds clockwise from them. On a player’s turn, they will draw, meld, and discard in that order.

When drawing a player has 2 options. They may either take the top card from the discard pile or they may push. If deciding to push a player will take the top card of the stop and the top card of the discard pile and push them to the player to their left. This player must take these two cards into their hand. The player who pushed then draws the top card of the stockpile.

After drawing a player may place a meld. To play a meld, a player must first complete the required meld. Once the required meld is played a player may then play any other melds they wish or layoff cards to any other melds in play.

A player may choose to replace a wild card with the natural card it represents if they have that natural card in hand and have met the meld requirements. After replacing the wild card they must immediately use the wild card in another meld. The only time a wild cannot be replaced is if it is a 2 in the natural 2s spot. For example, in a run of 2, 3, 4. The 2 cannot be replaced.

After playing melds if possible, a player will then discard a card to the discard pile to end their turn.

The round will end either when the stockpile is emptied and a player wishes to draw from it, or when a player goes out by emptying their hand.

A player may go out by melding their last card or discarding their last card.

SCORING

After each round is finished players will score. If a player went out, they would score nothing for this round. The other players will score for each card remaining in each other their hands. If no player went out, then all players must score for their remaining hands.

Each round the player with the lowest score will win an earning of the pot.

Scores are kept cumulatively over 5 rounds.

END OF GAME

The game ends after the 5th round is scored. The player with the lowest score wins the game. 

Amber Crook
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