OBJECTIVE OF RED NINES: Be the player with the lowest score when the game ends
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 or more
NUMBER OF CARDS: 52 or more playing cards
RANK OF CARDS: (low) Ace – King (high)
TYPE OF GAME: Hand Shedding
AUDIENCE: Kids, Adults
INTRODUCTION OF RED NINES
Red Nines is a quick hand shedding game that is played with four or more players. Players play the most amount of cards from their hand as possible each turn. They do this by building on the discard pile with sequences of cards.
THE CARDS & THE DEAL
For a four player game, use a 52 card deck. For each player past four, add one more suit’s worth of cards. If there are an even amount of players, their should be an equal amount of red and black suits. If there are an odd amount of players, their should be one more red suit than black suits. For example, in a five player game, there are three red suits and two black suits.
Deal out the entire deck, so players each have thirteen cards. Deal passes left each round.
THE PLAY
THE FIRST TURN
The player sitting on the immediate left of the dealer gets to go first. On a player’s turn, they are trying to play as many cards as possible to the discard pile. This is done by playing continues sequences of cards in ascending order. The card suits do not matter.
The first player is allowed to begin the discard pile with multiple cards of the same rank. For example, if the player has two 3’s, they can begin the discard pile with both of them if they want and continue with a 4,5,6 and so on. That player then continues the building the sequence one card at a time with as many cards as possible. Their turn ends when they can no longer build up the sequence.
FOLLOWING TURNS
The next player must continue building the sequence based on the top card of the discard pile. They play as many cards as possible If the player is unable to continue the sequence, they lose their turn. Continue until one player gets rid of all their cards.
SPECIAL RULES
If a player plays a King, they are able to begin a new sequence with any number or face card including another King.
If there comes a point when no player is able to build on the discard pile, the player who played the last card gets to go again. They start a new sequence with whatever card they choose.
Red 9’s are wild and can be used as any needed card. If a 9 is needed to continue the sequence, and the player only has a red 9 in their hand, they do not have to play that card. They can choose to pass.
Play one round of Red Nines for each player at the table.
SCORING
Players earn penalty points for the cards remaining in their hand.
2’s – 10’s = points equal to the rank of the card
Jacks = 11 points each
Queens = 12 points each
Kings = 13 points each
Aces = 20 points each
If a player is left with a red 9 in their hand after an opponent goes out, their score is doubled for the round. If they have two red 9’s in their hand, their score is quadrupled and so on.
If a player goes out with a red 9 as their final card, all other players’ scores are doubled for the round.
WINNING
Play one round of Red Nines for each player in the game. The player who has the lowest score wins.
- TRIPLE SNAKES - February 15, 2021