Written January 05, 2025 in 5 minutes as part of the Gentle Games Habit
A game for 2 players using a regular deck of cards.
This game is a variant of rummy, based on a "I cut, you choose" mechanic.
Deal each player 10 cards. Designate one player "the cutter", the other "the chooser".
The players play a round:
- Each player places one card from their hand face down between them, and adds a card from the top of the deck. (See variant rule below)
- The Cutter flips them over and groups them into two pairs. The chooser chooses a pair, takes them into hand, and then discards a card to a discard pile. The cutter takes the other pair and discards a card.
The players then swap roles (the cutter becomes the chooser and the chooser becomes the cutter) and play another round. Play repeats like this until a player discards a card and they can reveal a hand where all the cards are part of a meld - that player wins.
Melds are standard rummy melds: 3 or 4 of a kind, straights of 3 or more cards in the same suit.
Variant Rule: Rather than adding a card from the top of the deck, the player may add the top card from the discard pile - this card should be face up.
Variant Rule Variant: The player can add any card from the discard pile, not just the top card.
2025-01-06 Playtest
Played with someone who is not enthusiastic about card games. Seemed to play just fine. I tend to forget in games like this who is the cutter and who is the chooser. If something distracts me I won't remember who was the cutter. It's not a huge problem - the game functions - but it'd be helpful to have some element make it obvious who is cutting next.
I don't like this idea, but: there could be a token you take from the other player when you choose your cards after the cut. Then when next cut happens, the player with the token makes the cut.