Objective of the Game
Russian Bank, also known as "Spite and Malice", is a card game for two players played with a standard 52-card deck. The objective is to be the first player to move all the cards from your pay-off pile by playing them in sequence onto foundation piles.
Setup
Each player needs a complete deck of cards. Each player has three main piles:
- Pay-off Pile: 13 cards face down, with the top card turned face up.
- Hand Cards: 5 cards held in hand.
- Auxiliary Piles: Created during gameplay.
Additionally, there are shared foundation piles in the center where cards are played in ascending order.
Gameplay
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Starting the Game: Determine who starts by both drawing a card from their deck—the player with the lower card begins.
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Structure of a Turn:
- Draw cards until you have five hand cards.
- Play cards from your hand, pay-off pile, or auxiliary piles onto the central foundation piles in ascending order (Ace to King).
- Move cards from your pay-off pile to empty spaces or onto the opponent's piles if possible.
- Refill your hand to five cards after playing.
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When no more cards can be played, place a card from your hand onto an auxiliary pile.
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End of a Turn: A turn ends when no more cards can be played to the foundation piles and you place a card onto one of your auxiliary piles.
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End of the Game:
- The game ends when a player has successfully moved all the cards from their pay-off pile to the foundation piles.
- If all foundation piles can't be extended further and neither pay-off pile is empty, the game results in a draw.
Strategic Considerations
- Using Auxiliary Piles: Use these piles strategically to manage the order of your cards so they can be played in future turns for maximum advantage.
- Blocking Opponent: Pay attention to how foundation piles are stacked to prevent the opponent from easily moving their cards.
- Card Frequency Awareness: Keep track of played cards to better anticipate playing certain cards for strategic advantage.
