Objective of the Game
Coon King is a popular card game, primarily played by 3 to 5 players, with the goal of getting rid of all your cards as quickly as possible. The first player to have no cards left wins the game.
Cards and Setup
- Cards: A standard deck of 52 playing cards is used.
- Card Rank: Cards are ranked from highest to lowest: 2 (highest card), Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3. Notably, the 2 is not only the strongest card but has some special rules.
- Suits Hierarchy: The suits are ranked as well: Spades (highest), Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs (lowest).
Gameplay
- Shuffling and Dealing: At the start of the game, the dealer shuffles the cards thoroughly and distributes them evenly among all players. In case of uneven number of players, one player may receive an extra card.
- Starting Player: The player with the lowest card starts the game, often this is the smallest card in the lowest suit, typically the 3 of Clubs.
- Playing Cards: The starting player may play one or more cards forming a legitimate combination. Subsequent players have to either beat that combination or pass.
- Valid Combinations:
- Single card
- Pair: Two cards of the same rank
- Triple: Three cards of the same rank
- Quadruple (rarely used)
- Straight: Five or more consecutive cards
- Flush: Five cards of the same suit
- Full House: Three cards of one rank and two cards of another
- Four of a Kind with an additional card
- Beating: To beat a combination, a player must play the same type of combination but with a higher rank. The card rank takes precedence, but suit ranking can be used in certain situations.
- Passing: A player can pass if unable or unwilling to beat the current combination. Once all players pass, the last successful player starts a new round.
Special Rules and Strategies
- Strategic Passing: Players may pass strategically to save better cards for future rounds.
- Near End Play: It might be advantageous to play weaker cards early to hold stronger cards for finishing moves.
- Opponent Card Tracking: It's often strategic to remember which card combinations opponents have played to plan your moves accordingly.
The game ends when a player has no cards left. In some variants, the remaining cards in opponents' hands count as negative points, and the overall winner is determined after several rounds.
