Objective of the Game

Kaisern is a social card game primarily played with a standard deck of playing cards. The main objective of the game is to strategically select and discard cards to score points and become the "Kaiser."

Number of Players

The game can be played with 2 to 4 players.

Materials Needed

• A standard deck of 52 playing cards without jokers.

Game Setup

Shuffle the deck thoroughly. Deal 5 cards face down to each player. The remaining cards form the draw pile, known as the “Talon,” placed in the center of the table. The top card of the draw pile is turned over to start the discard pile.

Gameplay

1. Starting the Game: The player to the left of the dealer starts the game.
2. Drawing Cards: At the beginning of their turn, a player draws either the top card from the draw pile or the top card from the discard pile.
3. Discarding Cards: After drawing, the player must discard a card onto the discard pile. The discarded card must have either the same suit (hearts, diamonds, spades, clubs) or the same rank (e.g., seven, queen) as the top card of the discard pile.
4. Kaiser Special Rule: If a face card (jack, queen, king) is discarded, the player may announce a suit which the next player must follow. The next player must discard a card of the announced suit or draw a card from the draw pile.
5. Ending the Game: The game ends when a player has discarded all of their cards or when the draw pile is exhausted. The player with the fewest points in their hand wins.

Scoring System

• Number cards (2-10) count as their face value.
• Jacks, Queens, Kings count as 10 points.
• Aces count as 1 point.

Strategy Tips

• Collect Face Cards: These allow you to influence the course of the game and make it difficult for your opponents.
• Manage Your Suits: Have cards from as many suits as possible to respond flexibly to your opponents' declarations.
• Timing of Discarding: Consider carefully when to play a face card as it can greatly alter the game's flow.

Enjoy playing Kaisern! Note that the strategy may vary depending on the number of players.