House of cards

24 June 2008

I learned a new game last week. Sadie taught me Ka-¢hing!, and since we lost the instruction booklet, let me explain just how to play:

Contents
• 29 cash cards in denominations of green-1, red-2, blue-5 and yellow-10
• 35 stock cards of different values and categories
• 2 wild cards "to buy things with"

Set Up
• Deal out cash cards to players—Sadie plays banker:
    “Everyone gets three green ones… and I get two red ones…”
    “I've only got one red.”
    “Well, I get more than you because I’m in charge.”
    “Can I have four yellows then?”
    “No.”
    “Please! Yellow is almost my favorite color.”
    “Well fine, but I get all the blues then…”
• Illegal exchanges are encouraged to facilitate the realistic distribution of wealth.
• Arrange stock cards artistically—Sadie plays stockbroker.

To Play
• Player to banker’s right begins
     “Except I actually get to go first because it’s my game… you just get to buy one card from the top or the bottom—like this…”
• Player selects a card and banker sets the price:
    “That’s three greens and two blues and a yellow… Now you go.”
    “I pick farmland for six”
    "OK, that costs four greens and two blues and tree yellows.”
    “That’s not fair, I’ll just pay a green and a blue.”
    Sadie made her sassiest face, “No. I’m in charge because it’s my game.”
• Play continues regardless.
    “Well, actually now I get to go as many times as I want, ‘cause it’s my house. And you don’t live here.”
    “That’s not the rules.”
    “Ha!… You lose! ‘cause I get all the money in the whole world!”
• Any player who attempts to follow “rules” loses.
• When all the cards have been bought, stolen, or discarded under the rug the game is over; whoever own the game wins.

But I'm not complaining; it kept the banker happy.