Rules for playing Maumau Deluxe (game variant of Mau Mau)
1. Basic Rules
To play this game, you need a pack of 32 cards (for two to four players) or 52 cards (for two to seven players), as well as playing chips for the winnings. Each player receives 40 monetary units as playing chips (for example, four red chips with the monetary value of 5, six yellow chips with the monetary value of 2 and eight white chips with the mone- tary value of 1). After the cards are shuffled, each player receives six cards which must be dealt one at a time. The other cards are placed face down in the middle of the table. After that, the dealer starts the round by taking the top card from the deck and placing it face up. If this is a special card (see chapter 2), it counts like all other cards.
The objective of the game is to get rid of all your six cards as soon as possible. The winner of the game gets as many playing chips from the other players as they have cards left in their hand. If e.g. "Player A" wins the game and "Player B" has still four cards and "Player C" six cards in his hand, then "Player A" receives four monetary units from "Player B" and six monetary units from "Player C". The player who has the most playing chips after a previously de- fined number of game rounds is the overall winner. If a player goes broke before the defined number of game rounds are reached, the game is over and the winner is also the player who has the most playing chips at this point.
The player to the left of the dealer starts the game by placing a card with the same value (ten on ten) or with the same suit (clubs on clubs) face up on the pile. The game continues with the next player on the left. If a player does not have a suitable card or does not want to play a card, he must draw a card from the deck. After that, it is the next player's turn. Once the last card of the deck has been played, all cards under the top card are shuffled and form the new deck.
A player playing his second-to-last card and consequently having only one single card left in his hand must say "Mau", so that everyone knows that this player is able to win when it is his turn again. If a player forgets to say "Mau" before the next player makes his move, he must draw two cards from the deck as a punishment. If, however, the mistake is not noticed by anyone until the next-but-one player has played his card, he is not punished. A player having placed his last card on the pile is the winner and should say "Maumau" to show everyone that the game is over.
If a player places a card on the pile before it is his turn he must take it back and draw two additional cards from the deck. After that, the game is continued in the correct order. If it is the turn of a player but he places a wrong card on the pile, he must take it back and draw two additional cards from the deck. After that, it is the turn of the next player.
2. Special cards
If a player plays a jack he must choose a value that all other players have to play (even himself). In this situation, the special status of a ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace is repealed until all players have played the requested val- ue. If a player cannot or does not want to play the requested value, he must draw a card from the deck. If, however, the requested value has not yet been played by any player, another jack may be played. This revokes the predeces- sor's request and the player himself can choose a value (it may also be the same one). However, this is only possible if no jack was chosen and does not apply to the player who has chosen the value. A player choosing a value that he does not have himself must draw five cards from the deck.
If a player plays a queen he must choose a suit that all other players have to play (even himself). In this situation, the special status of a ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace is repealed until all players have played the requested suit. If a player cannot or does not want to play the requested suit, he must draw a card from the deck. If, however, the requested suit has not yet been played by any player, another queen may be played. This revokes the predecessor's request and the player himself can choose a suit (it may also be the same one). However, this is only possible if the played queen is not in the same suit as the requested one and does not apply to the player who has chosen the suit. A player choosing a suit that he does not have himself must draw five cards from the deck.
If a player plays an ace, he must play another card. If this means he plays his last card without having said "Mau" in advance, he must take it back and draw two additional cards from the deck. After that, it is the next player's turn. A player who plays an ace and cannot play another card must draw a card from the deck.
If a player plays a king, the next player skips a turn. That means it is the next-but-one player's turn. If the game is played with just two players, the same rules apply as for the ace.
If a player plays a ten, the next player must draw two cards. However, if this player plays another ten, the next player must draw four cards, and so on. Once the cards are drawn it is the next player's turn. All cards must be drawn one by one, so that each player can count if the correct number of cards has been taken.
The last card a player plays to win the game must not be a special card, unless he plays a requested value (in conse- quence of a jack) or a requested suit (in consequence of a queen).