The Rules for ROKARD

The Rules for RO-KARD
Ro-Kard

The game of Ro-Kard is played with 54 Kards, including Jokers. The object of the game is to score points by playing Kards and by connecting to Kards already in play. The game of Ro-Kard may be played by 2 to 4 players, individaully or as partners. Ro-Kard is enjoyed by all ages.

Kard Values:

Aces
King, Queen, Jack, Ten
2 through 9
Joker
Bonus
- 4 of a kind in a row
- 5 in a sequence in a row

15 points
10 points
5 points
25 points
50 points
50 points

Terminology of RO-KARD:

Helping Hand (H.H.) - Hand of Kards turned face up on the table that may be used by any player during their turn.

Sequence or Run - 2,3,4 or 5 Kards of the same suit in numerical order. A sequnce cannot be more the 5 Kards in a single row.

Kind or Book - 2,3 or 4 Kards of the same numerical value or face Kard identity but of different suits. There can be no more than 4 of a Kind in a single row.

Drawing Pool - Kards that are left face down after beginning hands are drawn.

Pattern - The shape that connected Kards make as they are being played. A Pattern is completed when any player goes out. Going out ends the game.

Four Kard square block - The connecting of 4 Kards to form a "square" block is NOT PERMITTED on any part of the Pattern

Prior to Start:

Each player draws one Kard.

Player with the highest Kard begins play.

All Kards are then thoroughly mixed.

Each player draws 7 Kards.

A Helping Hand of 5 Kards is turned face up by the starting player.

All other Kards are left face down and serve as the Drawing Pool.

Play is clockwise.

Helping Hand (H.H.)

The beginning H.H. has 5 Kards.

During any turn a player may, while playing on the pattern, ues Kards from the H.H. to increase their score.

To use the H.H., the player must play at least one Kard from their own hand during their turn.

Kards used from thr H.H. are NOT replaced from the Drawing Pool. Kards from the H.H. cannot be placed in any players hand for later use.

After play begins, it is normal at any time for the number of Kards in the H.H. to vary from zero to several.

Using Helping Hand

After Pattern has begun, all players must play every turn, either on the Pattern or into the H.H.

The Player may do either, but not both during a turn.

If a player cannot or chooses not to play on the Pattern, they may discard 1 to 5 Kards face up into the Helping Hand and then restore their hand to 7 Kards from the Drawing Pool.

Players may do this in trying to draw a better hand as long as there are enough Kards in the Drawing Pool.

All players may now use these discards as part of the Helping Hand to increase their score during their turn.

After the Drawing pool is used up and replacement Kards are not available, players may discard one and only one Kard during a turn instead of playing on the Pattern.

the Joker

Either Joker may be used as any Kard as long as it assumes an exact, fixed identity in the row in which it is played.

Kards already played in other rows of the Pattern will have no bearing on the identity of the Joker.

The Joker may take the identity of a Kard played elsewhere or a Kard not yet played but the specific Kard it represents must be evident in the row in which it is played.

It must be obvious to all players exactly which Kard the Joker represents by the way it is played. For example: (1) When played in a sequence of 3 Kards or more, identity is obvious. (2) When played as the 4th Kard in a 4 of a kind, identity is obvious.

There can be no doubt as to which Kard the Joker represents for the play to be legal.

After the exact identity of the Joker is established, the Joker may be connected the same as any other Kard.

It is possible to use both Jokers during one play if both can be given an exact identity.

Live Joker

The Joker stays live during the play of the game.

The Joker may be taken from the Pattern by replacing it with the Kard it represents (Swap Kard).

If, for example, the Joker has assumed the identity of the 10 of clubs, any player with the 10 of clubs in their hand may, during their turn, place the 10 of clubs in the Pattern and take out the Joker. The player may now use the Joker as any Kard using the above rules, but it MUST be put back into play during that same turn. The Swapped Kard, in this case the 10 of clubs, does not score but the Joker does.

The Joker may not be taken from the Pattern and put into the players hand, it MUST be put into play.

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