New Card Game - Boosh

Last year my little sister, Lara, and I invented a new card game called Boosh. It is loosly based in another card game called Golf. It is 'fun for the whole family'.

Boosh:

Cards: Normal deck plus 1 Joker
No. of Players: 2-4
Card Value: Number cards are worth their number, picture cards as indicated below:
Ace: 1
Jack: 11
Queen: 12
King: 13
Joker: Equal to value of highest card in hand

Aim:The aim of the game is to collect and exchange cards until you have what you believe to be the highest hand (or believe you can bluff the other players into believing you have the highest hand).

Deal:
4 cards per player, dealt one at a time in a clockwise direction. Then 1 card (called the cherry) is turned face up to start the ‘face up pile’ [B] in the centre of the table and is placed next to the deck [A] which is face down.

Start Of Play:
Players view their cards and then place them face down on the table in front of them in any order or arrangement. These cards are not to be looked at again unless they are being replaced, or at the end of the game.

The player to the left of the dealer starts first.

Play:
A player can choose to pick up either the top card in the face up pile [B] or the top card from the deck [A]. This card may then be used to replace one of their own cards or be discarded. Replacing involves selecting one of the four existing cards to be discarded and placing the new card face down in its place. The discarded card is placed face up on the face up pile [B]. Play then moves to the next player on the left.

Calling:
After a player has discarded, they may call “Boosh”. This means they believe they have the highest scoring hand (or believe they can bluff their opponents into believing they have the highest scoring hand). At this point the remaining players continue to select one card each in the normal manner of play (this card is referred to as the quack).

Note: If the deck is empty or there are not enough cards left for everyone to select, the Boosh call is void and the highest scoring hand can only receive 50 points and losing players receive 0 points.

Result:
Each player now turns over any two of their own cards – starting with the player who called Boosh. At this point the players who did not call Boosh have the opportunity to fold and leave the hand (their remaining cards are NOT to be exposed). If all players fold, then the Boosh Caller wins 50 points (they do not have to reveal their hand). Note: The Boosh Caller cannot fold.

If another player continues with the hand, all cards of those still playing are turned over. The value of the hand is added up to determine the highest scoring hand. If the Boosh Caller wins – they receive 100 points and the others still in the hand lose 25 points. If the Boosh Caller is not the highest they lose 50 points, the winner receives 50 points and all other players still in the hand lose 25 points (players who fold before the remaining two cards are turned over receive 0 points and their cards are not scored).

Restart:
Each players scores are added to their previous tally.
Cards are then shuffled and re-dealt with the new dealer being the player to the left of the previous dealer.

Overall Result:
The first player to call Boosh and be awarded points that takes them to or over 250 points wins. If a player does not call Boosh but is awarded points that take them to or over 250 points they are awarded the points but cannot win the game from that hand. Any player whose score goes to or below –250 points is out of the game.

Woof Alternative:

Players may choose to play using the Woof Rule.

The deal is as usual however the Cherry is not turned over straight away. All players look at the cards that have been dealt to them and if they believe they have the LOWEST scoring hand (or believe they can bluff their opponents into believing they have the LOWEST scoring hand) they may call Woof. Woof may be called by anyone and in no order – the first person to call Woof is deemed to be the Woof Caller. This must be done before their cards are placed face down on the table.

Once all players’ cards are placed face down on the table there may no longer be a Woof call and play continues as for standard Boosh.

The cherry is then turned over and all players have ONE opportunity to exchange one of their cards with a card from the face up or face down pile (as per usual Boosh rules). Play then moves directly to the Results stage, with the exception that players want to have the LOWEST scoring hand. In a Woof call the value of the Joker is equal to value of the lowest card in the players’ hand. The points for a Woof call are different from a Boosh call: