Swoop Rules
Object
Get rid of every card. When someone goes out, everyone else scores what they still hold. Lowest score when a player reaches 500 (or 200) wins.
The table
- 3–8 players. Two decks for 3–4, three for 5–6, four for 7–8. Each deck includes two jokers.
- Rank low to high: A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 J Q K. Tens and jokers have no rank.
- 19 cards each: 4 mystery (face down), 4 face-up on top of those, 11 in hand.
Your turn
- Play 1–4 cards of the same rank from your hand, face-up table cards, or both.
- Equal or lower than the pile: add them. Higher: pick the pile up, then play those cards as the new pile.
- Never more than four equal cards on top of the pile.
- Four of a kind on top, or a 10 or joker, Swoops: the pile is discarded and you play again.
- A mystery card can only lead a turn, and only after its covering card is gone. Matching cards may join it.
Scoring
Ace 1, 2–9 face value, J/Q/K 10, tens and jokers 50. Remaining hand and table cards all count.