Phase 10 is a thrilling card game which can be played by 2 or more players. The competition is all about the rush to complete the ten different match ups otherwise called phases.
The first person to complete the entire 10 phases, wins the game. However, at times two players can tie up. If it does happen, the player with the lowest points wins the game!
The most challenging part of the game that adds to its fun is the ability to guess on the card your opponent wants and discarding that particular card.
If you successfully guess and deny him that card, then you slow him down from winning the game. Here are some basic rules in how to play the game.
Preparing for the Game
Each player then keeps the cards in his hands and doesn’t let anyone know about its content. After the distribution of the cards, the remaining deck becomes the draw pile.
They are positioned at the center of the table, face down.
Next, the dealer picks the topmost card from the pile, turns it over and places it next to the draw pile. That becomes the discard pile.
Who Begins the game?
The player sited at the left-hand side of the dealer begins the game.
Each player takes turns in picking the top card from the draw pile or discards a card and adds it to the ones in his hand. Next, he chooses any card of his choice to throw to the discard pile.
That ends his turn.
During each turn, you have to check out from the card combination that you have if they can make a phase.
If you can make a phase with the mix, then you lay the cards before the team members, if not the play continues to the next player.
However, a player isn’t allowed to lay down half a phase.
The game continues until a player completes his phase.
Here are the 10 phases
• Phase one; 2 sets of 3
• Phase two; 1 set of 3, and 1 run of 4
• Phase three: 1 set of 4 and 1 run of 4
• Phase four: 1 run of 7
• Phase five: 1 run of 8
• Phase six: 1 run of 9
• Phase seven: 2 sets of 4
• Phase eight: 7 cards of one color
• Phase nine: 1 set of 5 and 1 set of 2
• Phase ten: 1 set of 5 and 1 set of 3
To make a phase, therefore, means to have the card combination that completes any of the presets 10 conditions described above.
However, each player must complete the previous phase before moving to the next.
If a player fails to make a given phase in one hand, he must strive to do so in the next hand
So What Determines the End of a Hand?
The end of a hand is marked by any player completing his phase and remains with zero cards.
So after forming a phase you have to discard any remaining cards in your hand appropriately. Thus hitting comes into the play
At the end of a hand, each player notes down his scores. The dealer then recollects all the cards together, reshuffles them and, a new hand then begins
How Does One earn Points in the Phase 10 Card Game?
At the end of each hand, every player earns points depending on the type of cards in his or her hands.
The player who ends the hand earns zero points
Here is how the points are distributed on the cards;
• Cards numbered 1 to 9 carries 5 points each
• Those numbered 10 to 12 have 10 points each
• Skip card carries 15 points while wild card 25 points
However, the points only help to define winners of the game in case of ties.
When two or more players complete phase ten in one hand, the player with the lowest point becomes the winner of the game.
When Two Players Form Phase 10 in a Hand but have Zero Points
In such a case the players have to repeat phase 10. The player, who then goes out first, emerges the winner.
Meaning of Terms
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1. Set
Two or more cards of the same number on their faces make a set. It doesn’t matter whether they are of the same color or not
2. Wildcards
They can represent any number or color. Thus a wildcard helps a player complete a phase provided he doesn’t use all wild cards.
However once you have used a wild card to stand for another card, you mustn’t replace it with the same card until the hand is over.
3. Skip cards
It has the effect of forcing a player to skip a turn. Thus you can use it against any other player of your liking. However, a player can neither use the skip card to form part of a phase nor pick it from the discard pile
4. Run
A run refers to 4 or more numbers in sequential order. However, wildcards can also be used to complete a run.
5. Flushes
Flushes are a group of cards of one color. But wild card can be used to represent any color to make a flush
6. Hitting
In the phase 10 card game, hitting helps a player to get rid of the remaining cards in his hand after making a phase.
You can hit on your cards, another player or both cases. However, to discard a card through hitting, it must fit with the other cards previously drawn
A player is only allowed to make a hit during his turn and immediately after forming a phase
7. Going out
The player who is the first to get rid of all his cards is said to go out. That can either be through hitting on a pile or discarding a card.
So when do you wish to play the game?