Mau Mau
.Introduction
Mau Mau is played using standard playing cards. Normally 2 full (52-card, no jokers) decks are used. Mau Mau may be played with two or more people. With large numbers of players (8 or more) more decks should be added.
It is played in rounds. Players gain points after each round. When players go above a predetermined points threshold they are eliminated from the game. The aim is to be the last player remaining in the game.
Within each round, the aim is to be the player who first gets rid of all their cards. When a player does so, the round is over, and other players receive points based on the cards remaining in their hands.
Mau Mau is a strict game. The rules are meant to be difficult to remember. To play it at a high level, you must be able to unthinkingly follow the rules of the game, react quickly, and also deal with the various probability-juggling calculations which affect your chances of winning. It is not a game that should be played if participants are hoping to relax…
This is not the canonical version. This version was essentially created by Andreas Pischner, then refined and codified by myself. Thanks to Sharon Jackson, Philippa Wilkes, Daniel Panek and Dave Johnson for playtesting and rules suggestions.
Basics
The basic idea of the game is to get rid of all your cards. When it is your turn, you play onto the pile, which is a pile of face-up cards. the basic rule is that you may play a card from your hand that is the same suit as or the same number as the top card on the pile (from here on referred to as the “top card”). If you cannot put down a card, or if you choose not to put down a card, you must instead take a card. If you make mistakes, you must take 2 cards for each mistake. (Taking a card means taking the top card from the deck.) The first player to get rid of all their cards wins the round, and the other players are awarded points according to the cards in their hand.
At the start of a game, one player is chosen as dealer for the first round. The dealer deals the cards, singly, to the other players and then begins the round by taking the top card from the deck and placing it face up on the pile. This card is treated as if the dealer just played it, and the next player must then play. At the start of a game the direction of play is always clockwise.
Definitions
Pile: The stack of face-up cards onto which players play their cards.
Deck: The stack of face-down cards from which players draw.
Top Card: The card on top of the Pile.
Mistake: Any mistake a player makes. Mistakes include but are not limited to playing an illegal card, playing a card when not entitled to, drawing a card when not entitled to, saying it is someone’s turn when it is not, and so on. Making some kind of tactical error, such as playing a card when another in hand is obviously preferable, does not count as a mistake in this sense.
The Player: The player playing the card being described.
The Next Player: The player who would take the next turn assuming no special cards are played
The Next Person To Play A Card: The next person to play a card in any way except by having to take cards as a result of a mistake. Normally, this person is the same person as the Next Player, but there are many exceptions.
The Cards
Many of the cards in Mau Mau are ‘special’ cards, which affect play in some way. These cards are listed below.
| Card | Abbreviation | Rules for the card |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | A | The next player must take a card from the player’s hand at random. |
| Two | 2 | The next player must take two cards and miss their turn, unless they play a two, in which case the player after that must pick up four cards, unless they have a two, in which case the player after that must take six… etc. The person who does not play a two must take two cards for every 2 played in a row. This breaks the ‘row’ however, so any 2 played after that starts a new sequence. |
| Three | 3 | The next player and the player after the next player are swapped in the order of play. They swap back when both have had a turn, i.e.when both have done one of the following: played a card (excluding free cards), taken a card or cards (not including penalty cards), or had their turn skipped as the result of an 8. |
| Five | 5 | The 5 counts as invisible card. It can only be played when the player can play a card (i.e. not on a 2 or an 8) but can be played on any suit. The next card to be played must be legal as if the 5 were not on the Pile. |
| Eight | 8 | The next player skips their turn, unless they play an 8. They must play this 8 before the player after them plays a card, or their turn is skipped. |
| Nine | 9 | The direction of play is reversed. |
| Ten | 10 | The player must take a card at random from the hand of the next player. |
| Jack | J | A J cannot be played on another J. A J cannot be played if the top card is the same suit as the J. Apart from these restrictions, a J may be played on any card. When a J is played, the player must choose a new suit. This suit cannot be the same suit as the J or the same suit as the top card. After the suit is chosen, play continues as if the top card were that suit. |
| Queen | Q | A Q can be played as a free card (i.e. out of turn) if the top card is a K of the same suit. If the Q is played on a K of the same suit by the player whose turn it was anyway, they must still take their turn-the free card does not count as their turn. If a player plays the Q on a K of the same suit out of turn, the order of play is in no way affected. A King or a Queen played in this was is considered a free card. |
| King | K | A K can be played as a free card (i.e. out of turn) if the top card is a Q of the same suit. If the K is played on a Q of the same suit by the player whose turn it was anyway, they must still take their turn-the free card does not count as their turn. If a player plays the K on a Q of the same suit out of turn, the order of play is in no way affected. A King or a Queen played in this was is considered a free card. |
The King and the Queen are the only cards that can be played as free cards.
When a player makes a mistake, they must take two cards-even if the mistake is not noticed immediately. A player can be called to account for their mistakes until the round has ended. (The Mau rule is the only exception to this.)
The Mau rule: When a player has only one card left in their hand, they must say “Mau”. If they do not do this before the next card is played, they have made a mistake. If they say Mau after hte next card is played they have still made a mistake. However, if no-one notices this mistake until it is again that player’s turn, the mistake is not penalized.
When a player has no cards left in their hand, they must say “Mau Mau”. If they do not do this quickly they have made a mistake. If they do not do this before the next card is played, they have made a mistake.
If a player puts down a card that is identical (same number, same suit) to the top card, the next person to play a card must say “Snap” before playing a card.
A round ends when one or more players have no cards left in their hand and play is over. Play is over as soon as a player has no cards left in their hand and all “effects” have been played. That is, when all must instructions ahve been fulfilled, and all penalty cards taken, and a player still has no cards in their hand. For example, if a player finishes on a two, the next player must take two cards-though they can still play a two, thus continuing the sequence. If a player finishes on an 8, the next player (the one to be skipped) can still play an 8. If they do not do this, play is over. If they do play an 8, the next person to be skipped can also still play an 8, and so on. Free cards-i.e. K’s and Q’s-can be played after a player finishes. If a must instruction cannot be fulfilled, then it is considered to have been fulfilled.
When a player takes penalty cards during their turn, these cards are considered to be in their hand, but they cannot look at them or use them until after that turn. If a player takes penalty cards when it is not their turn, these cards are considered to be in their hand, but they cannot look at them or use them until after their next turn.
When a rule states the a player must do something, this means that they must do this before the next player plays (unless the rule in question states otherwise). They should be given enough time to do this, but the game is supposed to be fast, and if they don’t remember quickly they get 2 penalty cards and must still follow the instruction.
The direction of play does not alter or reset between rounds; the next round starts in the direction that last round finished on. The dealer for a round (other than the first) is the person who is next in the direction of play after the last deal. The dealer must always deal in the direction of play. Every mistake made by a dealer is counted singly-for example, dealing each play 6 cards is one mistake for each player. Dealing when it is not your turn to deal is a mistake, as is beginning to deal in the wrong direction when it is not your turn. Dealing when it is not your turn is defined as dealing out one or more cards-it does not include shuffling. In times of confusion, a count is often made from ten; by the end of the count the dealer must have picked up the cards or they have made a mistake-unless someone else picks up the cards, in which case they have made a mistake. If a “false” dealer manages to deal all seven cards before anyone notices, this is still only counted as one mistake for dealing. If a player manages to deal some players more than 7 cards when it is not their turn to deal, each card over 7 is counted as a mistake.
The dealer must deal out all penalty cards after each player has been dealt seven cards. This must be done before the dealer turns over the first card. Forgetting to do so is a mistake. The penalty cards may be dealt out in any order.
Players must take their turns quickly. Failing to do so constitutes a mistake.
If the game goes long enough so that the deck runs out, the dealer leaves the top card in the pile, but takes the other cards in the pile, shuffles them, and replaces them face down. They are now the deck. Play continues as normal.
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| A, 2 | 20 |
| K, Q, 8, 5 | 10 |
| 10, 9, 7, 6, 4, 3 | 5 |
| J | For every J in a players hand, their points for that round are doubled. If a player finishes the round by playing a J, the points for that round of all the other players are doubled. |
21 Jul 2007 at 21:04
i want no ragestition for mau mau full version
21 Oct 2007 at 23:54
very nice game, please give me a chance to free download.
05 Nov 2007 at 12:17
Mau Mau is a card game, played with standard 52-card decks. I don’t know of any computer version of the game.
22 Jan 2011 at 15:42
on facebook at live games there is a version of Mau Mau.