Last Card
Encyclopedia
Last Card is a popular card game
played in New Zealand
in schools and gaming venues. It is similar in most aspects to Uno, Mau Mau or Crazy Eights
but several rules differentiate it, for instance the function of a particular card.
Each player is dealt seven cards (sometimes five if playing in large groups), then the top card of the pack is turned face up and put on the table next to the remaining pack (face down).
Players each take turns to play a card of either the same suit or same number on top of the face up card. Multiple cards of the same number can all be played at the same time (eg if you had four 9's you can play them all at once). Once a player is down to one card in their hand a call of 'last card' is required. The player can then win the game when they place this card. If the player fails to call 'last card' they are required to pick up five cards from the deck. If a player plays a pick up card as their last card, it can not be rebounded by an opposition player playing another card on top. Once a player has finished his hand, the game is over.
Several cards can have different values depending on the game variation being played. A number of variations and additions to the below rules exist.
When a 2 has been played, the following player must draw two cards or play another 2 (stacking), the subsequent player is then required to play another 2 card or draw four (the original 2 plus the following 2) from the deck. With there being four 2 cards in a standard pack the maximum draw required is 8 cards.
A 10 card (subsequent player is skipped) cannot be used to avoid being required to draw additional cards.
A 7 card changes the direction of play, if you play clockwise it changes to the now play anticlockwise until someone else put's another 7 down. If two 7 are played then play remains unchanges, if three 7 are played then the direction of play is changed.
When a player has only one card remaining in their hand they must say 'Last Card'. Failure to do so before requires them to draw two cards from the deck and continue playing.
. This increases the draw limit from 8 or 20 to 28.
Yet another variation of the "Pick-up rule" is that playing a 2 results in the next player having to pick up 2 cards, with no defense available. Playing a 4 results in the next player having to pick up 4 cards. A 4, however, can be defended by "stacking" a 5 (of any suit), which also reverses play, forcing the player who originally played the 4 to now pick up 5 cards. This can be defended and reversed again by playing a 6, and so on up to a 10.
Card game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...
played in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in schools and gaming venues. It is similar in most aspects to Uno, Mau Mau or Crazy Eights
Crazy Eights
Crazy Eights is a shedding-type card game for two to seven players. The object of the game is to be the first to get rid of all the player's cards to a discard pile. The game is considered a pre-extension of Switch and Mau Mau, much favoured in schools during the 1970s.A standard 52-card deck is...
but several rules differentiate it, for instance the function of a particular card.
Rules
The game is similar to Uno, a card game, in which the aim is to empty your hand of cards.Each player is dealt seven cards (sometimes five if playing in large groups), then the top card of the pack is turned face up and put on the table next to the remaining pack (face down).
Players each take turns to play a card of either the same suit or same number on top of the face up card. Multiple cards of the same number can all be played at the same time (eg if you had four 9's you can play them all at once). Once a player is down to one card in their hand a call of 'last card' is required. The player can then win the game when they place this card. If the player fails to call 'last card' they are required to pick up five cards from the deck. If a player plays a pick up card as their last card, it can not be rebounded by an opposition player playing another card on top. Once a player has finished his hand, the game is over.
Several cards can have different values depending on the game variation being played. A number of variations and additions to the below rules exist.
| Cards | Function |
|---|---|
| Ace | Changes to any suit of player's choice, the "wild card" |
| 2 | Next player must draw two cards (Stacks, Max draw 8 cards) |
| 3 | No effect |
| 4 | No effect |
| 5 | Next player must draw five cards (Stacks, Max draw 20 cards) |
| 6 | No effect |
| 7 | "Block" a 2 or 5 card's effect. |
| 8 | No effect |
| 9 | No effect |
| 10 | Miss a turn |
| Jack | Reverse direction of play, including reversing a 2 or 5 to the person playing it. |
| Queen | No effect |
| King | No effect |
| Joker | Wildcard |
Pick up rules
When a 5 has been played, the following player must draw five cards or play another 5 (stacking), forcing the next player to do the same or be forced to pick up ten (the original 5 plus the following 5) cards. Due to there only being four 5 cards in a standard Deck, the maximum draw is 20 cards.When a 2 has been played, the following player must draw two cards or play another 2 (stacking), the subsequent player is then required to play another 2 card or draw four (the original 2 plus the following 2) from the deck. With there being four 2 cards in a standard pack the maximum draw required is 8 cards.
A 10 card (subsequent player is skipped) cannot be used to avoid being required to draw additional cards.
A 7 card changes the direction of play, if you play clockwise it changes to the now play anticlockwise until someone else put's another 7 down. If two 7 are played then play remains unchanges, if three 7 are played then the direction of play is changed.
When a player has only one card remaining in their hand they must say 'Last Card'. Failure to do so before requires them to draw two cards from the deck and continue playing.
Optional Variations
A variation of the "Pick-up rule" is that you can play a 2 on to a 5. A further variation of this is dictates this is only possible when the two cards are of the same suitSuit (cards)
In playing cards, a suit is one of several categories into which the cards of a deck are divided. Most often, each card bears one of several symbols showing to which suit it belongs; the suit may alternatively or in addition be indicated by the color printed on the card...
. This increases the draw limit from 8 or 20 to 28.
Yet another variation of the "Pick-up rule" is that playing a 2 results in the next player having to pick up 2 cards, with no defense available. Playing a 4 results in the next player having to pick up 4 cards. A 4, however, can be defended by "stacking" a 5 (of any suit), which also reverses play, forcing the player who originally played the 4 to now pick up 5 cards. This can be defended and reversed again by playing a 6, and so on up to a 10.
Starting card rules
When the all of the cards have been dealt to each player, the top card on the deck is flipped over to commence play. This card only dictates the starting suit and nothing else. If the first player is unable to follow suit they must pick-up one card as normal.Optional Rules
The following rules are optional:- Jacks change the direction of play, clockwise to anti-clockwise
- Queens, 3s or 5s can function as a block card to nullify the effect of 2 or 5 card
- You may finish on multiple cards of the same number, but only if 'Last Cards' is declared
- Jokers may be used. These can be used as any card the player wishes (as long as it is a valid card to play on top of the previous one), including 5s and 2s. This increases the draw limit to 12, 30 or 38, depending on the rules of that particular game.
- You can not put a 3 or 5 or 2 for your last card.