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    <title>peteg's blog   </title>
    <link>http://peteg.org/blog</link>
    <description></description>
    <language>en</language>

  <item>
    <title>Machiavelli, a card game.</title>
    <link>http://peteg.org/blog/2008/07/20#2008-07-20-Machiavelli</link>
    <category>/noise/games</category>
    <description>
&lt;p&gt;

I learnt this one from an Italian girl while I was in Nha Trang last
year. You'll need two decks of cards, a fairly large table and a mate
or two. Please tell me how I can improve this presentation of the
rules.

&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Choose the dealer.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;

Oldest person deals the first hand, then winners deal successive
hands.

&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Deal.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;

The dealer shuffles the two decks into one pile of cards and deals
each player fourteen cards face-down.

&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Goal.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;

A player wins by being the first to play all the cards in their hand.

&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Invariant.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;

Initially the table is bare, with the pile of undealt cards placed
face-down within easy reach of all players.

&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;

At the end of each player's turn, each card played on the table must
be part of exactly one:

&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;

&lt;li&gt;three- or four-of-a-kind, with each suit appearing at
most once; or&lt;/li&gt;

&lt;li&gt;a run, where each card is of the same suit. (The ace follows the
king in a run, and cannot be placed before the two.)&lt;/li&gt;

&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Play.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;

Play proceeds in turns, going clockwise, starting with the player to
the left of the dealer.

&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;

Initially a player must play (at least) a self-contained group of
three cards. After doing so, and on successive rounds, a player may
play as many cards as they like. They can adjust the groups of cards
already on the table by:

&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;

&lt;li&gt;adding cards to an existing group; or&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;redistributing existing groups and adding cards.&lt;/li&gt;

&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;

If the player does not play a card on the table, they must pick up a
card from the top of the deck of undealt cards, after which play
continues with the next player.

&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;

Note there is no notion of &quot;ownership&quot; of a group of cards on the
table.

&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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