How to Play the Card Game Haggis
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Haggis is a card game of the shedding type, with similarities to Big Two, Tien Len and other similar games, however was designed specifically to maximize strategic play for two players. Haggis was created by Sean Ross and the
rule set is provided through the Canadian Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 licensing model (CC BY-NC 2.5).
Haggis is specially designed for two players, while most other climbing type
games are designed for three or more. A three player version of the game was
also produced by the game's author which can be played using a special
proprietary deck of cards designed specifically to play the game (that deck can also be used to play this two player version by removing certain cards from that deck). The
two player version uses one 42 card deck. This reduced deck can ben be formed by removing
all four Aces and two Jacks, two Queens, and two Kings from a standard 52 card deck. The ranking of the cards as used in this game are as follows from highest to lowest: King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Determination of seating positions and the privilege of first dealer can be set using a number of methods, with a draw for high cards commonly used. Using this method, both players each draw a card from the shuffled deck, if the players draw cards of the same rank, they should discard those cards and draw again. Once the players have each drawn differently ranked cards, each player takes a seat at the table in preferential order, with the drawer of the highest card having first selection and his opponent the next. Whichever player draws the higher ranked card is also set as the first dealer. Thereafter the player who has the highest current ongoing score is set as the dealer for each subsequent hand.
Before the cards are shuffled and dealt, the designated dealer should remove from the deck and place in front of each player one Jack, one Queen, and one King. These cards are placed face-up in a row in front of the player and remain in this position until that player chooses to play them during the course of play. These cards are considered part of that player's hand and one or more of these cards can be played by that player during his turn, as if played from that player's hand. The remaining cards from the deck are then shuffled thoroughly, cut by the dealer's opponent and then dealt out. The dealer thus deals the cards one-by-one and face down, starting with his opponent and alternating between his opponent and himself. He continues dealing until each player has a total of 14 cards. He then places the remaining eight cards in a face-down pile to the side and out of play. This pile is called the Haggis.
The opponent of the dealer in each hand has the first play (called a trick). This player may then play one or more cards from his hand which form a legal combination. There are two normal types of combinations that can be played as well as a special type of combination (called a bomb which will be described further below). These two normal types of combinations are as follows:
- Set:
A set is either a single card of any denomination, or two or more cards of the exact same denomination (maximum of seven cards in the set). Valid examples of sets would be one 4, two 5's, five 8's, etc.
- Sequence:
A sequence is three or more cards in direct numerical sequence, all of the same suit. Additionally, a player may play multiple such sets in the same play providing that all the sets consists of the same ranking
and number of cards and form legal sequences.
Wild Cards: As mentioned previously, all Jacks, Queens, and Kings are considered wild cards.
Thus, these cards can be used to represent any other card (in both rank and suit) as played as part of a combination. Note that any set or sequence must consist of one natural (non-wild card) to be considered a valid set or sequence. In addition, wild cards can be played not as wild cards, but rather as part of actual combinations containing a card of that rank and suit.
In addition to the standard combinations of Sets and Sequences, there are also several special types of combinations, called bombs. The following are the valid bombs that can played during the hand on a player's turn (ranked from lowest to highest):
- A four card combination consisting of one 3, one 5, one 7, and one 9. Each card must be of a different suit.
- One Jack and one Queen (of any suit)
- One Jack and one King (of any suit)
- One Queen and one King (of any suit)
- One Jack, one Queen, and one King (of any suit)
- A four card combination consisting of one 3, one 5, one 7, and one 9, all in the same suit
No substitutions of other wild cards may be made in these bombs.
Thus, after a legal play, the opponent then has the opportunity to play (if able and willing). In order to be a legal play, the player must then play a higher ranking combination. With the exception of bombs (see below), in order to be considered a valid and higher ranking combination, the play must be of the same type and consist of the exact same number of cards as the previous play. In addition, any standard combination can be beat by any bomb, and a bomb can be beat only by any higher ranked bomb. If a player cannot or chooses not to play a higher combination on his turn, he must instead declare "Pass". Play continues with the players alternately playing cards to the trick as able. Once either player refuses are cannot play a higher combination to the trick, the last player to play to that trick is considered the winner of the trick. If the highest legal combination so played
to the trick was a set or sequence (not a bomb), the winner of the trick takes all the cards played to this trick and sets them aside for scoring at the end of the hand. However, if the highest combination played to the trick was any bomb, the opponent of the winner of the trick places all the cards from the trick aside for later scoring, instead. The player of the last legal combination in that trick then starts the next trick by playing any valid combination using the cards remaining in his hand, and play continuing amongst the players.
The hand continues until one player, during a play manages to play the last card from his hand (which includes the three cards originally placed in front of each player). Upon this occurring, the hand immediately ends, with the opponent
having no more opportunities to attempt to play. If the last combination was a set or sequence, the winner takes the cards from this last trick and adds them to his scoring cards, however if this last combination played was a bomb, the opponent is entitled to add them to their scoring pile instead.
After one of the players manages to thus play his last card of the hand, scoring then occurs. The following are the scoring opportunities in the game:
- The winner of the hand earns 5 points for each card remaining in his opponent's hand. This includes any of the original three wild cards that are provided to the player before the deal.
- Point Scoring cards. Certain denomination cards in the deck can score points for one of the players. The following is the point value for these point scoring cards:
| Card | Point Value |
|---|
| 3, 5, 7, 9 | 1 Point Each |
| Jack | 2 Points Each |
| Queen | 3 Points Each |
| King | 5 Points Each |
All other cards have no intrinsic point value.
The winner of the hand (the player to first deplete his hand of all cards), earns the value of any point value scoring cards found in his opponent's hand. The winner also earns the value of any point scoring cards found in the Haggis. Each player also earns a number of points based on any point scoring cards they were able to capture in tricks during play of the hand.
- Challenges:
After each player has the opportunity to review the cards dealt him, but before play begins, both players have the opportunity to optionally declare a
challenge. A challenge is a declaration by the that he believes he will be the first to deplete all his cards on that hand. He may declare a "Little Challenge" or a "Big Challenge". If a player declares a
"Little Challenge" during the hand and indeed manages to be the first to shed all his cards during the hand, that player earns 15 points. However, if the opponent of that player manages to be the first to deplete his hand instead, those 15 points are added to that opponent's ongoing score. Similarly, the "Big Challenge" will allow the player to add 30 points to his score if the first to shed his hand, or 30 points to the opponent's score if the opponent is the first to do this.
All points earned during the hand by each player are added to that player's ongoing, accumulated score. The player with the higher score after each hand deals the next hand such that the player with the lower current accumulated score has the first play. If both players are tied with the same score, the winner of the last hand is set as the dealer for the next hand.
Additional hands are dealt until, at the end of any hand, after scores have been calculated, one or both players have reached or exceeded a total of 350 points, the game ends and the player with the highest accumulated point total is declared the game winner. If both players are tied for the same number of game points, additional rounds should be played until one player has a higher score. Some players prefer a shorter game in which the first player to reach or exceed 250 points is declared the winner.
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