Objective:

The goal of Mind the Gap is to score the most points by playing cards strategically and avoiding gaps in sequences.

Components:

• Deck of Cards: The game is played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards.

• Scorepad: Used to keep track of each player's score.

• Pen or Pencil: Used to mark scores on the scorepad.
  

Setup:

1. Shuffle the deck of cards and deal a hand of 7 cards to each player.

2. Place the remaining deck in the center of the table to form the draw pile.

3. Determine who will start the game.
   

Gameplay:

1. Starting the Game: The player to the left of the dealer starts the game.

2. Playing Cards: On their turn, a player must play one card from their hand onto the table. The card played must be of the same suit as the previous card played, and its rank must be either one higher or one lower than the previous card. For example, if the previous card played was a 5 of Hearts, the player could play a 4 of Hearts or a 6 of Hearts.

3. Scoring Points: Players earn points based on the rank of the card they play:

   • Number cards (2-10): Score face value (e.g., a 7 scores 7 points).

   • Face cards (Jacks, Queens, Kings): Score 10 points each.

   • Aces: Score 1 point each.

4. Avoiding Gaps: If a player cannot play a card from their hand because there is no valid card to play (i.e., there is a gap in the sequence), they must draw a card from the draw pile and add it to their hand. Drawing a card ends the player's turn.

5. Ending the Round: The round ends when one player runs out of cards in their hand or when no player can play a card from their hand or draw pile.

6. Scoring the Round: Each player totals the points of the cards remaining in their hand and subtracts this total from their score. The player with the lowest score at the end of the round earns bonus points based on the number of cards remaining in their opponents' hands:

   • If a player is the first to empty their hand, they earn 15 bonus points.

   • If a player is the second to empty their hand, they earn 10 bonus points.

   • If a player is the third to empty their hand, they earn 5 bonus points.

7. Starting a New Round: Shuffle the deck and deal a new hand of 7 cards to each player. The player to the left of the previous round's starting player begins the new round.
   

Winning:

The game continues for a set number of rounds (typically 5-10 rounds), or until players agree to end the game. At the end of the final round, the player with the highest total score wins the game.

Tips:

• Pay attention to the cards played by your opponents to anticipate which cards you may need to play or draw.

• Be strategic about when to play high-value cards and when to hold onto them to minimize points remaining in your hand.

• Keep track of the cards remaining in your opponents' hands to maximize bonus points at the end of each round.