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Official Dutch Blitz Card Game Rules

Here's a breakdown of the rules for Dutch Blitz, a fast-paced and exciting card game:

Objective

  • Be the first player to discard your entire "Blitz Pile" (face-up draw pile) to win the round. Players earn points based on their remaining cards at the end of the round. The first player to reach a designated score (usually 75 points) wins the game.


Components:

  • Deck of Cards (104 cards): Contains four suits (red, blue, green, yellow) numbered 1-10, with four Jokers acting as wild cards.

  • Discard Piles (Central Area): Several discard piles are set up in the center of the table. The most common setup uses four discard piles.


Playing Area (Each Player):

  • Blitz Pile (Face-up Draw Pile): Ten cards are dealt face-up in front of each player. This is your main draw pile.

  • Post Piles: Three cards are dealt face-up next to your Blitz Pile. These are additional playing areas.

Setup

1. Shuffle the deck and deal the cards as described above.


2. Decide on the number of discard piles in the center (typically 4) and their starting cards (usually empty).


3. Choose a starting player (can be youngest or deal a card face-up, highest card starts).

Gameplay

1. Playing a Turn (Simultaneous Play):

  • There are no turns in Dutch Blitz. All players play simultaneously!

  • On your turn, you can try to play cards from any of your playing areas:

    • Blitz Pile: Play the top card from your Blitz Pile to a discard pile in the center. The card must follow the suit or be a higher number of the same color (e.g., you can play a red 7 on a red 6). Wild cards (Jokers) can be played on any discard pile.

    • Post Piles: Play a card from a Post Pile to another Post Pile next to it. The cards must alternate color and decrease in value (e.g., you can play a blue 8 on a red 9).

2. Playing Continues:

  • Players keep playing cards from their Blitz Pile and Post Piles following the placement rules until:

    • A player successfully discards their entire Blitz Pile. This player yells "Blitz!" to signal the end of the round.

    • No valid plays can be made by any player.

3. End of Round:

  • Once the round ends, players score points based on the cards remaining in their hand:

    • Each card in your Blitz Pile is worth -2 points (a penalty for not discarding it).

    • Each card in a Post Pile is worth 1 point.

  • Players discard all their cards from their Blitz Pile and Post Piles face down into a central discard pile.

4. New Round:

  • Shuffle the deck from the central discard pile and deal new cards for the Blitz Piles and Post Piles (same as initial setup).

  • The player who won the previous round (discarded their entire Blitz Pile) starts the new round.

Winning the Game

  • The game continues for multiple rounds. The first player to reach a predetermined score (usually 75 points) wins the game!

Notes/Variations

  • Some variations allow players to draw three cards from their deck (instead of playing the Blitz Pile) and only play the top card revealed. Discarded cards from the drawn three are placed face down under the deck.

  • The game can be quite chaotic at first, but the fast-paced and simultaneous play make it exciting.

  • There's no need to wait for your turn; if you see a playable card, go for it!

Dutch Blitz is a game of speed, observation, and quick thinking. So grab your deck, get ready for some yelling of "Blitz!", and have fun!

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