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Official Palace (Shithead) Rules
Palace, also known as Shithead in some variations, is a card game where the objective is to get rid of all your cards. The game is typically played with 2-5 players and requires strategic play and a bit of luck.
Objective
The goal of Palace is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards.
Setup
Players: 2-5 players.
Dealing:Deal 3 cards face down to each player (these are the Palace cards). Deal 3 cards face up on top of each player’s Palace cards. Deal 3 cards to each player’s hand. Place the remaining cards face down in the center to form the draw pile.
Gameplay
Starting the Game:
The player with the lowest face-up card starts the game. If there is a tie, compare the next lowest cards until a starting player is determined.
The starting player places one of their face-up cards or a card from their hand in the center to start the discard pile.
Playing a Card:
Players must play a card equal to or higher than the top card on the discard pile.
If a player cannot play a card, they must pick up the entire discard pile and add it to their hand.
After playing a card, players draw from the draw pile until their hand has at least 3 cards.
Special Cards:
2: Can be played on any card (acts as a reset, allowing the next player to play any card).
10: Burns the pile (discard the entire pile from the game, and the same player plays again with any card).
Joker: If used, it can also act as a wild card or another special card, depending on house rules.
Clearing the Pile:
If a player plays a card that matches the rank of the top card and there are 4 or more of that rank in a row, the pile is cleared (burned), and the same player plays again with any card.
Playing from Hand to Face-Up Cards:
Once the draw pile is exhausted, players continue playing cards from their hand.
After a player has no cards left in their hand, they play their face-up cards.
Playing Face-Down Cards:
When a player has no cards in hand or face-up cards left, they play their face-down cards.
Players must play face-down cards without looking. If the card cannot be played (i.e., it is lower than the discard pile's top card), the player picks up the discard pile and adds it to their hand.
Winning the Game
The first player to get rid of all their cards wins the game.
The game can continue to determine rankings for other players.
Notes/Strategy
House Rules: Players can add variations to the game, such as making certain cards wild or adding other special rules.
Sequence Play: Sometimes players play in a specific sequence or with additional decks for larger groups.
Manage Your Hand: Keep track of what cards you have and try to save special cards for strategic moments.
Play Low Cards Early: Try to play lower-value cards early to avoid picking up large piles.
Remember Face-Down Cards: Remember which face-down cards you have to avoid picking up piles late in the game.
Palace is a fun and competitive game that can be enjoyed by players of all ages.
