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Official Skip-Bo Rules

Skip-Bo is a fast-paced and exciting card game that is all about speed! Here's how to play:

Objective

Be the first player to play all the cards in your Stock Pile by arranging them in numerical order from 1 to 12.

Setup

  1. Shuffle the Deck: Mix all the cards thoroughly.

  2. Determine the Dealer: Each player draws one card. The player with the highest card becomes the dealer.

  3. Deal the Cards:

  • For 2–4 players, deal 30 cards to each player.

  • For 5–6 players, deal 20 cards to each player.

  • These cards form each player's Stock Pile, which is placed face-down.

  • Flip the top card of the Stock Pile face up.

4. Create the Draw Pile: Place the remaining cards in the center as the Draw Pile.

5. Prepare the Playing Area:

Leave space for:

  • Four Building Piles in the center (used to form sequences from 1 to 12).

  • Four Discard Piles for each player, located near their Stock Pile.

Gameplay

  1. Starting the Game:

    • Play begins with the player to the left of the dealer.

    • At the start of your turn, draw five cards from the Draw Pile (or enough to return your hand to five cards).

  2. Making a Play:

    • Use a 1 or a SKIP-BO card (wild) to start a Building Pile.

    • Play cards from your hand onto Building Piles in numerical order (1–12). You can also:

      • Play the top card of your Stock Pile.

      • Play the top card from any of your Discard Piles.

    • If you play all five cards from your hand, draw five more and continue your turn.

    • End your turn by discarding one card from your hand to one of your Discard Piles.

  3. Special Rules for Doubles and Errors:

    • If you accidentally draw too many cards, shuffle the extras back into your Stock Pile.

    • If a player plays out of turn and is caught, undo their move and skip their draw during their actual turn.

  4. Team Play:

    • Partners can play from each other’s Stock and Discard Piles, but verbal communication is restricted. Commands like “Play your 4” are allowed, but no strategy discussions.

    • Breaking this rule results in a penalty: the offending player must draw two cards from the Draw Pile and add them to their Stock Pile.

Winning a Round

A round ends when a player empties their Stock Pile. Scoring is as follows:

  • The winner earns 25 points for winning the round, plus 5 points for every card left in other players’ Stock Piles.

Winning the Game

The game ends when a player reaches the predetermined point total (e.g., 500).

Enjoy playing this fast paced, family friendly card game!

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