Playing rules for Avissinia

This game is for 4 players. Each player plays for his own or in partnerships, partners facing each other. A regular 52 card deck is used. The aim is to capture cards from a central pile on the table, by playing a card from hand which matches at least the top of a table card. Picked up cards are placed face up in front of the player to form a pile.

The dealer deals six cards to each player and four cards face up in the centre in a pile. The remainder of the deck is temporarily put aside. After everyone has played their six cards, another hand of six cards is dealt to each player. After these cards have been played and the hand scored, the deal passes to the right for the next round.

Starting with the player to the left of the dealer and continuing counter clockwise, each player in turn must play one card out from hand face up on the table. This card may do the one of the following:

1. Capture one or more cards from the central pile. For ex. in the central pile there are a 4 (on bottom) a 7 (in the middle) and another 7 (on top). A player who plays a 7, can take the two 7s of the pile. A player who plays a 4 cannot capture anything. If in the central pile there were a 4 (on bottom) a 5 (in the middle) and another 7 (on top), then the player who plays a 7 can capture only the top 7, leaving the other two cards intact.
2. Capture one or more cards from a players pile. This works the same with the previous example.
3. Add a card to his own pile. F.ex. a player has in his pile two 7s. He can play a third 7 from the hand and put it on top of his pile.
4. Trail a card. A player can simply lay a card on top of the central pile. Trailing is always allowed, even if the played card could make a capture.

Captured cards are placed in front of the player, with the capturing card on top, whithout the ability for the player to change their sequence.Irrespective of whether a capture was made or not, the turn passes to the next player. When all the cards have been played in the final deal, any cards which are left on the central pile on the table do not count in the game scoring.

Each player counts their score based on the pile of cards they have won.

In this game, whoever first reaches a total of 61 or more points, over however many rounds it takes, wins the game. If two people reach the target on the same round, whoever has the higher score wins. If there is a tie, another round is played.

In the partnership game, partners keep their sum of scores as the team score. The rest of the game are the same, except that the strict strategy of the individual Avissinia is relaxed in the partnership one.