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NEW CARD GAME - 'TENS'

The aim of this demanding game is to compete for the highest net score. The following is a description of the basic game. The huge growth in popularity of number puzzles like Kakuro or Sudoku has identified a wide interest in mind stretching pastimes. Tens is a challenging card-game that will test the most numeric of players.

Rules:

• Number of players - up to 4 using one pack of cards. From 5 to 8 requires two packs of playing-cards combined as one pack.
• To start, players cut pack to decide who plays first. Dealer (any player) deals ten cards to each player from a well shuffled pack. The remaining cards he lays face down in the center of the table.
• Each player selects from his cards as many combinations of ten as possible using the following assigned weights.
  • 1 through 10 - face value.
  • Jack - value 11, Queen - value 12, King - value 13, Ace - value 1
  • A selection of two or more same-suit cards making up 10 or a multiple of 10 scores double.
  • A full house (all ten cards) of mixed-suits laid down in one single turn scores double.
  • A full house (all ten cards) of same-suit laid down in one single turn scores treble.
• To start, player 1 chooses either to lay his selections down face up - in which case he cannot change the selection, or he holds all or some of his selections in the hope of bettering his score later.
• If player 1 has cards left in his hand at the end of his turn he can choose to lay one down beside the remaining pack (face down) and pick the top card from the pack as a replacement. This is not mandatory and he may wish to hold what he has for the time being. The single card exchange is the last action a player takes during his turn. He cannot exchange a card before laying out a selection.
• The turn then passes to player 2 in a clockwise direction. Player 2 then lays his selections of ten (or multiples of ten) down or holds as he wants. If he cannot, or wishes not to, lay face up a selection of ten he declares a 'pass' but he is still allowed to exchange one card to end his turn.
• The round carries on until a player is able to lay down face up all of the cards in his hand. This can only occur during the player's turn. A player cannot throw away a last card but has to pick up a replacement. If a player holds just one card he can only achieve a winning hand by exchanging his card for a card of face value 10.
• To score, total each players laid out cards and deduct the value of cards still held. In this case an ace still held counts as value 10.
• The game ends after ten rounds are completed.