Overview
Rage is a trick-taking card game where players try to accurately predict how many tricks they will win in each hand. The game uses a standard deck of 52 cards and is designed for 2 to 6 players.
Objective
The main objective of Rage is to successfully predict the number of tricks you will take during each hand. Points are awarded for accurate predictions.
Basic Setup
- In the first hand, each player receives 1 card
- In the second hand, each player receives 2 cards
- This pattern continues, increasing by one card each hand
- When the deck runs out, the number of cards per hand decreases
- The last hand has each player receiving 1 card again
Gameplay
- Before playing each hand, players must predict how many tricks they will win
- Players write down their prediction on the scorepad
- The player to the left of the dealer leads the first trick
- Players must follow suit if possible; otherwise, they may play any card
- The highest card of the led suit (or highest trump if trump was played) wins the trick
- The winner of a trick leads the next trick
Scoring
- If a player's prediction matches the number of tricks they took, they score 10 points plus the number of tricks taken
- If a player's prediction does not match, they score 0 points for that hand
- The first player to reach a predetermined score (usually 250-500 points) wins the game
Trump
In most hands, there is a trump suit. The trump suit is determined by the card immediately below the last card dealt. If the last card dealt is in the deck, the card beneath it is the trump suit card. If no trump card can be shown (in hands where all cards are dealt), there is no trump suit.
Important Rules
- A player cannot predict that they will take all tricks (with the exception of when there is only one card dealt per player)
- A player cannot predict that they will take zero tricks (with the exception of when there is only one card dealt per player)
- These restrictions ensure that the game remains challenging and unpredictable