Threes

"Threes" is a specific version of Shithead - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shithead_(card_game)

This page documents a proposal to ratify the houserules played amongst friends in 2022, for ongoing play into 2023.

The aim of the game is to have no cards.

Setup

Each player is dealt three separate hands of 3 cards.

• 3 cards face down to the table. These are not seen till they're played blind at the end of the game
• 3 cards face up to the table. All players see these, but they're not used till there are no cards in hand
• 3 cards to the hand. This is the hand for the majority of the game.

After dealing, and before play, players may trade cards between their hand and the face-up table cards.

Gameplay

Players aim to get rid of all their cards.

Each players turn involves adding 1,2 or 3 cards to the central stack, if possible, then drawing cards to bring their hand up to 3. If they have more than three cards in their hand, they do not need to draw. If a player cannot play a card, then they must pick up the stack to their hand, after which they immediately play again.

All cards a player plays must be the same numeric value, and by default, must equal or exceed the current top card value on the pile. Special cards can be wild and/or have a "power". They are as follows.

Additionally, if four cards of the same value are played in a row (ignoring any 8s that are interleaved, as per its power), then the stack is closed and the player to close it plays again.

Start Play

Counting from the first player clockwise after the dealer, whoever has a 3 in their hand begins the round. If nobody has a three, then first player with a four. And so on.

Play then continues clockwise. On any turn a player will either

• add cards to the stack (normal play)
• close the stack, then play again
• pick up the stack, then play to the empty table

End game

When the hand is empty, then the 3 faceup cards may be played from. The last cards in a players hand cannot be added to faceup cards (eg: if the last in-hand card is a Queen, and there is a Queen in their faceup table cards, they may not merge them into one play).

If a player picks up whilst playing from the table, they return to playing from their hand till it is again empty.

Once the hand and faceup table cards are played, the final three cards are played blind.

Card	When it can be played (default/wildcard)	what it does	notes