Threes
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"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
Two decks including jokers are shuffled. This suits gameplay of 3-6 (or more) people.
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 swap cards between their hand and their face-up table cards.
Gameplay
Players aim to get rid of all their cards.
Each players turn involves adding one or more cards to the central stack (if possible), and 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". Some variations of the game have cards changing their power depending on the previous state of the stack. This author prefers the cleaner logic whereby the power of a card is immutable, and for each there is a simple "when" and "what". The details of this, per card, is as follows:
| Card | When playable? (default/wildcard) | what it does | notes (changes from 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | wildcard | ||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 6 | |||
| 7 | inverts order: next card must be equal or LOWER | ||
| 8 | wildcard | Invisible (does not change stack value) | In 2022, this was treated as normal 8 value when played to an empty table) |
| 9 | |||
| 10 | closes the deck | In 2022, this was treated as a wildcard, making it no different from the Joker | |
| Jack | |||
| Queen | |||
| King | |||
| Ace | |||
| Joker | wildcard | closes the deck |
Additionally, if four or more 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. tip: a player with a large hand via pickup may be in a position to play four and close and play yet again. Perhaps multiple times.
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 another turn
- pick up the stack, then play a turn to the empty table
End game
When the hand is empty, then the 3 faceup cards are 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 the stack 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. Due to playing blind, the chances of picking up the stack and playing from the hand is increased. This final stage is pure luck of the draw and can be game-changing.
Differences from 2022 common play
- Sometimes in 2022, the last in-hand cards were permitted to merge with the players faceup table cards. This fell out of fashion in 2022, and is denied here
- 2022 rules treated the 8 as a normal card when played to an empty table.
- This author prefers the logic whereby the "power" of a card to remain unchanged regardless of context (meaning an 8 to an empty table means the next player can play anything - as if to an empty table).
- If an 8 were to be considered powerless to an empty table, then for consistency, this author thinks ALL cards should be powerless when played to an empty table. (this would restrict the ability to chain multiple 10/joker cards in a row to empty a powerhand near endgame)
- 2022 rules treated the 10 as having the same wildcard+power as the joker. It was then proposed that it should adhere to the limit from the 7 card. This author considers it a good idea that he 10 and Joker be different, and thinks if the 10 adheres to the 7 card power, it should simply adhere to normal when-it-can-play rules (meaning it could not player after a 7, but also not after royalty)
