Using a slightly different makeup of cards in the deck, Conquian is known as the two-handed rummy style game.
Conquian
The game of Conquian is played with two players. It is a rummy style game and some call it the ancestor to all versions of rummy we know today. It actually has a long history and if you want to know more take a look at the Conquian wiki.
Difference in the Deck
The deck of cards used consists of the cards A,2,3,4,5,6,7,J,Q and K in the usual suits of hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades. This deck may be made up by throwing the 8s, 9s, and 10s out of the standard 52 card pack.
Deal in Conquian
Dealer deals ten cards to each player, one at a time. The remainder of the cards are then placed face down on the table to form the stock.
Object of the Game
The objective of this game is to be the first player to go out which is done by melding eleven cards. Melding takes place by placing a valid combination of cards face up on the table in front of you. These face up cards are your meld.
The accepted combinations for melds are as allowed: At all times, the meld you have on the table must consist of one or more separate valid combinations. A card can never be part of more than one combination at any one time. Any one sequence cannot contain more than eight cards. This maximum length is set due to you having to meld exactly eleven cards to win. In other words you must have at least two combinations, one of which has the minimum size of three cards, and the second which cannot have more than eight. The non-dealer starts play by turning the top card of the stock face up, and then has two options. Either they can meld this card along with cards from their hand. Two hand cards will be needed to make up a valid combination together with the turned up card. Further cards from the hand can be laid down at the same time if the player chooses to do so, providing the meld is valid. Once the player has completed their melding, they must discard one card face up from their hand onto the discard pile. Should the player not be able to meld, they will discard and play will then revert to the next player. When melding, you can rearrange your table cards in any way you wish. However you must insure that the cards you have on the table at the end of your turn form separate valid combinations. For example, if you have a meld of 3-4-5-6 on the table, 6 in your hand, and you turn up 6, you can meld three sixes, taking the six from your sequence, this will in turn then leave you with a valid sequence 3-4-5. During your turn, should the face-up be one that can be be added to the meld that you already have on the table, without using extra cards from your hand, your opponent is permitted to force you to meld the center card, and you would be obliged to do so. Forcing an opponent to meld can be a powerful technique which one can use for destroying a player’s position. A clear example would be that if you had 5,5,5,5 and 6-7-J-Q on the table and A-A in your hand and your opponent discards a K which he/she then forces you to use. At this point you would then have no option but to discard one of your aces, thus leaving you the only way to now win is to acquire the 4 and 5. Any card taken from the discard pile has to be used in the hand you are playing and may not be kept in hand. Cards cannot be melded to your opponents melds, and the player may only meld during his/her own turn. Although you may have melded ten cards and discarded your last card, the game has not ended. You have to continue playing until you get an eleventh card which you can add to your meld. This eleventh card would have to be either discarded or passed to you by your opponent or turned up by you after rejecting the card from your opponent. As one of the many different variations of rummy you can see why Conquian can be fun and thought provoking. Based on a few of the rules not found in other versions of rummy we can see this is the case.
To Begin Play
Arranging Cards
Forcing Opponents to Meld as a Strategy
Conclusion