Skip Bo
The Skip-Bo Card Game is a fun addition to your card game collection. This exciting game challenges players to be the first one to make a stack of ascending cards (2,3,4 and so on) until they have no cards left. Players use their brains & brawn to win the race of who will be the first one to make an ascending sequence with their hands of cards. Skip-Bo™ is the ultimate sequencing card game from the makers of UNO®! Players use skill and strategy to create stacks of sequentially numbered, ascending cards (2,3,4) until they have no more left to play.
Skip-Bo is a card game that has become very popular due to its ease in learning and the fun that is involved while playing. It’s a game that involves 2- 6 players and the game is all about stacks.
Skip-Bo has a total of 162 cards. 144 cards are numbered 1 through 12 and 18 wild Skip-Bo cards. A wild Skip-Bo card can be used to substitute a numbered card when necessary.
There are four stacks in this game namely: Stock stack, Draw stack, Build stack, and Discard stack.
Understanding the different kinds of stacks in Skip Bo
Stock Stack
Each player gets 30cards (for 2-4 players) or 20 cards (for 5or 6 players) at the beginning of the game. The cards distribution will depend on the number of players or the number of cards agreed on (For a quick game, you can use 10 cards on each player).
The stack is placed at the right of every player face down, except for the top card of the stack which has to face up. After playing the top card, turn the subsequent card to face up.
Draw Stack
This type of stack is always placed at the center. When a player runs out cards, he borrows some from the draw stack.
Building Stack
While playing, stacks are built in a numerical sequence 1 through 12 starting with a 1 card or a Skip-Bo wild card. When a stack completes the 12 stacks, it is then discarded and a new one is started.
When the draw stack has run out of cards, the completed building stack can be used as a draw stack.
Discard Stack
When playing, every player has a discard stack and they can build up to 4 discard stacks. Discard stacks are usually placed on the left of Stock Stack and cards can be added to the stack but one has to play with the top card only.
The cards in discard stack don’t have to follow any order but must be turned to face up always.
Setting up a Skip-Bo
This card game requires a bigger space due to the number of cards used and the number of players that can play. It can be played on a big round table or on the floor.
Every player should pick a card from the deck and the player with the highest value becomes the dealer. He deals the cards face- down.
If the players are 4 or less, then each player is dealt with 30 cards. But if they are 5 or 6 then each player gets 20 cards and the dealer places the remaining cards in the center. These will be used as a drawing stack. Each player now turns the top card of their stack to face up.
The objective of the Game
The main objective of the game is to be the first player to play all the cards in the stock stack as fast as possible. The first player to do this wins the game!
Playing the Game
The player who is at the left of the dealer plays first. Each player begins by drawing 5 cards to their hands from the draw stack. You use the cards in your hands to build a stack in the center.
Always play with the card on top and remember to turn the next card to face up after playing the top card. Once the cards in your hands are over, then draw another 5 cards from the draw stack and continue adding to the build stack. You should add them in sequential order.
Every build stack must always begin with a 1 or a Skip-Bo card. Whenever you feel like stopping from playing, you end your turn by discarding a card from your hand to the discard stack. On your next play, first, draw cards to a total of 5 in your hand and continue to add cards to the build stack.
In case you no longer have a card to complete the numerical sequence, then you can use a Skip-Bo wild card if you have it. If the cards in the draw stack run out, then the cards from a complete build stack can be used as a draw stack.
Remember the player who finishes his stock stack first becomes the winner. So you should aim at finishing the stock stack as fast as possible to be crowned the winner!
Team or partner playing
When playing as a team each partner gets their own stock stack. In this situation, your partner can’t talk when it’s your turn and vice versa.
If one partner finishes cards from the stock stack, the player goes out and the other one continues to play using both players discard stack. Winning occurs when the cards have been exhausted from the stock stack.
Scores
Skip Bo Review
The player who finishes his stock stack first is awarded 25 points and 5 points for each card left in their opponent’s stock stack. The first player to reach 500 points wins the game.
Skip Bo Rules
When a player plays all the 5 cards in his hand, he should draw another 5 from the draw stack.
If a building stack is completed with 1 through 12 numbered cards, the stack can be removed. A new stack can be started and it should start with a 1 or a Ski Bo wild card.
Discards can be stacked on top of each other but only the top card is used when adding to a building stack.
If the draw stack runs out of cards, then a completed build stack can be reshuffled to create a new draw stack.
Skip-Bo is a commercial version of the card gameSpite and Malice, a derivative of Russian Bank (also known as Crapette or Tunj). In 1967, Minnie Hazel 'Skip' Bowman (1915–2001)[1] of Brownfield, Texas, began producing a boxed edition of the game under the name SKIP-BO. In 1980 the game was purchased by International Games, which was subsequently bought by Mattel in 1992. A mobile version of the game for iOS was released by Magmic in September, 2013.There is a new version called 'SKIP-BO Mod' that comes in a white and blue case.
Card and deck styles[edit]
The deck consists of 162 cards, twelve each of the numbers 1 through 12 and eighteen 'SKIP-BO' wild cards which may be played as any number. Alternatively, the 162 cards could be three regular decks of playing cards, including the jokers, with ace to queen corresponding to 1 to 12 and the kings and jokers corresponding to the SKIP-BO cards. Before 1980, the commercial game consisted of four decks of regular playing cards with eight SKIP-BO cards replacing the standard two jokers in each deck. In addition, the aces, twos and threes in the fourth deck were marked SKIP-BO. The remainder of the fourth deck was discarded.
Game play[edit]
Two to four people can play at a time as individuals, or, six or more players in teams (no more than three partnerships). The object of the game is to be the first player or team to play out their entire stock pile(s). The player with the middle age goes first. Each player is dealt 30 cards (recommended 10-15 for faster gameplay) for their pile with only the top card visible, and a hand of five cards, and the remaining cards are placed face down to create a common draw pile. The shared play area allows up to four build piles, which must be started using either a '1' card or a Skip-Bo, and each player also has up to four personal discard piles. Each turn the active player draws until they have five cards in hand, though there are cases of not drawing more cards to equal five cards, instead doing a draw of a certain number of cards. They must play either the next card in sequential order or a wild Skip-Bo card, using either cards in hand, the top card of their stock pile, or the top card of any of their four discard piles. If the player can play all five cards from their hand, they draw five more and continue playing. When no more plays are available, the player discards one card to either an empty discard pile or on top of an existing one and play passes to the next player. When a build pile reaches 12, it is removed from the board and that space becomes empty for another pile to be started; play continues until one player has played their final start card. If a card falls on the ground and no one knows who it is the person who is winning chooses who gets it. You can not discard from your stock pile Bill!!
Scoring[edit]
Skip-bo Directions
For single rounds, whoever goes out first is the winner.
If multiple games are going to be played, either track the number of wins for each player or a point system may be used.
For the points scoring, the winning player receives 25 points for winning plus 5 points for each card in his/her opponents' stock piles. The first player to reach 500 points wins.
Partnerships[edit]
Skip-bo Instructions
Another option for game play is to pair up players as partners. Game play remains the same except:
- Each partnership has two stock piles and two sets of four discard piles (eight discard piles total) regardless of the number of individuals per partnership.
- The active player can use their partner's stock and discard piles in addition to their own stock and discard piles.
- The active player's partner(s) must remain silent.[2]
Digital versions[edit]
Various electronic handheld versions of Skip-Bo have been released over the years. A licensed app existed on the iTunes App Store until 2019.[citation needed]
References[edit]
- ^McCay, Karin (July 20, 2018). 'Brownfield birthplace to family game Skip-Bo'. kcbd.com. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
- ^1967 Skip-bo Rules (PDF)