Frisco

about a decade ago, Austin and his friend Julia found themselves in a hostel in San Francisco where someone taught them a card game.  None of us knows what this game is really called - Austin and Julia called it Frisco, in honour of the place where they were taught it.  We played it a lot when we were all on the family honeymoon in County Durham in 2009, but I don't think any of us has played it since.  Indeed, mostly we had forgotten the rules.

Until we got to Mizuho-shi, where Austin and The Builder sat down and thought very hard and more or less managed to remember the rules.

Concentrating hard

Should you wish to play, here are the rules.  These are the definitive rules, according to Austin, The Builder, Kaori and me.  If you play with any of us, these rules will prevail!

You need two packs of cards, including Jokers and a minimum of 4 players (although I think you could probably play with three if you had to).

Better not put this on the discard pile - it's a wild card in this round

• You start out by dealing three cards to each player. Turn a card up for the discard pile. Place all the other cards face down in a pick up pile. Jokers and 3s are wild cards
• Next hand, the next person along deals 4 cards. Jokers and 4s are wild
• Next hand the next eprson deals 5. Jokers and 5s are wild
• Continue until you have reached 13 cards. Jokers and Kings are wild
• In each hand, each player either picks up the previously discarded card, or one from the pile. The aim is to acquire at least three of a kind, or a run of at least three cards of the same suit (so ace, 2, 3 of diamonds; 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 of spades etc).  In the hands where you have four or five cards you need all the cards to be of a kind, or a run of 4 or 5 in the same suit.  You end your go by placing a card face up on the discard pile, which the next player may pick up if it suits them
• When you have 3 of a kind, and/or a run, you call Frisco and lay your cards down, face up.  The other players play though to the end of that hand, then lay their cards down.  Any runs or threes don't count towards the final score. Anything that can't be put into a run or a three counts towards your score.

Now - what can I do with this lot?

We played a tournament that ran over the week we were staying with Austin and Kaori, except one night when we were out.  At the end, Austin won by one point, pipping the Builder into second place.  Kaori came in third and I came in a distant fourth.  I obviously need more practice!

Adding up the scores