Flip-Flush

A Game for 2 - 6 Players, designed by Justin

Requires: one standard deck of cards.

Deal eight cards to each player at the beginning of the game.  These are the only cards you get; the rest of the deck is set aside.

Each turn, you may either Place or Flip.  Players Place cards into a 3x3 grid on the table; they may Place a card in any position, removing the card that was there, if there was one.  Cards are always Placed face-down, never face-up.

You may also Flip a face-down card.  This simply consists of turning that card face-up (orientation is irrelevant).

Flipping a card may result in a Flush -- a row of three cards of the same suit along a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line.  This is where the strategy comes in.  Before making your Flip, you may declare that you expect the Flip to result in a new Flush.  Winning and losing depends on getting this right.  There are four possible outcomes:

The strategy of the game is mainly in remembering which cards you Placed, and sussing when your opponents attempted to Place a Flush.

You must either Place or Flip if you can; if there is nothing to Flip, and you have no cards to Place, then you must pass.

The game ends one of three ways:

Gambling Variant

The game can also be played as a gambling game.  Agree on an appropriate stake; in a typical game, you might lost a few stakes.

Begin with everyone ante'ing one stake into the pot.  Deal the cards as above.

Play is as above, with these tweaks: