Introduction

Switch is an simple game played with ordinary cards for 2 or more players of most ages.

The complexity can be varied in a gradual manner over a number of games.

The Game

The aim is to win 7 hands of Switch. For a hand the dealer deals 7 cards to each player and turns over a 'lead card' from the top of the undealt deck. This becomes the playing deck.

The players then take it in turns normally starting from the left of the dealer continuing in a clockwise manner to lay cards upon the playing deck.

To lay a card on the playing deck it must be either the same value or the same suit of the card below it. If you can not play pick up a card from the undealt deck.

If ever the undealt cards are exhausted the deck is re-shuffled and place face down as the new undealt cards deck.

Penalties

Players must spot the mistakes made by others. Any mistake is penalized by the spotter making the offending player take back any card they had just played adding one from unseen from the undealt deck.

• Taking too long to play the next card e.g. being bluffed it is not your turn. Too long is say 5 seconds.
• Playing at the wrong time e.g. being bluffed it is your turn.
• Playing a card of the wrong suit or value.
• Playing a card incorrectly - see below
• Forgetting to say 'Last card' as you play your penultimate card.
• You play such that the last 3 cards on the playing deck constitute a consecutive sequence up or down.
• Saying anything that indicates you have lost the thread of the game e.g. "Whose turn is it ?"

Double Penalties

These offences involve you getting your penalty card and the penalty cars involved in the dispute

• Spotting a penalty incorrectly
• Playing before a penalty is settled.

Special Cards

• On playing an ACE - the next player misses a go
• On playing a 2 - the next player has to pick up 2 cards unless they can follow it with a 2 in which case the next player has to pick up 4 cards unless they can follow with a 2 in which case the next player has to pick up 6 cards.
• On playing a 7 - play switches direction between anti-clockwise and clockwise.
• On playing an 8 - the next player misses a go.
• On playing a Jack - the same player plays another card immediately.

Winning

You win the hand when you have no cards left.

First one to win 7 hands wins.

Appendix

Switch is a derivative of 'Eights' and similar to the commercial 'UNO' it seems to have its origins that great bastion of tradition the school playground.