4 players · You and three AI opponents · Three-life elimination match

One card each: keep it or ask your neighbour to swap. Avoid the lowest card, and watch for a Cat or Cuckoo that changes the deal.

1. 1

   Objective

   • Avoid being left with the lowest card. Start with three lives and leave at zero; the last survivor wins. If all remaining players reach zero together, the match is drawn. Lives are game counters, not money.
2. 2

   Setup

   • The complete 42-card pack contains two of each of 21 ranks without suits. From lowest to highest: Narr (fool), Ugle (owl), Potte (flowerpot), 0, I–XII, Hus (house), Hest (horse), Katt (cat), Dragon (dragoon), Gjøk (cuckoo).
   • Shuffle the whole pack for each deal and give one hidden card to every player who is alive and not resting. Play clockwise from the dealer’s left, with the dealer last. A player dealt a fool must knock to warn everyone. This table reveals that fool automatically. The dealer moves to the next surviving seat each deal.
3. 3

   Playing a turn

   • Keep your card or ask to exchange with the next participating player on your left. Numbers, zero, flowerpot, owl and fool must accept. The recipient then chooses whether to keep the received card or request another exchange. Other hidden cards stay concealed.
   • Cuckoo is the highest matador: when challenged, reveal it and end the deal immediately for settlement. Dragoon refuses an exchange and costs the requester one life, leaving their card in place. Play resumes to the dragoon’s left.
   • Cat refuses the exchange and costs the requester one life. Undo every earlier exchange in this deal in reverse order, including exchanges before an intervening keep. Play resumes to the cat’s left.
   • Horse and house refuse, but the requester must pass them and ask the next player instead. Several horses or houses can be passed in sequence. Matadors trigger only when challenged.
   • The dealer may keep or exchange with the top of the undealt stock. A request passing a dealer’s horse or house also reaches the stock. Draw again past a horse or house. Other drawn matadors retain their cuckoo, dragoon or cat effects. An ordinary draw replaces the requester’s card.
4. 4

   Scoring and ending

   • After exchanges finish or cuckoo stops the deal, reveal every card. Each player tied for lowest loses one life. Players reduced to zero by dragoon or cat leave immediately and do not enter the final comparison.
   • With one fool, its holder and every player tied for the next-lowest card each lose a life. With two fools, only the two fool holders lose one life each. Surviving fool holders rest for the next deal. Other players pay nothing.
   • Resting players receive no card, take no turn and pay no settlement, then return. If resting leaves fewer than two contestants, skip that uncontested deal without charging a life. Choose Next deal after settlement. Restart after the match ends.