MAO RULES

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OBJECTIVE OF MAO: Play all your cards without breaking unspoken rules.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3+ players

NUMBER OF CARDS: Standard 52 card deck

RANK OF CARDS:  A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2

TYPE OF GAME: Shedding

AUDIENCE: All Ages

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INTRODUCTION TO MAO

Mao is a pesky and annoying game for those not in the know because no one tells you what is happening. The origin of the game is not known for sure, but it is most likely derived from the German card game Mau Mau. This theory is bolstered by the fact the game is also spelled as Mau. 사설토토

THE SET-UP

The dealer is chosen at random. They shuffle and deal each player 3 cards each. The cards that remain form the stock or draw pile. The top card from the stock is flipped over to form the discard pile. Playing with multiple decks for large groups is common.

The cards rank their face value or numerical value.

RULES TO MAO

The game is initiated when after dealing the dealer says, “The name of the game is Mao.” You cannot tell new players the rules or explain the game whatsoever. Because of the nature of Mao, not having a canonical set of rules, the rules can vary widely. For example, some groups share one rules with new players, which is typically the objective of the game. It is common for groups to penalize players who look at their cards prior to the commencement of the game.