Mauna Kea: The Rules

Players: 2

Equipment: 2 decks (104 cards, no jokers)

Object: To build a 100-point column first.

Deal: Low cut deals. Each player starts with 7 cards, dealt one at a time. The remaining cards are placed face down to serve as the draw pile.

Cards: Aces are worth 1, and pip cards (2-10) are worth their face value. Aces and pip cards played on one's own column are known as climbing cards. Face cards, known as pitons, are worth 0 points.

A column, known as an ascent, is equal to the sum of the values of the cards that compose it, which is known as the player's altitude.

Play: Non-dealer plays first. Each turn, a player performs exactly three actions. Each turn, at least one action must be used to play a card, if possible. If, after two actions, a player cannot play a card (i.e., if his or her hand contains no pip cards and no usable face cards,) the hand is shown to the opponent. The player may then draw (or discard and draw) as the third action.

• Draw a card from the opposing player's hand: This action may only be done if the opposing player has 8 or more cards in his or her hand. The opponent need not inform you if this is the case, but must answer truthfully if asked. The hand is kept concealed, and the card is drawn at random; the opponent may shuffle their hand for this purpose.

• Discard two cards from one's hand, and then draw two cards from the draw pile: This action may be done at any time, except as above.

• Play a card on one's own ascent: This may be done at any time. Cards are played face up, partially covering the previous top card as per the diagram above. Pip cards may be played on a player's own ascent at any time. Face cards may only be played upon a card of the same suit, and are played horizontally.

If all three actions are used to play cards on one's own ascent, the player draws a card from the draw pile as a bonus. This is known as a rally, and does not count as an action.

• Play a card on the opposing player's ascent: Face cards are never played on the opponent's ascent. Pip cards may be played on the opponent's ascent only if it is evenly divisible by the pip card being played. An Ace played on the opponent's ascent is known as an avalanche, and, as it equals 1, any ascent is divisible by it; however, Aces played on the opponent's ascent must also match the top card's suit.

When a card is played on the opponent's ascent, he or she must discard, from the top card down, the number of pitons equal to the value of the card played, as well as all of the cards above them. The card played is discarded as well.

If a player is forced to discard their entire ascent with a hand of less than 7 cards, immediately draw cards from the deck (not their opponent's hand, even if it exceeds 7 cards,) until they have 7 cards. These draws do not count as actions.

Example: In the diagram above, Player 1's altitude is 48, which is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8.

If Player 2 played an A, Player 1 would discard the 7, 4, and Q.

If Player 2 played a 2, Player 1 would discard the 7, 4, Q, and J.

If Player 2 played a 3, Player 1 would discard the 7, 4, Q, J, and K.

If Player 2 played a 4, Player 1 would discard the 7, 4, Q, J, K, 7, 5, and K.

If Player 2 played a 6 or 8, Player 1 would discard everything, and, having only 3 cards in their hand, would immediately draw 4 cards from the deck.

Ending and Score: A game of Mauna Kea ends in one of two ways:

1. A player begins their turn with an ascent whose altitude exceeds both 99 points and that of their opponent. The player receives 50 points for winning, plus the difference between their altitude and their opponent's. If the winning player was never forced to discard from their ascent, they receive a flash bonus of 20 points. The losing player receives 0 points.

2. The last card is drawn from the deck. At this point the game ends immediately, even if in mid-turn. Each player receives points equal to their altitude minus 100. Note that this score can (and usually will) be negative.

By Jesse Fuchs