Cabo (game)

Cabo is a simple, multiplayer card game that involves memory and manipulation to win. It is typically played with a standard 52-card deck and is designed for two to six players. However, multiple decks can be used for larger games.

The objective of the game is for each player to minimize the sum of his/her cards. The game ends when someone calls 'Cabo,' after which each player gets one last turn and the player with the lowest sum wins. Here's the twist: initially, the value of all cards are unknown, so players do not know the value of their own cards, nor their opponents' cards. Players must draw and play special cards from the community deck to view their own cards, peek at opponents' cards, and swap cards on the table.

Cabo combines elements from shedding and matching type card games.

Gameplay

• Each player is dealt 4 cards, face down. Players are only allowed to peek at 2 of their own cards once.
• In clockwise order, players do either of three things:^[1]
  • pick a card from the draw pile
    • keep the card and place one of their own cards on the discard pile
    • discard it
  • pick a card from the discard pile and place one of their own cards on the discard pile
  • call cabo

At any time, players are allowed to:^[2]

• use a choice card (see below)
• discard 2-, 3-, or 4-of-a-kind matching cards

Calling cabo

If a player calls cabo, the other players each get one more turn and then everyone has to lay down their cards face up. The player with the lowest score wins.^[3]

Choice cards

• 7 or 8: peek at one of your own cards^[4] ("seven and eight, know your fate")
• 9 or 10: peek at one of another player's cards ("nine and ten, know a friend")
• Jack or Queen: swap any two cards on the table, of any player ("Jack and Queen, switch between")

References