How many players play?
“Makao” can be played by 2 to 10 players.
Required materials for the game
It is usually played with a standard 52-card deck.
Objective of the game
To get rid of all your cards as quickly as possible. The game continues until only one player is left with at least one card.
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How to play?
Each player is dealt 5 cards, and then the deck is moved. The top card is considered the first card to start the game, and the player to the left of the dealer starts the turn.
The next card should be either of the same rank or the same suit. For example, if you discard a seven of clubs, the next player can place a seven of spades, hearts, or diamonds, or any club card. If playing with cards of the same suit, their rank becomes irrelevant. If a player does not have a card of the same rank or suit, they draw 1 card from the deck.
Special rules and action cards
If a two is discarded – the next player must draw 2 cards from the deck unless they have a two, which they can place on top, and the next player must draw 4 cards. If the latter also has a two, they place it, and the game continues until a player does not have a two.- If a three is placed – the next player draws 3 cards or places another three on top. Imagine passing threes to the next players; one might have to draw up to 12 cards!
- If a four is placed, the next player must skip their turn unless they also have a four. In that case, the next player skips two turns.
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Jack – a special card
When discarded, you can request a specific rank card. This card must be “ordinary” – without special powers, such as a five, eight, etc. If the player does not have the requested card, they must draw cards from the deck until that card appears, or they can also discard a jack, and the right to request a specific rank card passes to them. It is important to note that the rank can also be unspecified, and the opponent can be asked for any card by saying “Any!”
- If a player discards the king of spades, the player who played before them must draw 5 cards from the deck unless they have the king of hearts or the queen of hearts. If the latter places one of these cards, the previous player must draw 10 cards.
- If a player discards the king of hearts, the next player must draw 5 cards from the deck unless they have the king of spades or the queen of hearts. If the latter places one of these cards, the next player must draw 10 cards.
- If a joker is discarded, the direction of card movement must be changed. For example, if the game was played clockwise, the circle reverses, and the game is played counterclockwise.
- If a player places an ace, they have the right to demand that the next player place a card of a specific suit. It is important that this card must be of a different suit than the placed ace. The suit can also be unspecified, and again shout “Any!”
Twos, threes, fours, and kings can be discarded in multiples to force the next player to draw as many cards as possible. For example, placing three threes means the next player must draw nine cards instead of three.
Important! If a player is left with the last card, they must shout “Makao!” If the player forgets and other players notice, the former must draw 1 card from the deck.
Variants of “Makao”
Different countries and cultures have various versions of this game. Here are some of the most interesting:
“Romanian Makao”
As in the classic “Makao,” in this version, twos and threes mean the same – when discarded, the next player draws the specified number of cards or passes the turn by discarding a two or three themselves.
Kings and jacks are considered ordinary cards.
Jokers in this variant are special cards that can be discarded regardless of rank or suit. These are strong cards. Usually, discarding a black joker means the player to the left must draw 5 cards, and discarding a colored joker means drawing 10 cards from the deck.
Aces, fours, and sevens are often debated, as card meanings vary in different regions. To avoid unnecessary discussions or even arguments, it is worth agreeing on the exact meaning of each card before playing. In Bucharest, it is agreed as follows:
Sevens are either not used at all or used as “cancel” cards to avoid drawing additional cards. For example, if the previous player discarded a three or a joker, you have the right to place a seven on top and skip the turn. These are open cards, so they can be used regardless of rank or suit. The next player must then discard a card of the same suit as the discarded seven.
Aces are considered wild cards and are used to change the suit. For example, if the game was played with spades, and you have a heart ace and many other hearts, you can discard it to make the game easier for yourself.
With fours, you reverse the circle, and it is your turn again.
“Tel Aviv” or “London” variant
If 2 players are playing, they are dealt 7 cards each; if more players are playing, they are dealt 5 cards each. The game starts with the top card of the moved deck. The player to the left of the dealer starts the game.
As in the usual game, the next card must be either of the same rank or the same suit. The game is played with queens and aces, but jokers are not included. Again, cards are discarded until the player has nothing to discard and draws one card from the deck. The winner is the one who discards all their cards first.
If playing with the king of hearts, twos, and threes, players must draw the specified number of cards unless they discard a card of the same rank to the next player.
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Special cards:
Aces and queens can be discarded at any time. With a queen, you can change the suit to the one of the queen, and with an ace – to any suit, regardless of the ace's suit.
In one round, a player can discard only 1 card, except when they have a five. Having a five and discarding it gives the player the opportunity to discard another card.
If you have four fives, the player gets 5 moves – it's possible to discard almost all cards at once! However, it is important to mention that when discarding fives, only cards of the same suit can be placed on them – kings, queens, aces, etc. If it happens that the player does not have the required cards, they must draw a card from the table.
Other special cards are the same as in regular “Makao”. If a two is discarded, the next player must draw 2 cards from the deck unless they have the same card, i.e., a two. They place it on top, and the next player must draw 4 cards from the deck. The same applies to threes.
When a hearts king is discarded, the next player must draw 5 cards.
When there is one card left, players must say “Makao”, and if they forget, they draw 2 cards from the deck. An interesting situation arises when one of the last two cards is a five. In this case, saying “Makao” is not necessary. If the five is the last card, the player must draw a card from the deck.
In this version of “Makao”, points are counted. Usually, the game is played up to 500 points, and the first to reach them loses.
4–9 cards are worth 5 points
10 cards and face cards are worth 10 points
2 cards are worth 20 points
3 cards are worth 30 points
Aces are worth 50 points
The hearts king is worth 150 points
Pławno “Makao” Version
This version stands out because players can “go to war” and thus increase the number of cards the opponent has to draw. War is initiated with twos, threes, and the kings of clubs and hearts. It is important to note that during war, the suit and value of the cards become irrelevant.
For example, if the opponent discards the king of clubs, you can place a two or three on top, and the turn passes to the player sitting to your left. During war, a player might have to draw up to 20 cards! For example, two-three-two-king of clubs-king of hearts. Additionally, during war, queens have special powers. Queens are considered regular cards when not in war.
The queen of hearts stops the war and prevents the player from drawing additional cards.
The queen of clubs changes the direction of the game during war.
The queen of spades allows the player to choose who will take the next turn (they cannot choose themselves).
The queen of diamonds skips the next player during war.
In this game variant, two or more cards of the same value can be discarded together.
Additionally, jokers are used, which can replace any card.
Aces can change the suit of any card, while jacks can change the value. The difference is that jacks ignore suits and can be placed on any ace, while aces ignore value and can be placed on any jack.
When a four is discarded, the next player must skip their turn unless they have a four. If the next player also does not have a four, the turn passes to the player sitting to their left. If no one has any more fours, the player with the four can repeat their turn up to 4 times.
Another nuance to make the game more interesting is to play with open cards. This way, players can see each other's cards and strategize on how to discard all their cards faster and win the game. All “Makao” variants can be played with open cards.
