Der Flaschenteufel (The Bottle Devil) Designed by Gunther Cornett Published by Bambus spiele 3-4 Players Rules Translation by Chris Mellor Typed and Edited by Mike Siggins Distributed from The Rules Bank by Mike Siggins Version 1.0 - 8th June 1996 Contents 36 playing cards in three suits In the corners of the cards, except the 19 card, are number values between 1 and 37. The colour of the card shows whether it is a dollar (red), cent (blue) or centime (yellow). A marker (in the small bottle) shows the points value for scoring at the end of the game (the cards 1,2 and 3 have no points value). 1 start value card (19) 4 card distribution tables 2 cards as 'productions' for the bottle devil 1 wrapper (?) You will require pencil and paper to score and glue to make the game. Introduction As with many other trick-taking card games, the idea of Bottle Devil is to acquire the most points. The Bottle Devil works by ensuring that the highest card does not always take the trick. The player whose played card lies closest, but under, the price of the Bottle Devil receives the trick and the Bottle Devil. The value of the Bottle Devil falls to the value of the winning card - ie the one that gained the Bottle Devil's services. The Bottle Devil charges its owner until its value can no longer be undercut. [I don't really understand this]. Whoever owns the Bottle Devil at the end of the game receives minus points instead of positive points. Preparation The start value card is placed face up on the table. The Bottle Devil is placed on the start value card so that the start value of the Bottle Devil (19) can be seen by all the players. Each player takes a card distribution table. The 36 coloured cards are dealt equally to the players. The players should sort the cards according to number, rather than colour. Beginning the Game Each player discards a card. The discarded card is placed on a Devil's Trick under the start value card. No one can look at this trick. In addition, each player will exchange cards with each of his neighbours, without seeing the cards he is given (place the cards face down before picking up the ones given). The Tricks Play proceeds clockwise. The player to the left of the dealer begins and plays a card. The other players must follow suit in colour. If a player cannot follow suit he can play any card. If all the played cards are higher than the current value of the Bottle Devil, the player who has played the highest valued (numbered) card, regardless of whether he has followed suit, wins the trick. The Bottle Devil The Bottle Devil can always be resold as long as the price is lower than the last buying price. If somebody plays a card whose number value is lower than the current value of the Bottle Devil, then the Bottle Devil automatically transfers to its new owner at the end of the trick. If only one player plays a card lower than the Bottle Devil value, then this player gets the Bottle Devil and the trick. If more than one player has played a card whose values are lower than the Bottle Devil then the player who played the higher card (ie the one nearest to the current value) receives the Bottle Devil and the trick. The card which won the player the Bottle Devil and the trick is placed face up under the Bottle Devil. This is the new value of the Bottle Devil. The card which denoted the previous value of the Bottle Devil is added to the taken trick pile of the former owner of the Bottle Devil. It is possible that this person is the same as the current owner. At the start of the game no one owns the Bottle Devil and its price is 19. Example Bottle Devil = 19. Alfonse lays 24, Bert plays 15, Colin 17 and Dylan 32. Players A & D have played higher, B & C lower. Player C gets the Bottle Devil because he is higher and therefore closer to 19. The Bottle Devil is now worth 17. The player who won the last trick leads to the next trick. End of Game When all the cards have been played each player receives the points value of the cards in his taken tricks. Exception: The player who owns the Bottle Devil scores the total of the Devil's Trick as penalty (negative) points. The game is played to a pre-agreed points total, or an agreed number of games. The highest total or the first to the agreed total is the winner.