UND TSCHUSS! (So long!) by Martin Wallace Published by Goldsieber 1997 English translation by Richard Ingram Distributed from The Rules Bank by Mike Siggins A simple, clever game of annoyance for 4 - 6 malicious pleasure seekers aged 10 and up. It's really very simple. Points cards lie on the table and naturally everyone wants to win the biggest for themselves. However, is your card strong enough?Then in each round one person is eliminated, and whoever comes in second goes away empty handed. But, he who knows the right time to drop out by choice and is sometimes contented with poor booty, has played well. Especially as in the next round, all the others can take part again. Contents 104 Number cards (8 worth 1 - 15 points, 6 x -5, 6 x -10) 6 "Und Tschuss" cards. Preparations Each player takes an 'Und Tschuss' card and lays it colour side up in front of him. With less than six players, remaining cards go back in the box. The number cards are shuffled and dealt as follows: with 4 players, 7 cards each 5 players, 8 cards each 6 players, 9 cards each A few cards are laid face up in a row on the table - one card less than the number of players. These are the points cards being fought over. The remaining cards are placed near by as a face down deck. Course of the game There will be several rounds. In each round players compete for the points cards on the table. However, there is always one less card available than there are players. Consequently, one player will go empty-handed. Each round consists of several stages, in which each time one player drops out and receives the lowest scoring card. The last and highest scoring card is accordingly won by the player who is the last one left and comes first. The other player, who is only second, receives nothing at all. Play of a round Each player lays one card face down in front of himself. They are turned over simultaneously. Card scores are announced starting with the youngest player. Whoever has played the lowest card drops out of this round. He takes the lowest value points card and puts it under his 'Und Tschuss' card. His played card is put on a nearby discard pile. Example: played with 4 Points cards: -5, 8, 12. Cards played: Peter 5 Claudia 14 Klaus 6 Gaby 6 Peter has laid the lowest card and must drop out. He must with a cheerful 'So long' take his leave, and takes the lowest scoring points card, worth -5. All other players lay a new card on top of their old, face down, again turn them over together, and add the two numbers together. Starting with the player to the left of that who last dropped out, players announce their new combined scores. Whoever has the lowest total drops out, takes the lowest value points card and puts it under his 'Und Tschuss' card. His number cards are placed on the discard pile. Example: (see German rules booklet) Claudia's combined score is 24, Klaus' is 14, Gaby's 15. Klaus has the lowest total, drops out, takes the lowest available points card, (the 8), puts it under his 'Und Tschuss' card and discards his number cards. The game continues like this until only two are left. Each again lays a card, arriving at a new combined total. But the winner (player with the highest total) takes the last points card. The loser gets nothing. Example: Claudia's total is 19 (she played a -5) Gaby's total is 30 (she played a 15) Gaby gets the points card worth 12, Claudia gets nothing. Ties If there is a tie for lowest total, no player goes out. The same applies if the last two players tie for the highest total. In both cases, further cards are laid until the tie is broken. New round, new fortune The player who came second deals out cards from the deck to make everyone's hand up to the correct start number, (see preparations). The player who came first can exchange any number of cards. He throws unwanted cards on the discard pile and takes the appropriate number of cards from the dealer to complete his hand. Points cards (one less number than players) are again laid out on the table. The rest of the game proceeds as described. End of the game With 4 players: The game ends when the deck runs out for the first time. With 5 or 6 players: The game ends when the deck runs out for the second time - the discard pile should be shuffled after the deck is exhausted for the first time. Each player adds up the scores of the cards under his 'Und Tschuss' card. Cards in the hand are not counted. Whoever has the most points wins.