Skip-Bo

Skip-Bo is a card game put out by Mattel similar to Uno in that it contains 162 cards of various (mostly) primary colors. The colors have nothing to do with the game, but operate on a possible hypnosis-level addiction to this simple game.

The game is for players seven and up and can be played with two to six players, individually or partnered. One begins by shuffling the cards thoroughly to ensure that the Skib-Bo (wildcards) are randomly distributed as well as the number cards being out of numerical order. After shuffling, decide how many cards you want to be in each player's STOCK pile. Twenty cards takes about twenty minutes to play. Divvy it up, and then give each player five more cards, these make up the player's HAND. Turn over the top card on each of the STOCK piles. The object of the game is to rid yourself of this pile.

In the center of whatever formation your players are sitting in, place the remaining cards, this is the DRAW pile. Next to the DRAW pile you will be BUILDING four piles during play, starting with the number one (or a skip-bo) and ending at the number twelve (after which the entire pile will be eventually placed back in the DRAW pile).

Since the primary objective. the imperative function as an organism in pursuit of playing to win Skip-Bo is to reduce your STOCK pile, consider that first when placing down any card. The player is also blessed with the ability to have up to four DISCARD piles in front of them, where they may place any card in their hand if they cannot play a card in their hand and only if they still have five cards.

There are other rules and regulations, but they are unnecessary for a writeup, including error control and the sort. This is all you need to know to play a game of Skip-Bo. There are no divine rewards, no feeling special by cunning wit. It's a game you play and it is enjoyable.

Some history: Skip-Bo is the commercial version of a traditional game Spite and Malice. It is related to speed/spit but encourages less stealthy competition in its players. Mattel also produces My First Skip-Bo with humorous illstruations of creatures under the sea.

Skip-Bo is a great game if you want to think about something else while you play. If you are a gnosher or a munch master it provides an easy non-commital way to be engaged in a game while simultaneously eating an entire box of Girl Scout Cookies.

Skip Bo is a card game published by Mattel.

The Deck
The 162-card deck is comprised of two types of cards. There are 144 numerical cards numbered from 1-12 and 18 SkipBo (Wild) cards.

The Stock Pile
Each player has a stock pile. Each stock pile is dealt face down. After they are dealt, each player turns the top card of their stock pile face up. In a 2-4 player game, players have 30 cards in their stock piles. 5 or more players have 20 cards each. The stock pile is the most important element of the game. The first player who plays all the cards in their stock pile is the winner.

The Draw Pile
After dealing the stock piles to each player, the remaining cards in the deck are placed face down and named the draw pile.

The Four Building Piles
There are four building piles, situated beside the draw pile. These piles are where game play occurs. Each pile must be built up sequentially starting with either a 1 or Skip Bo, and completed with a 12. At the start of each game these piles are empty.

The Four Discard Piles
Each player has four discard piles. These are built in whichever way that suits the player. They are located beside each player's stock pile. At the start of each game these piles are empty. Any cards that are not covered by another card can be played in a turn. Cards are only added to these piles at the end of a turn.

Game play
Player One picks up 5 cards from the draw pile.

Player One starts to build the building piles from hand cards and stock pile. Each building pile must be started with a 1 or SkipBo, and continued with 2,3,4,etc. SkipBo cards are wild. Once a building pile has been built from 1 through to 12, that pile is removed from play (to be reshuffled and added to draw deck if necessary).

Player One must lay a card in one of their four discard piles to end the turn. Player Two picks up 5 cards.

If a player uses all 5 cards in their hand before discarding a card to end their turn, that player draws 5 more cards and continues playing.

At the beginning of each turn, draw enough cards from the draw pile to equal 5 cards in your hand. If a player draws too many cards at the beginning of their turn, they must shuffle the excess cards into their stock pile.

Diagram

                    PLAYER ONE



  - - - -   - - - -   - - - -   - - - -   - - - - 
  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |
  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |
  |discrd|  |discrd|  |discrd|  |discrd|  |stock |
  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |
  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |
  - - - -   - - - -   - - - -   - - - -   - - - - 


  - - - -   - - - -   - - - -   - - - -   - - - - 
  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |
  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |
  | draw |  |build |  |build |  |build |  |build |
  |      |  |(1-12)|  |(1-12)|  |(1-12)|  |(1-12)|
  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |
  - - - -   - - - -   - - - -   - - - -   - - - - 

  - - - -   - - - -   - - - -   - - - -   - - - - 
  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |
  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |
  |stock |  |discrd|  |discrd|  |discrd|  |discrd|
  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |
  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |  |      |
  - - - -   - - - -   - - - -   - - - -   - - - - 

                  PLAYER TWO

Fun! Fun! Fun!
This card game is easy to pick up and great loads of fun! I recommend it to anyone aged 7 and up. This game can be played with very little thought or with much thought.

Some strategy considerations:
Where to play a SkipBo that is turned up in the stock pile.
When to set up the opposing player for their next stock card and when to block.
How to arrange your discard piles.

Have fun playing SkipBo!