Rack-O
| The Classic Rack 'Em and Score Card Game! | |
|---|---|
 Traditional set-up of a game of Rack-o. | |
| Publishers | Alga (Brio), Grow Jogos e Brinquedos, Hasbro, Jumbo, Milton Bradley, Nathan, Parker Brothers, Ravensburger, and Winning Moves Games USA[1] |
| Players | 2–4 |
| Setup time | 1 minute |
| Playing time | 45 minutes |
| Chance | Medium |
| Age range | 8 and up |
| Skills | Counting, Sequence |
Rack-O is a Milton Bradley sequential-matching card game with the objective of obtaining 10 numbers, in numerical order, in one's hand. Score may be kept on a separate piece of paper, based upon either a custom system or the system provided in the rule book. Rack-O allows between 2–4 players, and is recommended for players age 8 and up.[2] Rack-O was released in 1956 and is currently produced by Winning Moves Games USA.
Game play
[edit]The deck consists of 60 cards, each containing a number from 1 to 60. Depending on how many people are playing, the deck may be reduced in size. If two people are playing, only the cards from 1 to 40 are used; if three people are playing, the cards from 1 to 50 are used; and if four people are playing, the entire deck is used. Each player has a rack containing 10 slots to hold their cards.[3]
A dealer shuffles the cards and deals 10 to each player. A player must place each card as it is received into the highest available slot in their rack, starting at slot #10, without rearranging any of them. The goal of each hand is to create a sequence of numbers in ascending order, starting at slot #1.
The top card of the deck is turned over to start the discard pile. A player takes a turn by taking the top card from either the deck or the discard pile, then discarding one from their rack and inserting the new card in its place. A player who draws the top card from the deck may immediately discard it; however, when a player takes the top discard, they must put it in their rack and discard a different one.
The first player to get 10 cards in ascending order calls "Rack-O!" and wins the hand.
Point system
[edit]While it is very easy to play with a custom point system or none at all, the game has a default described in the rulebook:[4]
The winner of a hand scores 75 points. Other players receive 5 points for each card they have in ascending order, starting at slot #1 and ending when the sequence breaks. The first player to score 500 points wins the game.
An optional scoring system is "Bonus Rack-O", which awards extra points to the winner of the hand for having a sequence of consecutive numbers (such as 7, 8, 9). Sequences of 3, 4, 5, or 6 cards award 50, 100, 200, or 400 points, respectively.
Reception
[edit]Games included Rack-O in its top 100 games of 1986, saying, "For two players, we recommend that each use two racks simultaneously, arranging cards in either of them on a turn."[5]
Reviews
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Rack-O (1956)". Board Game Geek. Geekdo. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ^ Racko Rule Book (PDF). Pawtucket, Rhode Island: Hasbro Games.
- ^ "Rack-O Rules and Bonus Rack-O Rules". How Do You Play It. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
- ^ Rule Book (PDF). East Longmeadow, MA: Milton Bradley Co. 1983.
- ^ Hochberg, Bert (November 1986). "The 1986 Games 100". Games. No. 81. p. 42. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
- ^ "GAMES Magazine #20". November 1980.
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