# I offer you a bout of Mao. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 21, 2008, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570 "2008-02-21T15:39:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/1 "2008-02-21T15:39:08Z")
Mao is a simple game. 1. You each get an amount of cards. 2. Each turn, you may play a card, as long as it is in accordance with the rules. 3. Hi, Opal! There are other rules besides those. But i’m not going to tell you them. Much like Haggle, where you need to work out how much things are worth on your own, in Mao you need to work out what exactly the rules are. Because you don’t start off with the rules, i’ll tell you when you do something wrong - but only what you did wrong, not the rules, necessarily. Example; Bob: Ok, i’m going to play the Ace of Clubs. Dave: No, sorry, you’ll need to take that back. Your mistake was playing the Ace of Clubs on the Seven of Spades. Bob: Hmm. I deduce that Clubs may not be played on Spades/Aces may not be played on Spades/no Aces on Sevens/etc. If people are interested, i’ll take 6 players at most. So… yes. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/2 "2008-02-21T15:47:58Z")
Ummm…ok, I’m in. I fully intend to play the “Rules of the Game” card at the earliest opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/3 "2008-02-21T15:49:00Z")
I will play. This is the greatest game ever to play with people who’ve never played. ---
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/4 "2008-02-21T15:51:08Z")
Sounds interesting, I thnk I will have a go as well. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/5 "2008-02-21T16:26:56Z")
I don’t see how this can be played over the net, although it’s an awesome game to play with friends. I just wanted to tell y’all, remember: it’s good to be the king. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/6 "2008-02-21T20:16:06Z")
It’s sleeting, the fire’s blazing, and there’s a good chance that school will be cancelled tomorrow. So, let’s play cards. (I just hope some doof doesn’t hit a pole and knock out my electricity again) ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/7 "2008-02-21T22:17:48Z")
I think I’ll just hang around and watch, maybe have a few cocktails and talk to the ladies. You know, make sure noboby gets twitchy or anything. I got my eye on you, city slicker. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/8 "2008-02-21T23:38:58Z")
Is this something I should or should not get hooked on? 😛 I’ve been meaning to pick up a new addiction. Since I don’t know how to play, count me in. ---
**Author:** ![RachelChristine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RachelChristine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RachelChristine)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/9 "2008-02-21T23:44:05Z")
Ooh. Mao is my favorite card game. I’d love to play, I just don’t know if I’ll be around enough to play when it’s my turn. (I know some people complain about it when played with non-new players, but my mom, sis, and I can play it any time for hours!) ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/10 "2008-02-21T23:57:50Z")
For what it’s worth I’ve never played. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/11 "2008-02-22T00:05:05Z")
It’s a fun game in its own right, but can get damn right hilarious with newbies. Apparently at one point one of my friends had a guy writing all the way down his arm trying to figure out some rule 🙂 I’m not sure how it would work over the net though–besides, half the fun is watching other players get pissed off 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/12 "2008-02-22T00:06:32Z")
Well, for heaven’s sake, let’s get players, not people who talk about playing!!! 🙂 I wanna play! And I’m a first timer, so it’ll all be smooth sailing for me, right? ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/13 "2008-02-22T00:38:05Z")
[QUOTE=Jayn\_Newell] It’s a fun game in its own right, but can get damn right hilarious with newbies. Apparently at one point one of my friends had a guy writing all the way down his arm trying to figure out some rule 🙂 I’m not sure how it would work over the net though–besides, half the fun is watching other players get pissed off 😃 [/QUOTE] oooo I’m good at pissed off. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/14 "2008-02-22T01:44:07Z")
YES! I love this game! (Damn, I missed the window!) I’m a little dismayed, though, that you explained so much. Finding out about when and why it isn’t a good idea to ask questions is an integral part of the game. > [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > Dave: No, sorry, you’ll need to take that back. Your mistake was playing the Ace of Clubs on the Seven of Spades. The way I’ve always played it, you don’t give a long-winded explanation, you just say the name of the offense (“Failure to play a spade”, “Failure to scream”, “Indirect play”, or whatever you come up with), and then the player has to take a card (which, of course, you don’t tell him). Spoiled Mao is the worst ☹ ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/15 "2008-02-22T02:24:16Z")
Did I win yet? ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/16 "2008-02-22T13:35:18Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] The way I’ve always played it, you don’t give a long-winded explanation, you just say the name of the offense (“Failure to play a spade”, “Failure to scream”, “Indirect play”, or whatever you come up with), and then the player has to take a card (which, of course, you don’t tell him). Spoiled Mao is the worst ☹ [/QUOTE] It’s much the same thing in some cases, although I prefer the way i’m going - with yours you give them the right answer as soon as they don’t get it, and with my way they still get to be confused for a time. Besides, forum-based play means some added possibilities. 🙂 In general, this will have to be different from regular Mao just because it’s on a forum. But I think it can work. Anyway, who is it that’s signed up so far? I’m uncertain, but to me it looks like; **ArizonaTeach storyteller0910 CatInASuit sinjin Hockey Monkey** I’m happy to play with 5, just not sure if i’m missing anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/17 "2008-02-22T13:44:52Z")
Ah, yes, Mao. The card game for bored sadists and masochists. The version we played when I was an undergrad included the “no talking” rule, which is an especially cruel way to taunt new players. ---
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/18 "2008-02-22T13:54:30Z")
[QUOTE=sinjin] oooo I’m good at pissed off. :eek: [/QUOTE] I know what you did there… :dubious: **Revenant Threshold** : Don’t forget to explain the rules to us newbies…oh wait! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/19 "2008-02-22T19:17:51Z")
Ok, no objections, so we’ll go with who we’ve got. Cards have been sent. **Da Rules** ; - On your turn, you may play a card, as long as it is in accordance with the rules. To make it easier for me, please put your playing in blue. So “I’m playing my \”, for example. Here’s the play order; **ArizonaTeach storyteller0910 CatInASuit sinjin Hockey Monkey** **ArizonaTeach** is thus up first. This will probably be the last help I give you. The card currently in play is the **9 of Hearts**. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570/20 "2008-02-22T19:57:20Z")
Is it too late to get in on the game? It sounds a little like Fluxx, but with blindfolds. I’d like to play [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-offer-you-a-bout-of-mao/438570.md?page=2)