House Of DecksGame rules
Dedo Cagado
Don't be the one left holding the Ace of Bastos alone at the end of the game.
Deck
Spanish 40-card deck, minus three of the four Aces (only the Ace of Bastos remains)
Players
2 to 8 players
The special deck
The Ace of Oros, Ace of Copas, and Ace of Espadas are removed, leaving the Ace of Bastos with no possible match anywhere in the deck. The rest of the cards are dealt out evenly among the players.
If you're dealt a matching pair right away (two cards of the same rank, any suit), discard it yourself whenever you like - it doesn't discard itself.
How to play
On your turn, you blindly pick one of the face-down cards from the hand of the player to your right (you don't see any value, you just choose which of their cards you want).
If that card matches another you already had, discard both whenever you like by selecting them in your hand; you can do this at any time, not just on your turn.
The turn passes to whoever you just drew from (or to the next player after them, if that person has already run out of cards).
Running out of cards
As soon as you run out of cards in hand, you're safe for the rest of the game and stop taking part.
How it ends
Since every card except the Ace of Bastos has a match somewhere in the deck, sooner or later everyone but one person runs out of cards.
Whoever is left holding the Ace of Bastos alone once nobody else has cards is the game's "Dedo Cagado."
Tips and strategy
How not to be left holding the Ace of Clubs
If you are stuck with the Ace of Clubs, your goal is not to hide it - it is to have it taken. Which means getting the player on your left to pick precisely that card out of your hand.
The classic trick: move your cards. If your hand sits still and then you suddenly separate one card, people read it as "that is the bad one" and leave it. Reorder every turn and that read stops working.
The flip side, when you draw: watch where the other person just placed a card. A lot of people park the Ace of Clubs at one end without noticing they do it every single time.
Discard deliberately, not on autopilot
Pairs do not discard themselves - you choose when. Discarding the moment you can shrinks your hand, and a small hand is dangerous, because the Ace of Clubs becomes ever more likely to be what is left.
When you do NOT hold the Ace of Clubs, discard everything you can as fast as you can: running out of cards makes you safe for the rest of the game, and it is the only way to win.
When you DO hold it, sitting on a pair for one more turn gives you an extra card to hide it behind. It is a balance - hold too much back and you will never empty your hand.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there only one Ace in the deck?
The Ace of Coins, Cups and Swords are removed for exactly that reason: the Ace of Clubs is the one card in the whole deck with no possible partner, so somebody has to end up holding it. That is what guarantees every game produces a loser.
Who do I draw from?
Always the player to your right, and always blind: you see how many cards they hold and pick a position, but no values. The turn then passes to the person you just drew from.
When am I safe?
The moment your hand is empty. From then on you are out of the running and cannot lose - the game carries on among whoever still holds cards.
Can two people play?
Yes. Dedo Cagado seats 2 to 8. With 2 the game is very direct (you draw from each other constantly) and games are short; it opens up a lot from 4 upwards.
Dedo Cagado, against the computer
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