Conquian Rules: The Ancestor of Rummy

Conquian is a captivating card game originating from Mexico, with roots dating back to 1857. It is traditionally played with two to three players, using a Spanish-suited 40-card deck, but can also be adapted to an Anglo-American 52-card deck. The game is renowned as the ancestor of Rummy, having given rise to a multitude of western Rummy games.

Objective

The objective of Conquian is to be the first player to "go out" by successfully melding 9 cards. The melds consist of sets (or groups) of three or four cards of the same rank, and sequences (or runs) of at least three cards of the same suit in consecutive order.

Setup

For a game of Mexican Conquian, you'll need a Spanish-suited 40-card deck, which includes suits of swords (espadas), clubs (bastos), cups (copas), and coins (oros). The deck consists of cards 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-10 (sota, jack) -11 (caballo, horseman) -12 (rey, king).

Deal 8 cards to each player, and place the remaining cards face down on the table to form a stock pile. The player to the right of the dealer starts the game.

How to Play

The gameplay involves an exchange, the first turn, and subsequent turns.

The Exchange

Each player selects one unwanted card and passes it face down to the player to their right, who picks it up and adds it to their hand. This exchange is known as the cambio in Spanish. All players pass their cards simultaneously, ensuring that each player must decide which card to pass before seeing the card they receive.

The First Turn

The player to the right of the dealer turns the top card of the stock face up. They have two options:

1. Take the face-up card and meld it, along with cards from their hand, provided that they have at least two hand cards to make a valid combination with the turned-up card. Additional cards from the hand can be laid down if desired, as long as the player's meld or melds remain valid. The player must discard one unwanted card face up at the end of their turn.
2. Pass, not melding any cards, leaving the turned-up card for the next player to use.

If the player to the right of the dealer passes, the player to the left has the same options. If both players pass, the dealer has the following choices:

1. Take the face-up card, meld it, and discard one unwanted card.
2. Reject the first face-up card and turn over a new card from the stock. In this case, the dealer can either:
   • Pick up the new card, meld it, and discard an unwanted card (unless they have melded all 9 cards).
   • Place the new card face up on top of the initial rejected card, to be used by the next player.

Subsequent Turns

The next turn is taken by the player to the right of the player who melded the initial face-up card, or by the player to the right of the dealer if all three players rejected the initial face-up card and the dealer then either melded or rejected the next card. The play continues anticlockwise (to the right) until a player goes out by melding all 9 cards or the stock pile is exhausted.

At the start of a player's turn, they will always have 8 cards, some of which may be in melds on the table, and there will be a face-up discard pile, the top card of which will either be the card discarded by the previous player or the card turned up and rejected by the previous player. The player has the following options:

1. Take the top card of the discard pile and add it to their melds on the table, rearranging their melds if necessary to ensure they are all valid. If they manage to meld all 9 of their cards, the play ends. Otherwise, the player discards one unwanted card face up on top of the discard pile.
2. Reject the top card of the discard pile and turn up a new card from the stock. In this case, the player can either take that new card and meld it as above or reject it and pass the turn to the next player.

Forcing

A player can be forced to meld a card in two ways:

1. If the centre card (either the card left by the previous player or a new card turned over by the current player) can be added to an opponent's meld on the table without requiring any extra cards from that opponent's hand, the current player can give the face-up card to that opponent and require them to meld it.
2. During a player's turn, if the face-up centre card can be added to the current player's meld on the table without requiring any extra cards from the player's hand, either of the opponents can force the card on the current player, if the current player cannot or does not wish to force it on another player.

Scoring and End of Game

The game continues until one player goes out by melding all 9 cards. No scoring is involved in Mexican Conquian.

Common Variants

One common variant of Conquian is the use of an Anglo-American 52-card deck instead of the traditional Spanish-suited 40-card deck.

A Fun Fact or Record

Conquian is believed to be the ancestor of Rummy, having given rise to a multitude of western Rummy games. The first known reference to it comes from Mexico City in 1857, and in the following decades it spread to English-speaking North America. A double deck variant is played by the Navajo under the name Neeznáá Dah Yíjihí.

Where to Get the Game

Start your Conquian journey with a Spanish-suited deck. Spanish deck Conquian on Amazon

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

1. Failing to understand the exchange: New players should pay close attention during the exchange to ensure they are passing the right card and not giving away a valuable card.
2. Not rearranging melds: Players should remember that they can rearrange their table cards in any way they wish, as long as the cards they have on the table at the end of their turn form separate valid combinations.
3. Not being aware of forcing: Players should understand the concept of forcing and use it strategically to disrupt their opponents' games.

FAQ

1. Can I use jokers in Conquian?

   • No, jokers are not traditionally used in Conquian.

2. Do I need both a set and a sequence to go out?

   • No. Your nine melded cards simply have to form one or more valid combinations, in any mix of sets and sequences.

3. Can I rearrange the cards I have already melded?

   • Yes. You may move cards between your own combinations as long as everything on the table forms separate valid combinations at the end of your turn. This is known in Spanish as the corte.

4. Can I take the centre card into my hand for later use?

   • No, the card turned up from the stock or discarded by an opponent can never be taken into your hand — it must be melded immediately or left for the next player.

5. Can I meld the top card of the discard pile?

   • Yes. On your turn you may take the top card of the discard pile and add it to your melds, then discard one unwanted card.

6. Can I force a card onto an opponent?

   • Yes, but only if the centre card can be added to that opponent's meld on the table without any extra cards from their hand.

7. Can I meld cards from other players' melds?

   • No, players cannot get rid of cards by laying them off on other players' melds.

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