Conquian Rules: The Ancestor of Rummy

Game Overview

Conquian is a classic card game that originated in Mexico in the mid-19th century and is considered the ancestor of Rummy. It is typically played with 2-3 players and requires a Spanish 40-card deck, which consists of the cards 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-10, 11, 12 in the suits of swords (espadas), clubs (bastos), cups (copas), and coins (oros). The game is played anticlockwise, with the first dealer chosen by a random method.

Objective

The objective of Conquian is to be the first player to "go out" by melding 9 cards.

Setup

The dealer deals 8 cards to each player, and the remaining cards are placed face down on the table to form a stock pile.

How to Play

The game begins with an exchange round, where each player selects and passes one unwanted card to the player to their right. After the exchange, the player to the dealer's right takes the top card of the stock pile and has the option to either meld it along with cards from their hand or pass it to the next player. If the player passes, the next player has the same options. This process continues until a player melds a card or the stock pile is depleted.

Once a player has melded a card, they may also discard one unwanted card face up. The game continues in this manner, with players taking turns to either draw the top card from the discard pile or the top card from the stock pile, and melding cards as they wish. Cards are melded to form valid combinations, which can be either sets (or groups) of three or four cards of the same rank or sequences (or runs) of at least three cards of the same suit in consecutive order.

A player can force their opponent to meld a card if it can be added to an opponent's meld on the table without requiring any extra cards from that opponent's hand, or if the face-up center card can be added to the current player's meld on the table without requiring any extra cards from the player's hand.

Scoring and End of Game

The game ends when a player goes out by melding all 9 cards. There is no scoring in Conquian; the first player to go out is the winner.

Common Variants

There are several variants of Conquian, including Paco, Anglo-American Conquian, and Navajo Tens. These variants differ in the number of players, the cards used, and the rules for melding and discarding cards.

Where to Get the Game

baraja espanola conquian on Amazon

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

• Forgetting to pass an unwanted card during the exchange round
• Melding invalid combinations or adding cards to melds that do not form valid combinations
• Failing to discard a card when necessary
• Forgetting to force an opponent to meld a card when possible

FAQ

• Can I meld a sequence with an ace as the highest card? Yes, in Conquian the ace is always low, so it can be used as the lowest card in a sequence.

• Can I lay off cards on my opponents' melds? No, each player's melds are separate, and you cannot get rid of cards by adding them to your opponents' melds.

• What happens if the stock pile is depleted before a player goes out? If the stock pile is depleted before a player goes out, the game ends in a draw.

• Can I meld a card if I don't have any cards that can be added to it? No, you must always have at least two hand cards to meld a card, and further cards can be added if desired as long as the meld remains valid.

• Can I force my opponent to meld a card if it cannot be added to their meld without requiring extra cards from their hand? No, you can only force your opponent to meld a card if it can be added to their meld without requiring any extra cards from their hand.

• Can I take the center card into my hand for later use? No, you can never take the center card (either the card left by the previous player or a new card turned over by the current player) into your hand for later use.