11 Fun Facts About Kings Corner Card Games

Kings Corner Card Game

Calling all card game enthusiasts! Brace yourself for an exciting journey as we unravel the captivating world of Kings Corner, a classic game of skill and strategy. Played across generations, this enthralling game has the power to captivate players of all ages and skill levels. Join us as we delve into the rules, gameplay, and nuances that make Kings Corner a card game you won’t soon forget. Get ready to challenge your wits, outmaneuver your opponents, and emerge victorious as the true King of the Corner.

At the heart of Kings Corner lies a simple yet brilliant premise. Played with a standard deck of 52 cards, the game’s objective is to be the first player to get rid of all their cards. To begin, each player is dealt an equal number of cards, and the remaining cards are placed in a draw pile in the center of the table. The player to the left of the dealer starts the game by playing a card face up in the center of the table, creating the discard pile. The next player must then play a card of the same suit or the same rank as the card on top of the discard pile. For instance, if the discard pile has an Ace of Hearts, the next player can either play another Heart card or an Ace from any suit.

But Kings Corner is not just about discarding cards willy-nilly. The game is filled with strategic twists and turns that keep players on their toes. One key element is the presence of special cards: Kings, Queens, and Aces. Kings have the power to change the suit of the discard pile, forcing the next player to play a card of the suit declared by the King. Queens, on the other hand, can be used to skip a turn, giving the player a chance to regroup and plan their next move. Aces, true to their nature, can be played on any card, regardless of suit or rank. As the game progresses, players must carefully consider which cards to play, when to hold back, and how to use these special cards to their advantage. With every move, the tension mounts as players race to get rid of their cards and claim victory as the King of the Corner.

Introduction to Kings Corner

Kings Corner is a sociable and strategic card game played with a standard 52-card deck. It is suitable for 4 or more players and can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels. The game combines elements of rummy and poker, encouraging players to think strategically and tactically to outwit their opponents.

Objective of the Game

The objective of Kings Corner is to be the first player to get rid of all their cards by matching them into sets and runs. Players do this by drawing and discarding cards from their hand, as well as melds played by their opponents. The game ends when one player has played all their cards and the remaining players add up the points in their hands.

Card Values and Suits

In Kings Corner, the rank of the cards is Ace high to Two low. Suits have no special significance, and each card is worth its face value in points. However, Aces are worth 15 points, and Kings are worth 10 points.

| Rank | Points |
|—|—|
| Ace | 15 |
| King | 10 |
| Queen, Jack, 10 | 5 |
| 9 | 4 |
| 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2| 1 |

Objective

The objective of Kings Corner is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards. The game is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. Two to four players can play Kings Corner.

Game Setup

To set up the game, first shuffle the deck of cards. Then, deal seven cards to each player. The remaining cards are placed in a pile in the center of the table. The top card of the pile is turned over and placed next to the pile to start the discard pile.

Card Ranks and Suits

The cards in Kings Corner are ranked from Ace (high) to 2 (low). The suits are Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs. Aces are always the highest cards, and 2s are always the lowest cards. The suit of the cards does not matter in Kings Corner.

Playing the Game

The player to the left of the dealer goes first. On your turn, you must play a card that matches the suit or rank of the top card on the discard pile. If you cannot play a card, you must draw a card from the draw pile. If you draw a card that you can play, you may play it immediately. If you cannot play the card you drew, your turn is over.

Card Ranks and Values

Kings Corner uses a standard 52-card deck. The cards are ranked from Ace (high) to 2 (low). The suits are irrelevant in this game.

The specific values of each card are as follows:

Card	Value
Ace	11 points
King	10 points
Queen	9 points
Jack	8 points
10	7 points
9	6 points
8	5 points
7	4 points
6	3 points
5	2 points
4	1 point
3	0 points
2	-1 point

Dealing Cards and Placing Corners

Dealing Cards

To begin, shuffle the deck of cards thoroughly. Each player is then dealt 13 cards, one at a time, face down. The remaining cards are placed in a stack in the center of the table, face down.

Placing Corners

Before the first hand begins, each player places two of their cards face up on the table in any of the four corners of the playing area. These are known as “corner cards”. The following rules apply when placing corner cards:

The value of the cards must be less than or equal to 3.
If a player has no cards below 3, they must place their two lowest cards.
A player may not place two cards of the same value.

Corner	Allowed cards
Top Left	Ace, Two, Three
Top Right	Ace, Two, Three
Bottom Left	Ace, Two, Three
Bottom Right	Ace, Two, Three

The Turn-Taking Procedure

1. Dealing the Cards

Players take turns shuffling and dealing the deck. Each player receives 13 cards.

2. Trump Suit

After dealing the cards, the top card of the remaining deck is flipped over. This card determines the trump suit for the game.

3. Bidding

Each player makes a bid based on the strength of their hand. The minimum bid is 1, and the maximum bid is 13. The highest bidder becomes the declarer.

4. Exchanging Cards

After bidding, the declarer has the option to exchange any of their cards with cards from the face-down draw pile. The number of cards that can be exchanged varies depending on the number of tricks the declarer bid.

5. Taking the First Trick

The declarer leads with any card they choose. The other players must follow suit if they can. If they cannot follow suit, they can play any card, including a trump card. The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, or the highest trump card if a trump card is played.

No. of Tricks Bid	No. of Cards Exchanged
1-3	2
4-6	3
7-9	4
10-13	5

Capturing Cards and Placing Them on Corners

The objective of Kings Corner is to capture as many cards as possible and place them in your corners on the table. There are two ways to capture cards:

1. Matching Suits

If you have a card that matches the suit of the card on top of the discard pile, you can capture it. For example, if the top card is a heart, you can capture it with any other heart.

2. Building Runs

You can also capture a card by building a run of three or more cards of the same suit. For example, if the top card is a 6 of spades, you can capture it with a 7 of spades and an 8 of spades.

Placing Cards on Corners

Once you have captured a card, you can place it in one of the four corners of the table. Each corner is assigned a suit:

Corner	Suit
Top left	Clubs
Top right	Diamonds
Bottom left	Hearts
Bottom right	Spades

You can only place cards in the corner that matches the suit of the card. For example, you can only place a heart in the bottom left corner.

The first player to place all 13 cards in their corners wins the game.

Exchanging Cards with Other Players

Once you have drawn your initial hand, you can begin exchanging cards with other players. The goal is to collect all four cards of a single rank. You can exchange cards with any other player at any time, even if it is not their turn.

Asking for a Card

To ask another player for a card, simply say the name of the rank you are looking for. For example, you might say, “I need a queen.”

Giving a Card

If you have the card that another player is asking for, you must give it to them. You cannot refuse to give a card, even if it means giving up a card that you need for your own hand.

Asking for a Specific Card

If you know that another player has a specific card that you need, you can ask for it directly. For example, you might say, “I need the queen of hearts.”

Trading Cards

You can also trade cards with other players. This can be a good way to get rid of cards that you don’t need and to get cards that you do need. When trading cards, be sure to negotiate a fair deal.

Table of Common Card Exchanges

You Give	You Receive
Two Jacks	Two Queens
Two Queens	Two Kings
Two Kings	Two Aces
Two Aces	The Joker

The “Go Fish” Rule

If a player cannot make a match, they must “go fish” by drawing a card from the center pile. If the card they draw matches one in their hand, they can immediately lay it down and draw another card. If they draw a card that does not match anything, it is added to their hand and their turn ends.

The “go fish” rule is a key part of the game, as it allows players to replenish their hands and potentially make more matches. It also adds an element of suspense to the game, as players never know what they will draw when they go fishing.

There are a few variations to the “go fish” rule. In some versions of the game, players can only go fishing if they have no matches in their hand. In other versions, players can go fishing even if they have matches, but they must discard a card from their hand before drawing a new one.

The “go fish” rule is a simple but essential part of the Kings Corner card game. It helps to keep the game moving and adds an element of excitement and uncertainty.

Additional Details about Going Fish

If a player draws a card that matches a card in their hand, they must immediately lay it down and draw another card.
If a player draws a card that does not match anything, it is added to their hand and their turn ends.
A player can go fishing as many times as they want on their turn.

Number of Cards in Hand	Can Go Fishing
0	Yes
1-4	Yes (optional)
5+	No

End of the Game

Kings Corner card game comes to an end when one player or team successfully gets rid of all cards in their hand. At this point, the other players calculate their points based on the cards remaining in their hands.

Scoring

Once the game ends, the points are calculated as follows:

Face Cards

Face cards (Jacks, Queens, and Kings) are worth 10 points each.

Number Cards

Number cards (2-10) are worth their face value.

Aces

Aces are worth either 1 point or 11 points, depending on the player’s choice. Players can choose which value to assign prior to calculating their total points.

Penalty Cards

Any remaining cards in the hands of the losing players are counted against them as penalty points:

Card	Points
Ace	1 point
Number Cards (2-10)	Face Value
Face Cards (Jack, Queen, King)	10 points

Variations and Special Rules

Different Card Counting Rules

In some variations, players count only the number of cards they take, while in others, they count the number of points earned from the cards. Points are typically assigned as follows: face cards (10 points), number cards (face value), and aces (1 point or 11 points, depending on the player’s choice).

Multiple Kings Corner Decks

The game can be played with multiple decks of cards, which increases the number of corners available and makes the game more challenging.

Wild Cards

Some variations include wild cards, which can be played as any card. Wild cards can add an element of unpredictability and strategy to the game.

Suit-Specific Corners

In this variation, each corner is assigned a specific suit (e.g., hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs). Players must play cards of the corresponding suit to reach that corner.

Limited Play

In limited play, players are restricted from playing certain cards or card combinations. For example, they may not be allowed to play pairs or face cards.

Discarding Cards

Some variations allow players to discard cards from their hands. This can help players get rid of unwanted cards and adjust their strategies.

Reversing Play

In this variation, the direction of play can be reversed when a certain card is played or a certain condition is met (e.g., when a player reaches a corner).

Double Corners

Double corners are similar to regular corners, but players earn double the points for reaching them. This can create a more competitive and exciting game.

Special Cards

Some variations include special cards with unique abilities, such as the “penalty card” (which forces a player to take extra cards) or the “escape card” (which allows a player to discard a penalty card).

Progressive Scoring

In progressive scoring, players earn points not only for reaching corners but also for taking certain cards or playing certain combinations. This adds an additional layer of strategy and scoring to the game.

How to Play Kings Corner Card Game

Kings Corner is a trick-taking card game for four players in two partnerships. The goal of the game is to be the first partnership to reach 10 points. Points are scored by taking tricks that contain kings and/or corners (the ace of spades and the king of hearts).

To play Kings Corner, you will need a standard deck of 52 cards. The cards are ranked from highest to lowest: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. The suits are irrelevant.

To start the game, the dealer shuffles the deck and deals 13 cards to each player. The remaining cards are placed face down in a pile in the center of the table. The player to the left of the dealer leads with any card. The other players must follow suit if possible. If a player cannot follow suit, they may trump with a card of a higher suit. The player who plays the highest card of the suit led wins the trick and takes all of the cards in the trick.

The game continues in this way until all of the cards have been played. The partnership that wins the most tricks scores a point. If a partnership wins all 13 tricks, they score a bonus point.