For the King

Here are the instructions for how to play Sneaky Pete:
2 decks, 12 cards to each person. Can use 3 decks if more people.
Aces are high/low/both. Joker = wild. (It’s optional to play with jokers.) After deal cards, put remainder of cards in a stack face down, turning one up.

Seven hands are played. Requirement to meld for each hand:
1: 1 set, 1 run
2: 2 sets
3: 2 runs
4: 2 sets, 1 run
5: 1 set, 2 runs
6: 3 sets
7: 3 runs—no discard—basically, 2 runs of four cards and 1 run of five cards

Set = three of a kind (e.g., three eights).
Run = four in a row, same suit (e.g., 4-5-6-7 of hearts).

Play: Each time a player has a turn, she/he chooses either the top card from the face-down stack of cards, or the top card from the discard pile. Each player tries to meld as soon as possible (see “Melding,” below) and, generally, to get rid of all the cards she/he holds. A given hand is over when one player is out of cards, through melding, adding to the sets or runs of other players, and/or discarding.

Melding: “Melding” means to lay down the set and/or run requirements for the hand. Can only meld when have entire requirement for that round. After a player melds, he/she can add cards to other players’ melded runs or sets, but not before. After a player melds, she/he cannot put down any additional runs or sets; that player can only add to any run or set on the table. At the end of any hand, players can discard or not, with the exception of the seventh hand, where having no discard is required.

Melding restriction: If another player puts down a set consisting of three jacks, I can’t myself put down a set consisting of three jacks, because I could add my three jacks to the three already melded. Similarly, if another player has put down a run 4-5-6-7 of hearts, I can’t put down a run that is 8-9-10-J of hearts, because I could add that to the run already melded. However, if the other player later adds the 9 of hearts (or 9 plus 10, etc.), I can then play the 8-9-10-J of hearts as a run of my own because it would no longer be possible to add that to the other player’s run. If another player has put down a run 4-5-6-7 of hearts, I can still put down a set that contains the eight of hearts; there’s nothing wrong with that.

Runs: A player can’t put down, for instance, 4-5-6-7 of hearts as a run plus 8-9-10-J of hearts as another run—there has to be a break. The player could put down 4-5-6-7 of hearts as a run plus 9-10-J-Q of hearts as another run, even if he/she has the 8 of hearts. On a subsequent play, he/she can add the 8 of hearts to either run.

Jokers: Jokers may be used in order to meld, and may be used as needed after melding. If another player melds using a joker, I can replace that joker with the card it represents and use the joker myself to meld, or to make a play after melding; can’t do this before I meld. I can also replace a joker I have played formerly myself and put the joker to new use.

Boinging: If person whose turn it is doesn’t want face up card (person whose turn it is has dibs), someone else can take it; if two other people want it, the person closest to the person whose turn it is, per the direction of play, has priority. This is calling “boinging” and requires the person to also take a penalty card from the face-down pile of cards.

Penalties: A player who accidentally discards a card that could have been added to a previously melded set or run or that could have been used to replace a joker must take the card back plus take a penalty card; on a subsequent turn, the player can add the card to the melded set or run. A player might choose to do this on purpose, as well, as a strategy.

Scoring: Once any player is out of cards for a given hand, the points for the cards still held by other players are totaled.

Points:
Joker = 50 (if jokers have been used)
Ace = 20
9-K = 10
2-8 = 5

Winning: At the end of the game (seven hands), the player with the most points loses.