Odd yet Fun Card Games: Chairman Mao

When I was a teenager I went to a party. I was a pretty dorky kid so most of the parties I went to in High School involved card games, and lots of sugar. On that night one of my good friends had a new game to play and I should have known it was trouble by the devious smile that played on her lips. She said the game was Chairman Mao. We all asked what the rules were and she continued to smile. She said we would learn as the game went on. She then dealt the cards out and said, "This is Chairman Mao, and I am the Chairman. The game is kind of like Crazy 8's but different, play precedes to the left."

Someone made the mistake of asking what she was talking about. She game them a card as a penalty for speaking. When someone asked if that meant that they couldn't talk she gave them a card as well. Thus was my introduction to the frustrating, maddening and addictive game of Chairman Mao. It became a staple of my high school years.

As it ends up Chairman Mao was not a devious plot from my close friend but a game that has been around for ages. It has taken on many forms over the years based on where it is played and every time you play it, it is a little different. This is a guide on how to play this very unique card game so that you too can frustrate and entertain your friends.

What you need

• A deck of playing cards, maybe two if you have more than five people playing.
• A notebook and a pen.

The Basics

Chairman Mao might seem very confusing when you first play but that is the point. The game has a basic set of rules that is then expanded on by the person running the game who is known as the Chairman. This means that each game of Chairman Mao has rules in it that were created that night by the person who started up the game and that person is the only one who knows the rules. If you break a rule you take a card as a penalty.

The main objective of Mao is that of other shedding type card games. You are dealt a certain amount of cards and you want to get rid of all your cards. The player that starts lays a card down from their hand, the next player in the order can play a card that matches the suit or value of the card on top. If they don't have a card to play they must take a card from the pile in the center. The player who gets rid of all their cards first wins.

But there is a twist. The Chairman has created a list of rules that change the nature of the game. The rules might now allow talking or they might make a certain card skip the next player. Before the game starts the Chairman writes down the rules and who ever wins the first game becomes the Chairman. They get to look at the rules. Then they get to add a rule, take away a rule and change a rule. Then the fun starts up again.

Other players can try to call each other out for breaking the rules if they think they have them figured out but if they are wrong they will take a card for being clueless. In the same regard players can call the current Chairman out for forgetting about a rule.

If at any time there is a question about the rules or something that needs to be said regardless of the rules of the game one of the players can say "point of order". Every player than sets down their cards and the game is paused. Play does not resume until the player that called the point of order says "end point of order." (Of course the Chairman can change the way that point of orders are handled so be careful.)

The Chairman's Rules

Now of course every Chairman has its own rules but some rules are fairly common to most games I played. These rules will be a good starting off point for anyone who wants to start a game off in an area where they are not aware of the chaotic bliss of this game. Here are some common rules...
• No Talking or No Asking Questions: Most games I have played have had one of these two rules as a standard.
• When you have one card left you have to say Mao.
• A certain number or suit causes the order of play to reverse.
• A certain number or suit cause the next player to be skipped.
• A certain number or suit requires a player to give one of their cards to another player. Most often the player that receives the card must say "thank you" and the giver must say "your welcome."
• Playing a card upon a card of the same value requires the player to knock on the table. If the next player plays the same value on top they must knock twice ect.
• When a certain card is played a response must be given. Common versions of this rule require players to say "All Hail the Chairman" when a king is played, or calling out "baseball" when a two is played.
• Special cards like "one eyed jacks" or just the 9 of hearts my have secret names that must be called out when played.
• Some games I have played have a no swearing rule.
• Other games have cards that when played causes a certain effect on the game that only goes away once that same card is played. An example of this would be the famous "Queen's Vow of Silence" that would require players to not talk once a queen was played until another queen was played.

That is only the beginning. Make sure to make the game your own, add your own crazy rules. Just make sure they are written down and for historical purposes its always fun to use the same notebook when the game is played. Get crazy, confuse your friends and most of all have fun.