Free game published in the June 2018 (GTM #220) issue of Game Trade Magazine.

The game utilizes the Pairs game system and is designed with the Commonwealth Deck, though it can be played with any Pairs deck.

Background: Market Day is a game about bringing your goods to market! Each hand a is series of rounds in which some merchants will prosper, and some will struggle.

Equipment: A Pairs deck and a way to keep score.

Setup: To start the hand, shuffle the deck and deal six cards to each player. Note the alternate rules for 2-3 players, below.

Sequence of Play: On each round, every player will play one card face up, going in turn to the left. On the first round, play begins on the dealer’s left. On later rounds, play begins with the player who took the most points on the previous round. If this is tied, which is rare, then the same person leads the next round.

Generally, each card played in the round is worth its face value in points. However, if more than one card of the same rank are played, then the earlier ones are “spoiled” and only the last one scores. For example, if three 8’s are played, only the last 8 can score.

There are also five special cards, described below, which do not behave by these basic rules.

Rules for 2-3 Players:
Players start with ten cards. Each player will play two cards on each round, so play proceeds twice around the table. Be sure to remember which cards were played in what order.

Special Cards:

Each of the following cards breaks the basic rules in its own way.

1: Tinker. At the end of the round, this card may trade places with any other card.

2: Knight. Before scoring, this card kills (discards) the highest scoring card. Knights cannot kill cards of rank 3 and lower. Playing a second Knight does not spoil the first, and they can each kill a card.

3: Royal. This card cannot be traded, killed, or spoiled. When you play a 3, you will always score it.

7: Rain. If only one Rain card is played, it spoils everything except Royals, including 1’s and 2’s. (The player who played the Rain does score the Rain card.) However, if more than one Rain card are played, treat them as ordinary 7’s.

9: Bandit. The first bandit, not the last, is the card that scores. Bandits played after the first one are spoiled.

The round ends after all players have played one card.
Before scoring, first remove any cards that are spoiled, and then check the other cards in the following order:
Royals, then Rain, Knights, and Tinker.

The hand is over when all cards have been played. A full game is six hands, or one hand for each player, whichever is greater.

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