Rummy 5000: How to Play

I've focused on video games lately. So, as some commenters' requested, here is some tabletop fun. How to play my favorite card game: Rummy 5000. The next post will explain Rummies, some special situations, and my "house rules" to handle them.

You Need

• Basic 52 card deck
• 2 or more people
• pen and paper for scoring
  

Main Objective

Reach 5000 points

Before Playing

Cut the cards to see who deals first. Aces are high.

Dealing

The dealer, wild card, and amount of cards dealt changes each hand.

• Deal the first person to the left one card face up.
  
• Deal the amount of cards (face down) shown on the face up card. For cards 2-10 deal the number on the card. Deal 10 for face cards; 15 for Aces.
  
• Repeat for each person.
• After the dealer has his cards, the dealer gives himself one more card, face up.
• This face up card determines the wild card for this round.
• Set the remaining cards in a face down stack.
  
• Flip over the top card (face up) beside the stack. This begins the discard pile.
  

Each Turn

• The first person to dealer's left goes first.
• Each turn, you may either draw a card from the stack or pick up a card (or cards) from the discard pile. *You may pick up the top card from the discard pile and add it to your hand. If you pick up cards farther down the pile, you must play the first card you pick up immediately.
• Lay down your runs or sets. Runs have 3 or more cards of the same suit in consecutive order. Sets are 3 or more cards of the same number (or rank)
  
• Play on other player's runs or sets. *You play these in your area, and count them as your points.
• Discard one card to the discard pile.
  

Ending the Hand

• Play until a person is out of cards at the end of their turn. *This includes the discard phase. If a person runs out of cards, but has not discarded, the hand continues. This person is now floating.
• The first person to go out gets all the cards left in the other players' hands.
  

Scoring

Count all the cards you played during the hand. If you "went out," also count the cards given to you by other players.

• Wild card = 200pts
• Ace = 100pts
• 2-7 = 5pts
• 8-K = 10pts
  

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Printer Jam Animation

I came across this awesome video on Geeks Are Sexy. Tinspider Studio uses the music from Mistabishi to create a fabulously interesting, and entertaining animation.

The song Printer Jam explores the "noise" Sam has been exploring on his Inconsistent Beauty blog. Am I right on this Sam? Listen to the various printer sounds. They become the music. Have you heard similar music to this before? I think it's wonderfully geeky :)

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Offline Co-op not Left 4 Dead

The game Left 4 Dead is available on Xbox 360 and the PC. This game features 4 characters that shoot their way free through the "infected" zombies.

Offline Co-op
The offline co-op (or cooperative play) in this game makes it ideal for the thirtysomething gamer. Through a split-screen, you can shoot zombies with your husband, sister, or friends. Hell, it has friendly fire (you can shoot your teammates).

Although you need their help, shooting your husband by "accident" yields some sick giggles. The ultimate passive-aggressive fun. Read this Left 4 Dead co-op review for more game specifics.

The real enjoyment with offline co-op is you don't ignore the people around you. You both fight through the zombie hordes. You can set on the couch, munch, pause when you need to. And of course, the cries we all make when under attack. "Hunter has me! Help, help!" and "Sorry, that was me." This often follows your hubby shooting you in the head. *accident?*

You challenge each other. Can you get more headshots? *Yes, the heads explode. Zombie blood apparently has part napalm* Who does more damage? Who takes more damage?

Scary
And oh yes, Left 4 Dead is scary. The intro movie drops you into the horror immediately. Old Bill grumbles the great line, "Son, we just crossed the street." You're introduced to the pathetic crying of the witch, and what happens when you startle her. What does happen? Watch it below.

Left 4 Dead Intro

The whole game has the creepy feeling of a horror movie. The dark and seedy graphics transport you to an inflected world. You creep around in darkness, with only your flashlight to guide you.

Of course, more things scare. When many, many, MANY infected come running at you - adrenaline rushes through your body. If a boomer vomits on you, you shoot through the thick, putrid fog. You wildly shoot everything that moves. *sometimes this includes your teammates, as mentioned before.*

And the sound... The witch may cry, but the infected scream. The background noises feel like a haunted house. You hear the hunter, before he strangles anyone. You frantically search around for him. And the witches cries force you to turn off your flashlight and search through the dark.

Oh, the sound. It makes you want to turn off the lights.
You should.
I hear the witch's cries.

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