The Official Deck Dash Rules

Deck Dash is played in a series of rounds in which players attempt to build combinations of cards known as “Dashes.” When someone “finishes” by both playing a completed Dash and getting rid of their remaining cards, the round ends. On your marks …. get set …. go!

OBJECT

Have Fun! Be the player that wins the most Dashes and has the least total points in the end. In case of a tie (Winning the same amount of Dashes), the player with the lowest score is the winner.

CONTENTS

133 cards as follows:

• 96 numbered cards – 2 sets of 1-12 in red, yellow, green and blue

      Special Cards:

• 8 Wild Cards
• 6 Reverse Cards
• 4 Deck Steal Cards
• 4 Keep 2 Cards
• 2 Draw 2 Discard 1 Cards
• 2 Draw 4 Discard 3 Cards
• 2 Block You Cards
• 2 Skip You Cards
• 2 Skip 2 Players Cards
• 2 Easy Dash Reference Cards
• 2 Advanced Dash Reference Cards
• 1 Website/Instruction Card

SETUP

1. Choose one player to be the first dealer. The dealer hands the Dash Reference Cards (which lists all 12 Dashes) around the table. Make sure that you give out the same reference cards because there are both easy and advanced cards.
2. The dealer then shuffles the deck and deals 12 cards, facedown, to each player. Players can look at their cards but should hold them so other players can’t see them.
3. Place the remaining deck facedown in the center of the play area to form a draw pile.
4. Turn the top card of the draw pile over and place it beside the draw pile to start a discard pile.
5. The player to the left of the dealer goes first. Play proceeds/starts in a clockwise direction.

LET’S PLAY!

Each player’s turn follows these four steps:

1. Draw a card.
2. Lay down a Dash (if possible).
3. Hand off cards on completed Dashes (if possible).
4. End your turn by discarding one card.

We will look at each step in detail below.

STEP 1: DRAW A CARD

On your turn, draw one card, either the top card from the draw pile or the top card from the discard pile, and add it to your hand. Do not draw discarded special cards from the discard pile (See Special Cards below), you must draw from the draw pile.

STEP 2: LAY DOWN A DASH

If you are able to make a Dash with the cards in your hand, lay the Dash down, faceup on the table during your turn. Each player can only make one Dash per round. During the first round, all players try to complete the first Dash.

What Is a Dash?

A Dash is a combination of cards made up of runs, sets, pairs, cards of the same color, or a combination of runs and sets.

DEFINITIONS

• PAIRS: A pair is made of two cards of the same number, in any combination of colors.
  EXAMPLE: The Dash requires “3 pairs”., which could be 3, 3 + 7, 7 + 12, 12.
• SETS: A set is made of two or more cards with the same number, in any combination of colors.
  EXAMPLE: A Dash set “1 set of 5 + 1 set of 3”, which could be five 7s (7,7,7,7,7) and three 10s (10,10,10). If a Dash has more than one set, the sets could be the same number, e.g., three 10s and three more 10s.
• RUNS: A run is made of three or more cards numbered in consecutive order, in any combination of colors.
  EXAMPLE: The Dash requires “1 run of 7,” which could be 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
• SAME COLOR: The cards are all the same color, but they do not need to be in numerical order.
  EXAMPLE: The Dash requires “7 cards of the same color,” which could be seven red cards or seven green cards, etc.
• RUN WITH SAME COLOR: The cards need to be in numerical order and the same color.

EXAMPLE: The Dash requires “Run of 5 same color”, which could be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 – all yellow cards.

Explaining other Dashes:

• First to 3 sets of 3 same number: The first person that makes three sets of 3 of the same number wins and the Dash ends. This could be 4, 4, 4 + 11, 11, 11 + 8, 8, 8. The point system works the same way for this Dash with the winner acquiring 3 points and the others 12 points.

These are the 12 Easy Dashes in order:

Easy Dash:

1. 3 pairs 
2. 2 sets of 4 same number
3. 1 run of 7 
4. 7 cards of the same color
5. 3 sets of 3 same number
6. 1 run of 3 + one set of 3
7. 4 pairs
8. 1 run of 8
9. 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 3 
10. 8 cards of the same color
11. 1 run of 9
12. 4 sets of 3 same number

These are the 12 Advanced Dashes in order:

Advanced Dash:

1. 5 pairs
2. Run of 5 same color
3. Run of 10
4. 8 cards of the same color
5. Run of 6 same color
6. 2 runs of 5
7. First to 4 sets of 3 same color 
8. Run of 11
9. 4 pairs of same color
10. 1 run of 5 + 5 cards of the same color
11. 9 cards of the same color
12. First to 3 sets of 3 same number

Making A Dash – Playing the Dashes

• Dashes should be played in order form 1 – 12. (see variations)
• You can only make one Dash per round.
• You must have the entire Dash in your hand before laying it down.

EXAMPLE: You are making the second Dash, “2 sets of 4 same number”. You have four 3s and three 8s, and you draw another 8. You now have “2 sets of 4 same number,” and you may lay them down. From this point, you will begin working on handing off the rest of your hand to get rid of your cards. (see Handoff below).

Special Cards

• Wild – A Wild card may be used in place of a number card or may be used as any color to complete a Dash.
  EXAMPLE: A player wants to make a run of 5, but only has cards 2, 3, 4, and 6. The player uses a Wild card as a 5 to complete the run. Or, a player has 6 green cards and uses a Wild card as a green card to complete the Dash.
  • Players can use as many Wild cards as they want when completing a Dash, as long as they use at least one numbered card.
  • Once a Wild card has been played in a Dash, it cannot be removed from that Dash for the rest of the round.
  • If the dealer starts the discard pile with a Wild card, the card may be picked up by the first player.

• Reverse – If going clockwise, switch to counterclockwise or vice versa. It can only be played on your turn. If turned up at the beginning of play, the dealer goes first, and the player to the dealer’s right is next (normally it would be the player to the dealer’s left).
  • Playing a Reverse card counts as a discard and ends your turn.
  • A Reverse card may never be picked up from the discard pile.
  • A Reverse card may never be used in making a Dash.

• Deck Steal – Deck Steal cards may be used at any time to steal a card from the discard pile, even if it is not your turn.
  EXAMPLE: A player sees a card on the top of the discard pile that they want. They will steal that card from the pile and discard the Deck Steal card in its place.  
  • Playing the Deck steal card does not require a discard. In a sense you are swapping one card for another.
  • A Deck Steal card may never be picked up from the discard pile.
  • A Deck Steal card may never be used in making a Dash.
  • A Deck Steal card may never be used as a replacement for a missing number card.
  • If the dealer starts the discard pile with a Deck Steal card, the card may be picked up by the first player.

• Keep Two – When a person uses this card, the player will draw two cards from either the draw or discard piles. The player will then discard the used Keep Two card.
  EXAMPLE: A player has 12 cards in their hand before using the Keep two card. After playing the card, they will now have 14 cards in their hand. Ultimately, they will be left with 2 extra cards in their hand.
  • Playing the Keep Two card counts as your discard and ends your turn.
  • A Keep 2 card may never be picked up from the discard pile.
  • A Keep 2 card may never be used in making a Dash.
  • If the dealer starts the discard pile with a Keep 2 card, the first player may pick up that card.

• Draw 2 Discard 1 – When a person uses the Draw 2 Discard 1 card, the player will draw two cards from either the draw or discard piles. The player will discard the used Draw 2 Discard 1 card and another card of their choice from their hand to complete the card play.

• • Playing a Draw 2 Discard 1 card does not count as a discard. You must still discard to end your turn.
  • A Draw 2 Discard 1 card may never be picked up from the discard pile.
  • A Draw 2 Discard 1 card may never be used in making a Dash.
  • A Draw 2 Discard 1 card may never be used as a replacement for a missing number card.
  • If the dealer starts the discard pile with a Draw 2 Discard 1 card, the first player may pick up that card.

• Draw 4 Discard 3 –   When a person uses the Draw 4 Discard 3 card, the player will draw four cards from either the draw or discard piles. The player will discard the used Draw 4 Discard 3 card and another three cards of their choice from their hand to complete the card play.

• • Playing a Draw 4 Discard 3 card does not count as a discard. You must still discard to end your turn.
  • A Draw 4 Discard 3 card may never be picked up from the discard pile.
  • A Draw 4 Discard 3 card may never be used in making a Dash.
  • A Draw 4 Discard 3 card may never be used as a replacement for a missing number card.
  • If the dealer starts the discard pile with a Draw 4 Discard 3 card, the first player may pick up that card.

• Block You – Block You cards have only one purpose, to cause another player to lose a turn.
  To use, simply place the Block You card on your turn by placing it in front of the player you’ve chosen to block instead of placing it on the discard pile. That player will be skipped on their next turn. When it is the skipped player’s turn, that player’s only action is to take the Block You card and place it on the discard pile. It is then the next player’s turn.
  • Playing a Block You card counts as a discard and ends your turn.
  • A Block You card may never be picked up from the discard pile.
  • A Block You card may never be used in making a Dash.
  • A Block You card may never be used as a replacement for a missing number card.
  • If the dealer starts the discard pile with a Block You card, the first player’s first turn is automatically skipped.

• Skip You – The purpose of the Skip You card is to cause another player to lose a turn. To use, simply discard the Skip You card on your turn by placing it on the discard pile. That player will be skipped on their next turn and it will be the next player’s turn.
  • A Skip You card may not be played against a player with a Block You card in front of them.
  • Playing a Skip You card counts as a discard and ends your turn.
  • A Skip You card may never be picked up from the discard pile.
  • A Skip You card may never be used in making a Dash.
  • A Skip You card may never be used as a replacement for a missing number card.
  • If the dealer starts the discard pile with a Skip You card, the first player’s first turn is automatically skipped.

• Skip 2 Players – When a player discards the Skip 2 Players card, the next two players lose their turn. To use, discard the Skip 2 Players card on your turn by placing it on the discard pile.
  • Playing a Skip 2 Players card counts as a discard and ends your turn.
  • A Skip 2 Players card may never be picked up from the discard pile.
  • A Skip 2 Players card may never be used in making a Dash.
  • A Skip 2 Players card may never be used as a replacement for a missing number card.
  • If the dealer starts the discard pile with a Skip 2 Players card, the first and second player’s first turn is automatically skipped. The third player starts the game instead.

STEP 3: HANDOFF

After making a Dash, you must try to get rid of any cards that remain in your hand so you can finish and win the Dash, which ends the Dash for everyone (see FINISHING below). Handoff is how you do this. As soon as you have made your Dash and lay it down, you may hand off your card/cards from your hand directly on any matching Dash that has been laid down.

• Before you can make a handoff, your own Dash must already be laid down.
• You may “Handoff” only during your turn.
• You may make as many handoffs as possible, playing multiple cards from your hand on multiple Dashes during one turn. You may handoff on your own cards, another player’s cards, or both, as long as the cards you play properly fit with the cards already laid down.

EXAMPLE: You may add one or more 4s to any player’s existing set of 4s. You may add a 2 to any player’s existing run of 3, 4, 5, 6. You may also add a 7 and an 8 to this run. You may add one or more green cards to a player’s set of seven green cards. You may also add a Wild card to any of these card situations.

NOTE: If you run out of cards in the draw pile, reshuffle the discard pile and continue the Dash.

STEP 4: DISCARD ONE CARD TO END YOUR TURN

End your turn by discarding one of your cards faceup onto the top of the discard pile.

FINISHING (ENDING THE DASH / ROUND)

After laying down a dash, players try to “finish” as soon as possible. Finishing ends the round for everyone. To finish, you must get rid of all your remaining cards by “handing off” on existing Dashes, discarding your last card onto the discard pile, or a combination of both. The player who finishes first wins the Dash / round. Players then total the cards left in their hands (the fewer cards left in your hand, the better!).

Remember, everyone moves on to the next Dash when a player finishes. If you did not complete your Dash before another player finished, you still move on to the next Dash.

SCORING

You will need paper and pencil to keep a running total for each player. The finisher/winner of the round scores zero (players want to get the lowest score). All remaining players score points against them for any cards still in their hands, as follows:

• 1 point for every card in your hand
• If you have no cards, you do not get points

Only the cards in a player’s hand are scored, not cards already laid down. After the scores are recorded, the player to the left of the dealer becomes the new dealer. All cards are gathered and shuffled, and a new round begins.

WINNING THE GAME

The first player to finish a Dash is the finisher/winner of that round. At the end of the entire game of 12 Dashes, the player with the fewest total points is the winner. In the event of a tie, those players replay the last Dash. The first one to finish is the winner of the game.

VARIATIONS

1. Players decide how many Dashes they are going to play (e.g. four Dashes or six Dashes). You may choose to stop at any time, from there you may total up your finishes and cards. All other rules remain the same. This variation allows for a shorter version.
2. Players decide whether to play with or without points. In the event that players choose to play without points, the winner is simply the player who finished/won the most Dashes. If playing single Dashes, the winner is the finisher of that Dash.
3. Players decide to play specific Dashes. Players may choose their favorite Dashes to play in whatever order they would like.
4. When the draw pile runs out, the round ends. This can be especially helpful when everyone has already laid down their Dash and are having a hard time handing off their cards.

Visit our website and scan the QR code for instructions, how to play, different versions, more ways to play and more! :

www.DeckDash.net