Hand and Foot (2 player card game)

Objective: The objective of Hand and Foot is to create melds of cards and ultimately play all the cards in your hand and foot, which are separate piles of cards.

Adaptation for 2 Players: Hand and Foot is traditionally played with 4 or more players, but it can be adapted for 2 players by modifying the number of decks used and the hand and foot sizes. In the 2 player version, each player manages their own hand and foot, just as in the original game.

Setup:

1. Use 4 standard 52-card decks (including jokers) for 2 players. Remove the jokers if desired.
2. Shuffle the decks thoroughly and deal 11 cards to each player. These 11 cards form the players’ starting hands. Place the remaining cards face down in the center of the table to form the draw pile.

Scoring:

• The scoring in Hand and Foot is based on the value of the cards in the melds created by the players. Each card has a specific point value:
  • Aces to nines are worth 5 points each.
  • Tens to kings are worth 10 points each.
  • Jokers are worth 50 points each.
• The objective is to score as many points as possible by creating melds and playing all the cards in your hand and foot piles.

Gameplay:

1. Turns:
   • Player 1 begins the game.
   • On a player’s turn, they start by drawing 2 cards from the draw pile or the discard pile. If they draw from the discard pile, they must also pick up the entire discard pile.
   • After drawing, the player may lay down melds if they meet the required minimum point value for the initial meld (usually 50 or 90 points, depending on house rules).
   • After laying down melds, the player ends their turn by discarding one card onto the discard pile.
2. Melds:
   • Melds consist of sets of at least 3 cards of the same rank (e.g., three 8s) or runs of at least 4 cards in consecutive rank and the same suit (e.g., 4, 5, 6 of hearts).
   • Each player must lay down a minimum of two melds during their turn.
3. Wild Cards:
   • Jokers and twos are wild cards and can be used to substitute any card in a meld.
4. Pick Up Pile:
   • Players may only pick up the discard pile if they are able to immediately lay down a natural meld containing the top card of the pile.
5. Ending the Round:
   • The round ends when one player has played all the cards from both their hand and foot piles. At this point, the round is scored, and a new round begins.
6. Scoring:
   • Players score points based on the value of the cards left in their hand and foot piles at the end of each round. The points are tallied, and the game continues until a predetermined target score is reached.

Differentiating Turns:

• Player 1’s Turn: Player 1 begins the game and takes the first turn to draw cards, lay down melds, and discard.
• Player 2’s Turn: After Player 1’s turn ends, it becomes Player 2’s turn to draw cards, lay down melds, and discard.

Summary: Hand and Foot is an enjoyable 2 player card game where players aim to create melds of cards and eventually play all the cards in their hand and foot piles. With adaptations for 2 players, each player manages their own hand and foot piles, drawing cards, laying down melds, and discarding strategically to score points and ultimately win the game.