Panjpar

Overview

Panjpar is a two-player beating game. The name means five cards. One player attacks, the other tries to beat those cards, and the first player to empty their hand wins.

• Players: 2 (you against a bot, or another person online)
• Deck: Standard 52 cards. Ace is high, 2 is low.
• Hand: 5 cards each at the start
• Goal: Play your last card before your opponent does

The Deal

• Each player is dealt 5 cards.
• The next card is the trump card. It stays face down until the colour is called, then turns face up.
• That card stays on the table for the rest of the deal. It is the last card anyone draws.
• The rest of the deck is the stock. Players draw from it after each battle.

Guessing the Trump Colour

Before the first attack, one player is chosen at random to call the colour of the hidden trump card.

• Red is hearts or diamonds. Black is spades or clubs.
• Guess right and you attack first.
• Guess wrong and your opponent attacks first.
• The trump card is then turned face up, so both players know the trump suit.

Attacking

The attacker plays 1, 3, or 5 cards. No other counts are allowed.

• 1 card: any single card.
• 3 cards: a pair, plus one more card. The extra card may match the pair, so three of a kind is legal.
• 5 cards: two pairs, plus one more card. The extra card may match a pair, and both pairs may be the same rank, so four of a kind plus one other card is legal.
• A set with no pair, or with only one pair in five cards, is not an attack.

Beating a Card

Each attack card is beaten on its own. One card from your hand covers one attack card.

• A higher card of the same suit beats it. Ace is highest.
• Any trump beats any card of another suit, even a low trump such as the 2.
• A trump is only beaten by a higher trump.
• A card of a different non-trump suit does not beat it.

Defending

You are never forced to beat a card. Cover what you want, then choose how the battle ends.

• Beat all: if every attack card is covered, those cards leave the game. You attack next.
• Pick up: if anything is left uncovered, the cards you did beat leave the game. The uncovered attack cards join your hand, and the same player attacks again.
• You may pick up even when you could have beaten everything.

Drawing

After each battle, while cards remain to draw, both players refill to 5.

• The attacker draws first, then the defender.
• Face-down stock cards are drawn before the trump card.
• The face-up trump card is the last card drawn. After that, the stock is empty and nobody draws again.

When the Stock Is Empty

Once nothing is left to draw, an attack cannot be larger than the defender can answer.

• If the defender holds 5 or more cards, attacks of 1, 3, or 5 are still allowed.
• If the defender holds 3 or 4 cards, the largest attack is 3.
• If the defender holds 1 or 2 cards, the only attack is a single card.
• You also cannot play more cards than you hold.

Winning

• The first player to run out of cards wins.
• If both players empty their hands on the same battle, the game is a draw.
• Cards that were beaten are out of the game. Cards you pick up stay in your hand and must still be played.

Quick Reference