Frustration

If you are anything like us, then whether at home or traveling, card games are the order of the day (or night) for filling in those down times or the cold and wet days when sightseeing just isn’t very enticing.

For a while now, our game of choice has been one called Frustration. I’ve found various sets of rules online, but none that match the rules we were shown and continue to play by.  As such, I’ve decided to describe our rules here.

The Rules

The game is played with 2 full decks, including Jokers (4).  We use a Canasta pack as then most of the cards have the correct points printed on their face.

Jokers and 2s are wild.

Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, each player is dealt 10 cards, one at a time in a clockwise rotation.

The dealer may achieve a bonus score of -100 points by attempting to cut from the top of the deck the exact number of cards required to deal all 10 cards to each player. We also allow this cut to include the turned card from the pile, but this is optional.

The remaining deck is placed in the centre and the top card turned up to commence the discard pile and provide the first player with their choice of cards.

Starting with the player to the dealer’s left, a players turn begins with drawing either the top discard or the top pile card.

The aim of each hand is to meld a set of cards (see below) and then to go out by eliminating any remaining cards from their hand.  Only the set of melds the player is on can be created.  No additional melds are allowed.

Where wildcards are allowed, they may not exceed in number the natural cards of the meld.   This includes the individual components of a meld – so only one wildcard in a pair, 3 of a kind or run of 3; only 2 in a 4 of a kind; etc

Once a player has achieved their melds, they move on to the next one in the list regardless of whether or not they go out.  A player remains on the same meld, hand after hand, until they achieve it.

After melding, including the turn in which the meld is performed, players can, during their turn, discard from their hand onto another player’s melds.  These cards must obey the same rules as apply to the meld they are adding to. For instance, a wildcard may not be added to another player’s meld if that player is not allowed to use wildcards.

If the main pile is exhausted before any player has gone out, the discard pile – excluding the top card – is shuffled and forms the new pile. The previous top card of the discard becomes the start of the new discard pile.

The hand ends when a player goes out.

Points (see below) are awarded to players with cards remaining in their hands when the hand ends.

The game ends with the first player to complete all the melds described below, or when mutually agreed.

The winner of the game is the player with the lowest score at the end of the game, not the player that has completed all melds.

The Melds

1. 3 of a kind and a run of 5
2. 4 of a kind
3. 2 x 3 of a kind
4. 4 of a kind and a run of 3
5. 3 of a kind, 4 of a kind and a run of 3
6. 5 of a kind
7. A pair, a run of 3, 4 of a kind and an Ace
8. A run of 8 (no wilds)
9. 2 x a run of 5 (wilds in 1 run only)
10. A run of 10 (no wilds)
11. 6 Hearts and a pair (no wilds)
12. 2 x 5 of a kind
13. A run of 5 Diamonds and a pair (no wilds)
14. 8 Clubs and 2 Diamonds (no wilds)
15. 3 x 3 of a kind (no wilds)
16. 5 of a kind and 4 of a kind
17. 6 of a kind and a run of 3
18. 7 of a kind and a pair
19. 5 Hearts and 5 Spades (no wilds)
20. 8 of a kind and a pair

The Points

We have played many an enjoyable (and frustrating) evening of this game.  We hope the same is true for you.

Click the button to download your very own Dawdling Doodys game of Frustration!
We use these and have laminated the meld cards so we can use whiteboard markers to track our place in the game.
(playing cards not provided)