Rules or Instructions for Phase 10 Card Game
OBJECT: To be the first player to complete
all 10 Phases. In case of a tie, the player with the lowest score is the
winner.
CONTENTS: Reference cards (listing the 10 Phases) and one deck of 108 cards;
24 each of red, blue, yellow, and green cards numbered “1” through “12,”
four blue “Skip” cards, and eight “Wild” cards, two of each color.
BEFORE PLAY: Choose one player to be dealer. The dealer shuffles the deck
and deals 10 cards, face down, one at a time, to each player. Players hold
their 10 cards in hand, so that the other players cannot see them. Place the
remaining deck face down in the center of the play area to become the draw
pile. Turn the top card of the draw pile over and place it next to the draw
pile, to become the
discard pile.
PLAY: The player to the left of the dealer plays first. Play continues in a
clockwise direction. 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. End your turn by discarding any one of your cards onto the top of the
discard pile.
During the play of the first hand, each player tries to complete Phase 1. A
Phase is a combination of cards. Phases are made of sets, runs, cards of all
one color, or a combination of sets and runs. These are the ten Phases:
1. 2 sets of 3
2. 1 set of 3 + 1 run of 4
3. 1 set of 4 + 1 run of 4
4. 1 run of 7
5. 1 run of 8
6. 1 run of 9
7. 2 sets of 4
8. 7 cards of 1 color
9. 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 2
10. 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 3
Each player can make only one Phase during each hand.
DEFINITIONS
SETS: A set is made of two or more cards with the same number. EXAMPLE:
Phase 1 is two sets of three, which could be three “7s” and three “10s.” The
two sets could also be the same number, e.g., three “10s” and three more
“10s.”
The cards may be in any combination of colors.
RUNS: A run is made of four or more cards numbered in order. EXAMPLE: Part
of Phase 2 requires a run of four, which could be “3,” “4,” “5,” “6.” The
cards may be in any combination of colors.
ALL ONE COLOR: The cards are all the same color. EXAMPLE: Phase 8 requires
seven cards of one color, which could be seven red cards or seven green
cards, etc. The cards do not need to be in numerical order.
WILD CARDS: A “Wild” card may be used in place of a number card, or may be
used as any color, in order to complete a Phase. EXAMPLES: A player wants to
make a run of four, but only has cards “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 Phase 8.
•More than one “Wild” card may be used in completing a
Phase. Players can use as many “Wild” cards as they want as long as they use
one (1) natural card.
•Once a “Wild” card has been played in a Phase, it cannot be
replaced by the intended card and used elsewhere, but must remain as that
card until the hand is over.
•If the dealer starts the discard pile with a “Wild” card, the
card may be picked up by the first player.
SKIP CARDS: Skip cards have only one purpose: to cause another player to
lose a turn. To use, simply discard the “Skip” card on your turn, then
choose the player who will lose a turn.
•When you draw a “Skip” card, you may discard it immediately
or save it for a later turn.
•A “Skip” card may never be used in making Phase 8, or any
other Phase.
•A “Skip” card may never be picked up from the discard pile.
•Only one “Skip” card against each player per “round” may
be used.
•When someone is skipped, a “round” is once around the
table.
•If the dealer starts the discard pile with a “Skip” card, the
first player’s first turn is automatically skipped.
MAKING A PHASE: If, during your turn, you are able to make a Phase with the
cards in your hand, lay the Phase down, face-up on the table before
discarding. For example,
you are trying to make Phase 1. You have 3 “5s” and 2 “7s” and you draw
another “7.” You now have 2 sets of 3, and you may lay them down. In the
next hand, you will be working on Phase 2.
•You must have the whole Phase in hand before laying it
down.
•You may lay down more than the minimum requirements
of a Phase, but only if the additional cards can be directly added to the
cards already in the Phase.
EXAMPLES: You lay down 3 “5s” and 3 “7s” to make Phase 1. You have two more
“5s” in hand and can immediately lay them down with the 3 ”5s,” all in the
same turn. Another player making Phase 1 lays down 3 “6s” and 3 “8s.” The
player also has 3 “10s” in hand, but cannot lay them down because Phase 1
requires exactly 2 sets. Thus, the player can only add more “6s” and “8s” to
the Phase made of “6s” and “8s.”
•Only one Phase can be made per hand.
•If you successfully make a Phase, then you try to make the
next Phase in the next hand. If you fail to make a Phase, you must try to
make the same Phase again in the next hand. As a result, players may not all
be working on the same Phase in the same hand.
•Phases must be made IN ORDER, from 1 to 10. For
example, a player trying to make Phase 4 (1 run of 7) lays down a run of 9
cards. This qualifies as 1 run of 7 for Phase 4, but cannot be used as
credit for either Phase 5 (1 run of 8) or Phase 6 (1 run of 9).
•You receive credit for making a Phase as soon as you lay
it down. You do not need to win the hand in order to receive credit for the
Phase. Several players will often complete a
Phase in the same hand.
HITTING: Hitting is the way to get rid of leftover cards after making a
Phase. You make a hit by putting a card directly on a Phase already laid
down. The card must properly fit with the cards already down. EXAMPLES: You
may add one or more “4s” to a player’s existing set of “4s.” You may add a
“2” to a player’s existing run of “3,” “4,” “5,” “6.” You may also add a “7”
and an “8” to this run, if you have them. You may add one or more green
cards to a player’s seven green cards in Phase 8. You may also add a “Wild”
card of any color to any of these card situations. Before you can make a
hit, your own Phase must already be laid down. You may hit only during your
turn. You may hit your own cards, another
player’s cards, or both.
GOING OUT / FINISHING A HAND: After laying down a Phase, players try to “go
out” as soon as possible. To go out, you must get rid of all of your cards,
by discarding or hitting on an existing Phase. The player to go out first
wins the hand. The winner of the hand, and any other players who also
complete their Phase, will advance to the next Phase for the next hand.
Players total the cards left in their hands. (The fewer cards left in your
hand, the better!) All the cards are then shuffled and a new hand begins.
(Remember, if you did not complete the Phase before another player went out,
you must work on the same Phase again in the next hand.)
SCORING: You will need paper and pencil to keep a running total for each
player. The winner of the hand scores zero. All remaining players score
points against them, for cards still in their hands, as follows:
•5 points for each card numbered 1-9
•10 points for each card numbered 10-12
•15 points for each “Skip” card •25 points for each “Wild”
card
Only cards in 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 hand is dealt.
THE WINNER: The first player to complete Phase 10 at the end of a hand is
the winner. If two or more players complete Phase 10 in the same hand, then
the player with the fewest total points is the winner. In the event of a
tie, the players that tied replay Phase number 10. The first one to go out
is the winner.
VARIATIONS
1. The players play 10 hands. All players advance to the next Phase each
time, whether they complete the current Phase or not. Thus, in hand one
players try for Phase 10, then in hand two they all try for Phase 2, etc.
After ten hands, the player with the lowest total score is the winner.
2. Players decide how many Phases must be completed in order to win (e.g., 5
Phases or 7 Phases). The number of Phases to be completed must be decided
before play starts. All other rules remain the same. This variation allows
for a shorter version.
3. Players decide to play only the even Phases (2, 4, 6, 8, 10) instead of
all the Phases.
All other rules remain the same.
