Overview

Crash (a.k.a. 13-card brag) is a simple card game played with a standard 52-card deck. A game is played over a number of rounds, during each of which the players are dealt cards each. These are first divided into four 3-card hands, then hands are compared to determine scoring.

Forming the hands

After everyone is dealt cards, you may be able to exchange your cards for 13 new ones:

~ 2-player games: you can decide whether to keep your cards or replace it with 13 new cards.

~ 3-player game: 13 cards are left after everyone is dealt cards. In turn order, each player is given the option to replace their cards with the 13 undealt cards. If someone does, everyone else must keep the cards they were dealt.

~ 4-player game: everyone keeps the cards they were dealt.

Players then secretly combine their cards to form their four best 3-card hands. Once all players have formed their hands, they are revealed and compared for scoring.

Scoring

~ First, everyone's best hand is compared. Whoever's hand has the highest value gets 1 point.

~ Next, everyone's 2nd best hand is compared. Whoever's has the highest value gets 1 point.

~ Compared 3rd and 4th best hands in the same way.

If you won all 4 hands, score 1 bonus point.

Tied? No one scores a point for the hand.

End of the game

At the end of a round, if one or more players have reached the target score (which is 7, 10 or 15, depending on the table settings), then the player with the highest score wins. Ties are possible.

Ranking of brag hands

The possible brag hands are listed below, from highest to lowest.

• Prial: 3-of-a-kind. 3 is the high card. (3-3-3 beats A-A-A)

• Running flush: A sequence in the same suit. 3 is the high card. (3-2-1 beats A-K-Q). KA2 isn’t a valid sequence.

• Run: A sequence of 3 cards. 3 is the high card. (3-2-1 beats A-K-Q)

• Flush: Any 3 cards in the same suit. 3 is the high card. Flushes are ranked by the rank of their highest card, ties being broken by the rank of their second-highest card, and if that is still a tie, by the rank of their lowest card.

• Pair: 2-of-a-kind plus a tie-breaker card, in case players have the same pair. Aces are high.

• High-card: Any 3 cards. Aces are high.

Options

~ Count high-card hands during scoring.

~ Change the number of cards dealt to each player

~ Change the amount of points needed to win the game.