“Loaders” (or “Whoever Gains, Loses”)
	Updated: 01 Jan 2011

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Based on the reconstruction of Losing Loadum by Michel Wolffauer (mka: Mike Knauer).

This is a evasion-type trick-taking card game dating back to the 16th century where the goal is to avoid taking certain cards called "loaders". The loaders and their point values are:

Ace: 11, Ten: 10, King: 3, Queen: 2, Jack: 1.

Card ranking

The card values rank from Ace (highest) to Two (lowest).

Number of Starting Players

A realistic limit might be 10 players.

Tokens

Each player gets three tokens to begin. When a player loses a round, they lose one of their tokens.

Shuffle and deal

Choose one person as the dealer. That person deals an equal number of cards to each active player clockwise, but does not deal all of the cards. Stack the leftover cards face down in the center.

3 players	4 players	5 players	6 players	7 players	8 players	9-10 players
17 cards	12 cards	10 cards	8 cards	7 cards	6 cards	5 cards

 

Play

The player to the dealer's left begins the first trick with any card in their hand. They lay the card face up in the center. Play proceeds clockwise. Each player in turn must follow with a card of the same suit if they can.

Taking tricks, Trump suit

The person who played the highest card in the lead suit (that is, the suit of the card that was played to start the current trick) takes the trick. When someone has no cards of the lead suit in their hand, they have to play a card of another suit. The first time that happens in the round, play through the current trick. Once everyone has played their card, someone turns over the top card on the leftover stack. The suit of that card suit is TRUMP for this round starting with the CURRENT trick. For beginning players or a casual game, you could leave the card face up on the stack.

With the trump suit revealed, the person who played the highest card in the trump suit takes the trick. If none of the cards are in the trump suit, the person who played the highest card in the lead suit takes the trick.

The person who takes the trick collects the cards from the center. For beginning players or a casual game, leave the loader cards that you take face up in front of you for easy counting.

The person who takes the current trick starts the next trick, if any.

End of round

When a player has at least 31 points in loaders from the tricks they have taken, the round ends and that player loses a token.

If all of the tricks have been played, and no one has taken 31 points in loaders, then the person who took the most loader cards loses a token.

If a player loses all of their tokens, they are out of the game.

The next remaining player to the left of the previous dealer becomes the new dealer.

End of game

The last person with tokens left wins the game.

OPTION: Alternate to using tokens

Instead of eliminating players, you could just keep track of losses. The person with the fewest number of losses when it's time to stop wins the game. If there's a tie, yay, more winners!

OPTION: Smaller decks for smaller groups

For three players, remove the 2's, 3's, and 4's. Each player starts with 13 cards.

If you're playing elimination and you're down to the final two, each player would normally receive 25 cards if you play with a full deck. However, if you were to remove the 2's through 6's, then each player would receive only 15 cards.

 

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Original page posted: January 1, 2011 • Links tested: January 1, 2011 • Last tweaked: January 2, 2011
 
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