Mzansi Casino™
Official Rules
The Official Rulebook
The Official Mzansi Casino Rulebook is the complete authority on gameplay. Tournament regulations do not replace or rewrite it.
The rulebook covers game purpose, players, deck and deal, objective and scoring, core definitions, the one-card turn rule, all six turn options, starting a new stake, building, layers and locking, opponent stakes, partner assistance and ownership, Top and ownership transfer, the one-stake limit, rebuilding a partner's lost stake, collected piles, combination sequences, matching cards and last collector, communication and signals, scoring and Inqola, and the automatic Inqola penalties.
Key Principles
One card from hand per turn, always. Every turn uses exactly one card from hand. The turn ends with one fewer card in hand.
One active stake per player. Creating a second active stake while already owning one results in an immediate Inqola against your team.
Eleven points, no draw. There are exactly 11 points available, so a completed game can never end in a draw.
Limited communication. Partners may only use three calls during play: Top, two knocks, and For Partner. Any other communication, signalling or coaching results in an Inqola against the offending team.
Automatic Inqola Penalties
Certain actions cause a team to lose immediately by Inqola (11-0). These include creating a second active stake, searching an opponent's collected pile, revealing cards only for information, placing a combination onto the wrong stake, collecting with the wrong card, illegal communication, and surrendering by placing all remaining cards on the table.
The full list and exact wording is in the Official Rulebook.
Tournament Rules
Tournament structure, registration, player eligibility, rosters, check-in and the late-team rule are separate from gameplay rules.
TO BE CONFIRMED - the detailed tournament operations manual, official and referee structure, and check-in procedure are still being developed.
Download the Rulebook
The Official Mzansi Casino Rulebook is available in two versions. The dark edition matches the tournament brand and is best for reading on screen. The light edition is optimised for printing.