How to Play Rack-O Rules for those who hate rulebooks
Easy to read and refer to Rack-O Rules. I hate reading rulebooks. This rules guide was written to help you understand Rack-O rules fast to get your game started quick..
Players: 2 to 4 | Game duration from: 45 mins | Game Complexity: EASY
If you are looking for the official Rack-O rules pdf / rulebook, click here
What is the goal of Rack-O?
First player to reach 500 points wins. RACK-O is about replacing your cards on your rack so that the numbers follow a numerical progression from LOW to HIGH.
Game setup
A Rack-O card has a number from 1 to 60. The number of cards used depends on number of players..
For 4-players, use all 60 cards. 3-players, use cards 1 to 50. 2-players, use cards 1 to 40
- Card trays are placed in the center. Place the Draw Pile on one side of the tray and the Discard Pile on the other.
- Each player takes one card rack where they will put their cards.
- Each player draws a card from the deck and lowest card player is the dealer who also plays the game. Return all drawn cards to the deck.
- The dealer shuffles the cards and deals them out FACEDOWN one at a time, until each player has ten cards.
- A player immediately places their card in the corresponding rack slot.
- Slot #50 on a player’s rack is assigned to their first card, slot #45 to the second, slot #40 to the third, and so on. See image below
- Undealt cards are placed on the left side of the card tray FACEDOWN (number-side up). This becomes the draw pile. The top card of the Draw Pile is turned face up (number side up) and placed in the other section of the tray to initiate the Discard Pile.
How to Play Rack-O Rules in Simple Steps
Each Round consists of players trying to go RACK-O by arranging cards from LOW to HIGH in any numerical progression in their racks.
Rack-O Game Round
First to the left of the dealer goes first.
ON A PLAYER’S TURN,
- Pick the top card from either the Discard Pile or Draw Pile, and try to place it in your rack.
- A card taken from the Discard Pile must be exchanged for one in your rack. Place the old one FACEUP on the Discard Pile.
- A card taken from the Draw Pile may be exchanged for one in your rack, or placed FACEUP in the Discard Pile.
- Your turn ends.
As each player takes a turn, the Round continues until one player goes RACK-O.
NOTE: When the Draw Pile is exhausted before any player goes RACK-O, the Discard Pile is turned over and used as the new Draw Pile. Start a new Discard Pile by flipping over the top card.
Ending of round
When one player goes RACK-O, the Round ends. In order to go RACK-O, all ten cards in your rack must read from a LOW card in the #5 slot to a HIGH card in the #50 slot, in any increasing order. Everyone must score points when a Round ends.
Once the round is scored, the player to the Dealer’s left is the new Dealer. Cards are shuffled and a new round begins.
Scoring the round
The player who achieves RACK-O scores 75 points:
5 for each of the ten cards in his or her rack, and
25 points for going RACK-O.
The other players:
Score 5 points for each card arranged from LOW to HIGH in their rack, starting with the #5 card, and ending where the succession of higher cards has first been broken.
How to win?
Rounds continue until a player scores 500 points. The first player to score 500 points wins the game.
NOTE: When two or more players score more than 500 points, the highest total wins.
Rack-O Game Variants
2 player game
Player may not go Rack-O unless he/she has at least 3 cards in consecutive order on their track.
Team-based
If you have 4 players, play 2 against 2 and the scores of partners are added together for the round. Team that scores 500 points first wins.
Bonus Rack-O
Score bonus points by including a sequence of runs of 3 to 6 cards in your rack before going Rack-O. Bonus Rack-oO involves more strategy as players must opt to go Rack-O or wait and improve their scores with bonus points. Bonuses are only scored by the player who goes Rack-O.
