Grebber - Kruth Game

[DustMight]

The third of four games I'm redoing.

Card Points
----------------
Kings:   5
Fate:    4
Life:     3
Truth:  2
Deceit: 1
Death:  0

Grebber
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Background:
Grebber is another Kruth game played throughout the known world.  The gambling
version can often accumulate quite rapidly and is a favorite with the type that enjoys
risking coin.

Objective:
To be the first player to empty his hand of cards and have the highest point
total on the table.

Play:
Each player is dealt six cards.  The deck is then placed on the table.  Starting
to the left of the dealer, players lay down runs or triplets of cards.

A run is a set of sequential cards of one suit, for example: the King, Fate and
Life card of Wind or Death, Deceit and Truth of stone.  A triplet, is of course,
three truths, or three kings and so on. 

Cards laid down are the only ones that count toward the point total for that
player.

As the player lays down his initial cards, those received on the deal, he draws
as many cards as needed to bring his total in hand back to six.  Thus if a
player laid down four cards after the deal, he would draw four more before the
next player lays down any cards.

Once everyone has played their initial hand, each player, in turn, will attempt
to make runs or triplets from the remaining cards in his hand.  He does this
by requesting a particular card from another player.  Traditionally, Player A
would ask Player B for a Wind card or a King card, never both suit and rank.
If Player B has the card, they must give it up.  Player B would not draw a new
card to replenish the loss.  If Player B doesn't have the card, they would
replay "Greb" at which point Player A would continue to draw cards from the
deck until he can lay down one set or another and must lay down cards as soon
as possible, regardless if it was the original set they were trying to make.

Play continues around the table in this manner until one player has no cards
in hand.  All other players then reveal the cards remaining in their hands and
subtract the value of the cards in hand from their points on the table.  The
player with the highest point total wins the hand.

Deal then shifts to the left and a new hand is played.

Notes:
Players may choose to keep runs and triplets in their hand, revealing them at
just the right time, the exception being when told to "Greb."  If a player has
a set and is told to "Greb" he must draw one card and then lay down a run or
a triplet.  Holding runs and triplets in hand and not on the table is often
used to try and snatch the game from the other, unsuspecting players.

Players can not lie - if they have a requested card, they must give it up.

Gambling:
A version of this game which includes gambling requires an ante and a re-ante
every time one is told to "Greb."  A player may also pay a price, typically
twice the ante, to draw a card, reveal it and call it "wild" for either suit or
rank.  For example, paying twice ante to the pot, a player draws a Wind of
Life card and calls it wild for either Wind or Life.  If Wind, it can be played
by that player as any Wind card and for Life can be played as any of the Life
cards.  This wild card remains on the table, other players may pay ante to
use the wild card themselves, also, or may pay twice ante to draw a new wild
card, which invalidates the old.

Typically this game is played for set number of points, often 100 though in
very serious games, scores of 500 or 1,000 are not uncommon, the pot growing
in accordance.