Definition
Conquian, also known as “Coon Can”, or the Konkar game, is a rummy-style game originating from Mexico in the 1800s. This game is believed to be the originator of modern rummy, and still sees play today.
How to Play Step-By-Step
Conquian is designed to be a 2-player card game. All you need to play is a deck of cards with the 8, 9, and 10 cards removed, making a deck of 40 cards.
Setting Up
To determine the dealer, each player draws a card from the deck after shuffling, and the player getting the higher card becomes the dealer for the round. The cards are valued with K being the highest, and the Aces being the lowest.
Each player is then dealt 9 cards each, one at a time. The remaining cards are then placed at the center of the board, forming the draw pile. The top card of the draw pile is revealed, forming the discard pile.
Goal
The goal of the game is to form a meld of 10 cards, including the 9 initial cards and the last card drawn. Melds come in two variations, sets and sequences.
Sets consist of cards from the same rank. 6♣ 6♦ 6♠ is a valid set.
Sequences consist of cards in a rank sequence, and are only valid if all cards come from the same suit. 4♣ 5♦ 7♠ is not a valid sequence, whereas 5♦ 6♦ 7♦ is valid.
The minimum number of cards in a meld is 3.
Game-play
The non-dealer goes first. At the start of their turn, a player draws a card from the draw pile or the discard pile. The drawn card can only be kept if it is used in a valid meld. If a player has a valid meld, the player will need to reveal the meld by setting the cards face up on the board. Revealed melds can no longer be discarded.
If a player cannot form melds, the drawn card is discarded. If a player forms a meld with the drawn card, any unmelded cards from their hand can be discarded. A player must end their turn with 9 cards in hand, including the revealed melds.
A player can form multiple melds in one turn, so long as they are valid.
How to Win?
The first player to meld all cards from their hand will be the winner of the round.
Conquian Rules
Multiple rules and certain restrictions exist to promote more strategic play. However, there is one key rule in Coon Can, and that is the idea of forcing melds.
Forcing Melds
With discards and melds being revealed, a player can carefully choose their discards to force a player to meld. This is shown in detail in the Hands section of the guide.
A player cannot refuse a forced meld. However, it should be stated that a discard is to be used in a forced meld.
Summarized Rules
In short, the rules for Conquian are:
- Each player is dealt 9 cards.
- At the start of each turn, a player draws a card from the draw pile or the discard pile.
- If the card can be used in a meld, the meld is revealed. A card from hand is discarded.
- If the card cannot be used in a meld, the card is discarded to the discard pile.
- Melds cannot be discarded.
- If a player forces a meld with a discard, it cannot be refused.
- If all cards are drawn from the draw pile, and no one has completed their melds, the round ends in a draw.
Scoring
Scoring in Conquian is additive across multiple rounds. The points awarded are based on the remaining cards in hand.
Since the winner clears all their cards from hand, their opponent gets 0 points. The card values are added up to determine the points.
Individual card values are as follows:
| Cards | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-7 | Face Value |
| Jacks, Queens, Kings | 10 Points |
| Aces | 15 Points |
An unmelded hand of 6♣ 8♦ would be worth 14 points in total.
Hands Examples
As mentioned before, in English countries the game follows a few rules. A player always begins and ends their turn with 9 cards in hand, including the revealed melds. The main complexity comes from the forcing of melds, so here is a detailed example of meld forcing.
A player has 2 melds and 2 cards remaining.
| Melds | Unmelded Cards |
|---|---|
| 3♣ 3♦ 3♠ 10♦ J♦ Q♦ K♦ | 7♠, 8♠ |
At this stage, the player can win via the drawing of a 6♠ or 9♠. To prevent this, the opposing player discards a 3♥, forcing the player to meld the following:
| Melds | Unmelded Cards |
|---|---|
| 3♣ 3♦ 3♠ 3♥ 10♦ J♦ Q♦ K♦ | 7♠, 8♠ |
Since this exceeds the 9-card limit, the player is forced to discard one of the two unmelded cards, breaking the potential sequence.
Strategy
Strategy in Conquian revolves around knowing what melds are available to you.
- Try to maintain at least 3 unmelded cards, even resorting to not revealing completed melds if possible.
- Prevent forced melds. Forcing melds can lock your opponent out of a win, but the same can happen to you.
- Don’t meld unless you have to. You are only required to reveal a meld if the drawn card is used.
- Meld sequences at the ends. Since wrapping around is not allowed, making sequences at the ends is less vulnerable to forced melds.
- Remember that the 8, 9, and 10 cards are not included. The sequences consider 7 and Jacks to be adjacent cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cards are in Conquian?
There are a total of 40 cards in Conquian, with the 8, 9, and 10 cards removed from the standard 52-card deck.
What happens when all cards from the draw pile are drawn?
If all cards from the draw pile are drawn, the round ends in a loss and both players do not receive points.
Where can I play the game online?
There are multiple browser simulators for the game, however, it is most commonly enjoyed as an application.
There are multiple Conquian apps on Google Play and iOS for interested players, and browsing through the respective app stores is the best way to find them.
Are there any variations on Conquian?
Some versions remove the Kings, Queens, and Jacks instead of the 8s, 9s, and 10s. This alters the card ranking used in the game.
Players can also play with no cards removed at all. This uses the full deck with a different card ranking to accommodate the extra cards.
There is a “Card Trade” variant where players swap one card with their opponent before the first turn. This allows each player to potentially improve their starting hand.
