Official Lopti card game rules
- 2–5 players
- 52 cards
- No Jokers
How to play Lopti
- 1
Set up 3–3–3
Deal each player 3 face-down, 3 face-up on them, and 3 in hand. Each may swap 1 hand card with 1 face-up card.
- 2
Play higher—or more of the same
Play one or more cards of one rank. Go higher, or match the top rank with more cards than the previous play. Specials override; completing all four is allowed if legal.
- 3
Draw once
After your first legal play, draw 1 if the draw pile remains and your hand is below 3. Bonus plays never draw.
- 4
Take the play pile
Can't—or don't want to—play? Take the whole play pile. Your turn ends.
- 5
Clear; play again
Every clear gives the player who cleared a bonus play—unless that player just went out.
- 6
Get out first
Play all cards in order: hand → take 3 face-up → play 3 face-down one at a time, blind. First out adds a rule.
4 → 4 4 → 4 = CLEARThe last 4 completes all four.
Special cards
2 and 7 stay on the play pile. 3 and 10 are discarded.
2Reset
Play on anything unless a 3 pickup is pending. Next play may be any rank.
On a 2, play more 2s—or complete all four.3Push
Play on anything. If the play pile has cards, the next player takes it or plays one or more 3s to pass.
Discard 3s face-up beside the play pile; never pick them up. One play passes one pickup; every 3 counts toward four. Four consecutive 3s clear. An empty-pile 3 creates no pickup. A non-3, pickup, or clear resets the count.7Play low
Play on anything unless a 3 pickup is pending. On a 7, play more 7s—or complete all four.
Next play must be 7 or lower. A new 7 renews the limit. 10 cannot follow.10Clear
Play on anything except a 7 or pending 3. Clear the play pile.
Discard the 10 with the pile; play again.How a round works
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Setup
2–5 players. Use a 52-card deck without Jokers. Suits do not matter. Ordinary ranks: 4 < 5 < 6 < 8 < 9 < J < Q < K < A. The 2, 3, 7, and 10 are special.
- Deal each player 3 face-down (do not look), 3 face-up on top, and 3 in hand. The rest form the draw pile.
- Before play, each may swap 1 hand card with 1 face-up card.
- Dealer rotates clockwise. Dealer leads the first round; the previous winner leads later rounds.
Taking a turn
Play clockwise. On your turn, play one or more cards of one rank, or take the play pile—even if you could play. An empty pile accepts any rank; otherwise play legally. Taking the play pile ends your turn.
After your first legal play, draw 1 if the draw pile remains and your hand has fewer than 3 cards. Draw only once per turn.
A clear gives a bonus play, not a new turn. Bonus plays do not draw. Repeated clears give repeated bonus plays.
Clearing the pile
A clear removes the play pile, cancels any 3 pickup or 7 limit, and gives the clearer a bonus play—unless they just went out.
A legal 10, all four cards of one rank, or a valid custom rule can clear.
Cleared cards leave the round unless a custom rule returns them.
Face-up and face-down cards
After your draw step—even if no card was drawn—if your hand is empty, immediately take all 3 face-up cards. During a bonus play, take them as soon as your hand empties.
Once your hand and face-up cards are gone, each later play opportunity—your next turn or a bonus play—uses 1 face-down card. Choose without looking, then reveal it.
If legal, play it. If not, its effect does not happen: add it to the play pile, take the pile, and end your turn. While a 3 pickup is pending, only a face-down 3 is legal.
Winning
Win as soon as you legally play your final face-down card. Its effect still applies.
If your final card clears, take no bonus play; the next active player leads on empty. The remaining players may continue for places, but only first out adds a rule.
Common rulings
- 3 on an empty pile?
- Discard it. Nobody picks up or loses a turn.
- One card on three matching cards?
- Yes. Completing four of a legal rank clears.
- Can four high cards clear a 7?
- No. Rank must be legal: four 6s clear; four 8s do not.
- Do several 3s push several players?
- No. A play of 3s passes one pickup; four chained 3s clear instead.
- Can I take the play pile even if I can play?
- Yes. You do not need to explain why. Taking it ends your turn.
Winner adds one rule
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- Announce itState the full rule before the next deal finishes. It lasts for the session.
- Add; do not overrideCustom rules may add effects, but only a Rule Vote may change base Lopti.
- Keep it playableA rule cannot block victory or voting, loop forever, act retroactively, or require unsafe, illegal, destructive, or non-consensual acts.
- Conditions, not peopleTarget changing game conditions, never a named person or fixed trait.
- Creator interpretsThe creator settles ambiguity but cannot rewrite the rule mid-round without a Rule Vote.
The Rule Vote
One Rule Vote per round may change one custom or base rule for the session. Every session player may vote, including players already out. More than half of all session players passes it. A tied yes/no vote goes to Roshambo; otherwise it fails. The attempt is spent either way.
- A winner's new rule starts automatically.
- A creator may remove their rule now or after the round: no vote, no replacement. Edits require the vote.
- A proposal says now or next round. Finished card actions stand; unfinished custom actions may stop.
- A removed rule stays out unless a later vote restores it or a later winner creates it anew.
- The Rule Vote and Roshambo cannot be changed.
Tied vote: Roshambo (rock-paper-scissors)
To remove a custom rule, its creator faces the lead supporter of removal. If the creator is absent, supporters of the rule choose a defender; no defender means removal passes. For any other change, the proposer faces the lead opponent.
A side unable to choose uses a knockout bracket with one decisive throw per match.
Play 30 decisive throws; tied throws do not count. At 15–15, the next decisive throw wins.
Sessions start fresh
Players define the session. It starts without custom rules unless a setup majority restores selected ones; setup votes do not use round one's attempt. If an absent creator's retained rule is unclear, majority decides. If no interpretation wins a majority, use the reading closest to base Lopti.