How to play Kenyan Poker (Kadi)

The goal

Objective

Be the first player to get rid of all your cards. You can't just run out, though. When your hand can go down in one final play you must call Niko Kadi ("I'm on Kadi"). You win when you then play your last cards. Many Kenyans call the game poker; it's the same Kadi.

Setup

Players and dealing

• 2 to 5 players.
• 54 cards: a standard 52-card deck plus a red Joker and a black Joker.
• Each player gets 3 or 4 cards (the host picks; 4 is the common deal).
• One card is turned face up to start the discard pile. It's always a plain number card: 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 or 10. Any other card that turns up goes onto the discard pile and the next card is turned.
• Round 1: a random player goes first and play moves clockwise. Later rounds: the previous round's winner goes first, and the host picks the direction.
• When the draw pile runs out, the discard pile (except its top card) is shuffled into a new draw pile.

Your turn

Matching

On your turn, do one of these:

1. Play a card that matches the top card by suit or by rank (7♥ on 7♣, or 9♥ on 4♥).
2. Play an Ace. Aces go on anything (see Aces).
3. Draw one card. Your turn ends.

Playing several cards at once

If you hold two or more cards of the same rank you can play them together in one turn: number cards (4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10), Jacks, Kings, 2s, 3s, Jokers or Aces. The first card must be a legal play; the rest follow by rank. The last card you lay sets the suit for the next player.

When a Joker is on top

If a Joker sits on top and there's nothing left to pick up, the next card must be the Joker's colour: red (♥ ♦) on the red Joker, black (♠ ♣) on the black Joker. Another Joker or an Ace also works.

Q and 8

Question and answer cards

Queens and 8s are questions. You can't play one on its own. It has to be answered in the same turn.

• The first question card must match the top card (suit or rank) as usual.
• You can stack several question cards in one go, in any suits, and mix Queens and 8s (for example Q♥ then 8♥).
• Then answer with one or more cards of a single rank from 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 or 10. The first answer must be the same suit as your last question card; extra answers of that rank can be any suit. Example: Q♠, Q♣, 4♣, 4♦.
• Can't answer? You may still play the question card(s), but you draw 1 card as the penalty.
• You can't ask a question while you have a bomb to deal with.

J

Jumps (Jacks)

• A Jack skips the next player. Two Jacks skip two players, and so on.
• A player with no Jack is skipped straight away. A player who holds a Jack chooses: play a Jack to pass the skip on (each Jack adds one more skip), or take the skip and lose the turn.
• While you're being skipped, a Jack is the only card you can play.

K

Kickbacks (Kings)

• A King reverses the direction of play.
• With only two players, a King means you play again.
• Several Kings in one turn reverse once each, so two Kings cancel out and play keeps its direction.

2, 3, Joker

Bombs (pick-up cards)

You start a bomb like any other card: a 2 or 3 must match the top card by suit or rank. A Joker can go on any card unless a suit or a card has been asked for. The player facing a bomb can:

• Counter with the same kind: 2 on a 2, 3 on a 3, Joker on a Joker, in any suit. A 2 can't answer a 3 or a Joker, and the other way round.
• Block it with an Ace. The bomb is cancelled, no suit is asked for, and the next player simply matches the Ace.
• Pick up the cards. Your turn ends.

In the standard game the amount doesn't grow. Countering passes the same number on (a 2 on a 2 is still pick 2), and laying several bombs at once counts as one. The Punishment accumulates variation changes this.

A

Aces and suit requests

• An Ace can be played on any card, at any time, except while you're being skipped.
• Playing an Ace, you ask for a suit. The next player must play that suit or an Ace.
• The Ace of Spades (A♠) can instead demand an exact card, such as K♣. Any card except an Ace can be demanded. Two or more Aces played together can demand an exact card too. The next player must play that card or an Ace.
• An Ace on a demanded card takes the number off: only the demanded card's suit is still asked for.
• An Ace on a suit request cancels it. Play goes back to the card underneath the Aces and no suit is asked for.
• A♠ on a suit request asks for a new suit instead of cancelling.
• An Ace played on a bomb blocks it (see Bombs).

Last cards

Niko Kadi

You may only finish on a winning hand: cards that can all go down together in one play.

• One rank of number cards (4, 5, 6, 7, 9 or 10), on its own or behind question cards. For example: 6♦ 6♠, or Q♥ 9♥ 9♣.
• No Aces, 2s, 3s, Jacks, Kings or Jokers.
• Jack chain: exactly one Jack for each opponent plus a winning set also counts, as long as at least one Jack shares a suit with one of your other cards.

When you finish your turn holding a winning hand, a Niko Kadi! button appears. Press it before the next player moves. Once they move, the chance is gone.

• Drawing a card cancels your call. If the new hand is still a winning hand you can call again straight away.
• Ran out without calling? You're cardless. On your next turn you draw 1 card to get back into the round.

End of the round

Winning and scoring

You win the round when you've called Niko Kadi and then play your last cards on a later turn. Nobody can win while another player is cardless. If you empty your hand then, you go cardless too, and the cardless player must draw back in first.

Everyone else scores penalty points for the cards left in their hand. Fewest points ranks highest:

Points are counted per round; they don't carry over.

House rules

Rule variations

The host can switch these on when creating a table. Solo games have the same switches. Everything above is the standard game.

Kiswahili

Jinsi ya kucheza Kadi

• Wachezaji 2 hadi 5. Kila mmoja anapewa karata 3 au 4.
• Cheza karata inayolingana na ya juu kwa aina (suit) au kwa namba. Ukikosa, chukua karata moja.
• Q na 8 ni maswali. Lazima yajibiwe na 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 au 10 ya aina ile ile. Usipojibu, unachukua karata moja.
• 2 ni chukua mbili, 3 ni chukua tatu, Joker ni chukua tano. Jibu kwa karata ya aina hiyo hiyo, zuia kwa Ace, au chukua.
• J inaruka mchezaji anayefuata. K inageuza mwelekeo wa mchezo.
• Ace inaomba aina (suit). A♠, au Ace mbili pamoja, zinaweza kuomba karata maalum.
• Ukibaki na karata za kushinda, bonyeza Niko Kadi! kabla mchezaji anayefuata hajacheza. Kisha maliza karata zako ushinde.

Questions

FAQ