Shuffle-Mania!

That's right, it's Shuffle-mania time! What is shuffle-mania you may ask? My response is that 
it the best card game to come down the pike since solitaire or poker! How did shuffle-mania 
come to be? Over Summer 2000, I was stuck at home with my deck of cards, so getting 
bored of losing solitaire time after time, so, I started just playing with the deck, shuffling it 
time and time again,  and as I looked through it, I noticed some odd combinations of cards 
next to each other. After a few minutes, I had a preliminary idea for a game. Over the next 
week I refined the rules and then created different levels of difficulties. The instructions are below:

 

How to play Shuffle-Mania:

To start, you need a standard 52 card deck {if you want to include jokers, adding another 
              element to the game, the instructions will be in these brackets}
Before you can play, there is a certain shuffle you need to do. Start by shuffling the cards 
              face down twice, then face up twice, then face down once more.
Then look through the cards and see what you can remove (see below). You can look 
              left-to-right or right-to-left, it doesn't matter.
If you are able to remove anything from your hand, you then get to move on to the next step.
             Otherwise, you have to stop and count your cards.
Once you have gone through your hand once and only once you cut the deck and shuffle 
             (face down) once and only once.
You continue shuffling and removing cards until you fail to do so. Count your cards. To win
            (in solitaire mode) you need to have fewer than 10 cards in your hand. This is easier
            then it might sound. See below for Double-Shuffle-Mania.

Double-Shuffle-Mania

In basic Double-Shuffle-Mania, it's a two player game. Two 52 card decks.
Same rules as above, except the person with the fewest cards in their hand  after each goes 
            through once and can't find any combinations that can  be removed, is the winner.

 

How to take cards out:

One of these (anomalies as I call them) can be removed. In the examples:
(c) - clubs
(s) - spades
(d) - diamonds
(h) - hearts

I will start with the rules for the hardest, what anomalies can be removed, and then add
            more as it gets easier and easier.

Before I start, I would like to discuss double anomalies. These are anomalies that combine.
            One example is: 9(c)-9(d)-8(d). Now the two nines (as you will soon find out are an
            anomaly) and the 9-8 is also one. The three cards can be removed at the same time 

Hard:
The anomalies that can be removed are the:

Two-of-a-kind:
Two (or more) cards of the same rank next to each other: 9(c)-9(d)
{if you're playing with jokers, this is the only way to have them removed}

The run:
Two (or more) cards that form a run in the same suit.: 4(d)-5(d)
            Note: The A can goes with the King AND the 2: K(h)-A(h)-2(h) is an anomaly.

Once thing you can't do! No inner-outer anomalies!
As you go through, if you get a 3(d)-7(c)-7(h)-4(d); the two 7s may be removed. This will
            put the 3-4 together. But you can't remove them this turn!

That's it for hard (the only way I play) It's may sound impossible, but I win 50% of the time. 
            Good luck!

Medium:
(anomalies removable here include those from hard!)

The double sandwich anomaly.
Two anomalies, but in a sandwich: 10(d)-2(h)-J(d)-2(c) the 10-J are an anomaly so is 2-2.
             It can all come out at once.

Inner-outers are allowed here.

{If you're playing with Jokers, you can remove them in any fashion above, or if they follow 
            an anomaly 9(c)-9(d)-Joker can be removed.}

Easy: (so easy, your friends will laugh at you if you lose)
(Includes all above)

{Jokers are wild - they are whatever card you want}

Any sandwich is allowed: Q(c)-5(d)-Q(h)

Runs are not suit specific: 2(d)-3(c)

That's all the rules and variations. 

My best is 4 cards - on hard of course, and one card on easy. - Adam

09/03/2000