DeDeuce: A Great New Game!
DeDeuce is a brand new game with a unique concept. Players form poker hands in up to three directions at once on a cloth playing surface. While the rules are simple, the game itself can be surprisingly deep in terms of strategy.
So far, everyone who has played the game has been enthusiastic about it. We have friends and neighbors who play the game with us on a regular basis and we have a great time together!
Here is what one has said: "We played Dominos or 99 sometimes, no other card games; not even poker until Len Yates showed us DeDeuce. It is an easy game to learn and once you know it, you want to play it again and again." -- Meinhard Gerdes
This is Len speaking: "The idea for my game actually came from a dream I had. I woke up one Saturday morning having dreamed of some kind of three-directional playing surface and the players were placing cards on this to form poker hands. I spent all morning, and most of the weekend, thinking about this and developing it into a game."
The Game
The game is appropriate for ages 8 and up. The rules are pretty simple and you can learn it in just 5 minutes. The number of players can be 2, 4 or 6, and each game takes about 10 – 45 minutes to play. You could say that the game combines the best elements from Pente, Sequence, and Poker. (Note that no actual gambling is involved.) Team play, with partners, is even more fun! And one nice thing is that it is always possible to pull out a victory, even if you are behind.
Using two regular decks of cards, players take turns placing cards on the cloth playing surface along three possible axes. The first to form a straight, flush, full house or 4 of a kind is the winner. However, your cards must be in a straight line and be in your possession – as denoted by possession markers that get placed on the cards. Since the lines (axes) on the board cross one another, you are constantly trying to cross the lines of your opponent as you build your own lines. That's what makes it so interesting -- the element of defense. It is important to notice what your opponent is doing and try to block them, even as you are trying to form your own poker hand.
Note: If you are not familiar with winning poker hands, don’t worry. You can learn them in just a minute from the illustrations in the instructions.
Each game does not take very long to play. While the rules are simple, the game itself is a real "thinkers" game. The surprise factor is the 2’s (the deuces). In DeDeuce the deuces play a special role (hence the name of the game). A red deuce can be played to switch a card over into your possession, while a black deuce can be played to remove a card from the board, opening up that space for another card to be played later on. The deuces play a big role in the strategy of the game.
"So many games currently on the market fail to keep my interest. Not the case with DeDeuce. It continues to challenge me and I get so engrossed searching and planning for the plays that I lose track of time. Additionally, I LOVE that the game played with four players requires a different mindset. Brilliant!" -- Sheila Wadden-Carpenter