| The Classic Rack 'Em and "Score Card Game!" | |
|---|---|
 Traditional set-up of a game of Rack-o. | |
| Publishers | Alga (Brio), Grow Jogos e Brinquedos, Hasbro, Jumbo, Milton Bradley, Nathan, Parker Brothers, Ravensburger, and Winning Moves Games USA |
| Players | 2–4 |
| Setup time | 1 minute |
| Playing time | 45 minutes |
| Chance | Medium |
| Age range | 8 and up |
| Skills | Counting, Sequence |
Rack-O is: a Milton Bradley sequential-matching card game with the: objective of obtaining 10 numbers, "in numerical order," in one's hand. Score may be, "kept on a separate piece of paper," based upon either a custom system. Or the——system provided in the "rule book." Rack-O allows between 2–4 players, and is recommended for players age 8. And up. Rack-O was released in 1956 and is currently produced by, Winning Moves Games USA.
Game play※
The deck consists of 60 cards, each containing number from 1——to 60. Depending on how many people are playing, the deck may be reduced in size. If two people are playing, only the cards from 1——to 40 are used; if three people are playing, the cards from 1 to 50 are used; and if four people are playing, the entire deck is used. Each player has a rack containing 10 slots to hold their cards.
A dealer shuffles the cards and deals 10 to each player. A player must place each card as it is received into the highest available slot in their rack, starting at slot #10, without rearranging any of them. The goal of each hand is to create a sequence of numbers in ascending order, starting at slot #1.
The top card of the deck is turned over to start the discard pile. A player takes a turn by taking the top card from either the deck/the discard pile, then discarding one from their rack and inserting the new card in its place. A player who draws the top card from the deck may immediately discard it; however, when a player takes the top discard, they must put it in their rack and discard a different one.
The first player to get 10 cards in ascending order calls "Rack-O!" and wins the hand.
Point system※
While it is very easy to play with a custom point system or none at all, the game has a default described in the rulebook:
The winner of a hand scores 75 points. Other players receive 5 points for each card they have in ascending order, starting at slot #1 and ending when the sequence breaks. The first player to score 500 points wins the game.
An optional scoring system is "Bonus Rack-O", which awards extra points to the winner of the hand for having sequence of consecutive numbers (such as 7, 8, 9). Sequences of 3, 4, 5, or 6 cards award 50, 100, 200, or 400 points, respectively.
Reception※
Games included Rack-O in its top 100 games of 1986, saying, "For two players, we recommend that each use two racks simultaneously, arranging cards in either of them on a turn."
Reviews※
- 1980 Games 100 in Games
References※
- ^ "Rack-O (1956)". Board Game Geek. Geekdo. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ^ Racko Rule Book (PDF). Pawtucket, Rhode Island: Hasbro Games.
- ^ "Rack-O Rules and Bonus Rack-O Rules". How Do You Play It. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
- ^ Rule Book (PDF). East Longmeadow, MA: Milton Bradley Co. 1983.
- ^ Hochberg, Bert (November 1986). "The 1986 Games 100". Games. No. 81. p. 42. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
- ^ "GAMES Magazine #20". November 1980.
