Steal ‘N’ Null (© 2018)
The Albacronian card game of choice played in Adelphy, Albacron’s capital city.
All graphics ©2019 by Dakota Orlando and drawn by Nancy Niharika. Click her name to see her art.
Electra of Bawl Mehr
HERE ARE THE CARDS (52 in all – throw out the K and Q of clubs and use the jokers):
Cards consist of all pictures with no number designations or suits. However, a real deck of cards can substitute.
SIBLINGS OF THE HEART (4 cards each – 30 points per meld set)
Use 10, 9, and 8’s from a regular deck.
Electra’s siblings
10 = Chara 9 = Meri Diana 8 = Deneb
U-HUREE HELP (4 cards each – 20 pts per meld set)
Use 7, 6, and 5’s from a regular deck.
Three U-Huree Albacronians
7 = Alaster 6 = Thalia 5 = Calypso
GADGETS (4 cards each – 10 pts per meld set)
Use 4, 3, and 2’s from a regular deck.
4 = Lazer Rods 3 = Scientifica Sphere 2 = Key of Freedom
THE THIEF (6 cards. Steal a meld. Can be nulled.)
Superior Albacronian (6 cards) = Use 4 Aces + Jokers (2)
THE NULLIFIERS = (Null a steal).
Electra – Use 3 Queens Zosma – Use 3 Kings 
THE STEALER (Steal a meld. Can’t be nulled.)
Crystal of Shame – Use Jacks (4)
HERE ARE THE RULES:
STEAL ‘N’ NULL RULES (for two or three)
THE DEAL:
Seven cards are dealt to each player. The deck is set between the players to the dealer’s left and the top card is turned up to start the discards. Discards are only covered up if they are duplicates. All are laid out next to one another available to be selected on any player’s turn as an alternative to drawing a single card from the deck.
THE PLAY
If a player has seven cards or fewer, they don’t have to discard until they are forced to hold eight, because seven is the maximum number of cards that can be held in any one hand. However, a player can discard at any time if they choose to do so. (Melding will usually decrease a hand to under seven cards.)
Players can establish a “Down Pool” whenever they like. Cards can be selected from a player’s hand to lie face down and not be included in the hand-held card count. The most a player can have in the “pool” is six cards, forcing the player to discard when the “pool” is full and they hold seven cards in their hand before they draw. Only a meld set, steal, and null cards can occupy the “pool.” Multiple meld sets can be placed in the “pool” all at once or gradually on separate turns, but the player must have a complete set at the start of entering a meld in the “pool.”
If the last discard is taken, a card must be drawn from the deck to take its place.
Steal cards can be discarded. These are the Thieves (the Superior Albacronian cards) and the Stealer (Crystal of Shame cards).
Any player, on their turn, may either draw from the deck, take one discard, or play a “steal” card on another player’s single meld set. A player can play a “steal” card and still draw a card from the deck or take one from the discards. The “steal” card can be played either before or after the draw. Only one “steal” card can be played per turn.
If a “steal” card challenges another player’s melded set, the challenged player may immediately counter-play a “null” card. (“Crystal of Shame” cards cannot be nulled.) Both cards are set aside and deemed “out of play” for the rest of the hand, no “steal” takes place, and play resumes. If the player with the challenged meld set has no “null” card or the challenger uses a “Crystal of Shame” card (that can’t be nulled), the player must surrender the meld set.
Once the deck is depleted, the “pool” cards are added to the hand-held cards and all players must discard on their turn. They can draw a card from the discards if they choose. Whenever they can meld a set, they can do so.
The hand is over when one player runs out of cards. The player who runs out first receives all the remaining cards whether they are meld, steal, or null cards and scores 5 points for each card.
THE MELD:
Melding can only take place during a player’s turn either before or after a draw.
Players do not have to meld when they have a qualifying threesome. They may conceal melds in their hand-held cards or in the pool.
SCORING FOR MELDS:
One of each in Siblings of the Heart = 30 pts
One of each in U-Huree Help = 20 pts
One of each in Gadgets = 10 pts
Non-melded cards = 5 pts each
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