Wasp Picnic

How to play

3 to 6 players. The picnic deck has 52 cards in four suits, berries, bread, melons and honey, ranked 1 to 13. With 3, 5 or 6 players a few low berries and bread are set aside so that everybody gets the same number of cards.

A trick

• The player with the lowest berry plays it to open the deal. Then each player in turn plays one card.
• Follow the suit led if you can; otherwise play any card. The highest card of the suit led takes the trick and leads the next one.
• Honey cannot be led until a honey card has been played, unless you hold nothing else.

Stings

• Each honey card you take stings you once. The Wasp Queen, the 12 of melons, stings you 13 times.
• Take all 26 stings of a deal and you swat them all: you score nothing and every other player 26.
• When a deal ends with a player at the stings limit or beyond, the game ends: the fewest stings win.