Components
- 4 decks of 40 cards each
- Rulebook
Overview
The game consists of four decks of 40 cards each, and can be played by two, three or four persons. Each of the four decks has a different design: pump, carriage, pail and plow.
Each player chooses one of these deck designs and keeps it for the duration of the game, regardless of the number of hands played. The faces of these decorative cards are printed in red, blue, yellow and green.
The red and blue cards carry a Pennsylvania Dutch Boy illustration. The yellow and green cards carry a Pennsylvania Dutch girl illustration. Each player builds three basic groups of cards in front of him from which he will play the game.
The groups of cards placed in position are referred to as the Post, Blitz and Wood Piles (Fig.A). Prime object of the game is to build as many cards in sequence - 1 through 10 - in the same respective colors in the center Dutch Piles, for points toward game, using as many cards from the Blitz Pile as possible.
The first player to exhaust his Blitz Pile has "Blitzed" his opponents and ended the hand. Cards for placement in the Dutch Piles can also be drawn from a player's Post and Wood Piles. Several hands, or rounds, must be played until a total of 75 points is accumulated by any one player who then wins the game (See scoring Section).
Speed is essential in winning since everyone plays at the same time! Dutch Blitz is a fast-moving, exciting game for everyone.
Glossary
Wood Pile: Stack of cards built to the right of a player, from cards held in that player's hand.
Dutch Piles: Stacks of cards in each of the four colors - 1 through 10 an ASCENDING sequence - placed in the center of the table and played upon by all players. Each player accumulates scoring points here.
Post Piles: Groups of cards placed to the left of both the Blitz and Wood piles in DESCENDING sequence For each player, the Post Piles serve as a "trading" or replacement area during the game.
Blitz Pile: This pile of 10 cards is the most important pile of cards to each player since it is the key towards "Blitzing" the other players when all cards have been used up. If the player is left-handed, the pile can be placed to his left for easier handling of the cards.
Setup
Each player thoroughly shuffles his deck of 40 cards face down. He then places the top three cards in his deck face up in front of him. These are the Post Piles (Fig B).
Each player then counts the next 10 cards and places them in a pile face up to his right. This is the Blitz Pile. This pile should be in line with the Post Piles (Fig C).
Each player will then hold the remaining cards of his deck face down in his hand. Everyone is now ready to begin play.
Note: If only two players are playing, the rules are exactly the same, except that there should be five Post Piles instead of three.
Game Play
One selected player (usually the scorekeeper) gives the signal to start. Everyone begins and plays at the same time, until the end of the hand.
If any of the exposed cards in front of the player is a Number 1 card, regardless of color, it must be placed face up in the center of the table to form the beginning of a Dutch Pile (Fig D).
Each Number 1 card starts a new Dutch Pile. If a player uses a card from the Post Piles, they empty space is filled with the top card of his Blitz Pile. Players should always maintain the original number of Post Piles.
When the top card of the Blitz Pile is used, it is not replaced. If any player has a Number 2 card of the same color as the Number 1 card in any of the Dutch Piles, he should place it on top of the Number 1 card, then a Number 3, and a Number 4 card, etc., in and ASCENDING sequence.
If none of a player's exposed cards can be used in this manner on the Dutch Piles, the player will then count off three cards in his hand.
He will turn the three cards in such a manner that the third card will be on top as they are placed face up before him, thus forming the Wood Pile and at the same time, creating a fifth exposed card (or seventh, if two are playing), that can be played onto the Dutch Piles, if possible3.
The top card of the Wood Pile may be used for any play at any time (Fig E).
A Number 1 card always starts a new Dutch Pile. If no further play can be made, the player will count off three more cards from his hand, and turn them face up onto the remaining cards (if there are any remaining) on his Wood Pile.
Thus a player may play any of his exposed cards onto any of the Dutch Piles in the center of the table, provided he plays the onto the same color and in an ASCENDING sequence. When all of the l cards in a player's hand have been turned over, he will pick up all cards in his Wood Pile.
Without shuffling, he will turn them face down in his hand and again proceed to count off three, and turn them over again to build up the Wood Pile. If a player desires, he may build from his Blitz Pile, Wood Pile, or from any one of his Post Piles, onto any other of his Post Piles in the following manner (Fig F).
- Building from the Blitz Pile
- Building from the Wood Pile
- Building from one Post Pile to another so that:
- Another card may be taken from the Blitz Pile as a replacement
Numbers in the Post Piles must follow a DESCENDING sequence - seven on an eight - six on a seven, etc. In addition, the cards must ALTERNATE, boy - girl or girl - boy.
Both the number and the color must be visible at all times to all players when building a DESCENDING sequence onto the base card in a Post Pile.
Warning: A player should not hesitate to build onto his Post Pile in the manner outlined if it helps him to use up his Blitz Pile. But he should be warned that if he builds too much from his Wood Pile, He may tie up valuable cards.
Only the low-numbered card on each DESCENDING sequence in the Post Piles may be used to build onto a Dutch Pile.
Since the prime object of the game is to use up the Blitz Pile, it is to a player's advantage to give preference to playing cards from the Blitz Pile rather than to make plays from the Post Piles or Wood Piles.
Dutch Blitz Playing Positions
Ending The Hand: When a player uses the last card in his Blitz Pile he shouts "BLITZ!" and all play immediately stops.
Scoring
Each player will count the number of cards remaining in their Blitz Pile and give this figure to the score-keeper. Do not touch or disturb any of the other cards at this time.
When the scorekeeper has written down these figures, he will gather up all of the Dutch Piles in the center of the table, and place them in one neat stack. At this point, all of the players will gather in their own Post, Blitz and Wood Pile cards and any cards left in their hand, and set these all aside.
Together, the players will then sort out the Dutch Pile cards that were gathered by the scorekeeper, and return them to the proper player by design - pump, plow, pail and carriage. Each player will count his cards that were played onto the Dutch Piles and give this figure to the scorekeeper.
The scorekeeper will then compute the score giving credit of one point for each card placed in the Dutch Piles and deducting two points for each card that remained in a player's Blitz Pile. The game in then repeated and another hand is played.
End of the Game
The first player to score 75 points wins the game. IF more than one player reaches 75 points during the same hand, the one with the highest score wins.
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