Pablo card game rules

Pablo is a quick memory card game for 2 to 6 players, played with a normal deck. You can't see most of your own cards, you try to remember what you've peeked at, and the lowest hand wins when someone calls "Pablo".

It's passed on by word of mouth, so groups play slightly different house rules. Below are the rules most people use, with the common variations. Pablo is the same family as Cabo and Cambio, and in England it's often called Gringo.

What you need

• A standard 52-card deck. Many groups add the two Jokers.
• 2 to 6 players. With 5 or more, a second deck keeps the draw pile going.
• Paper to keep score over several rounds.

Setting up

1. Deal 4 cards face down to each player, in a square of two rows.
2. Each player looks at their two nearest cards once, remembers them, and puts them back face down.
3. Put the rest of the deck face down as the draw pile, and turn the top card over to start the discard pile.

Your turn

Draw the top card of the draw pile (some groups also allow taking the top discard). Then either:

• Keep it: swap it with any card in your hand, face down, and put the old card on the discard pile; or
• Discard it: put it straight on the discard pile. If it's a power card, you can use its power.

Power cards

Powers only work when the card is drawn from the deck and discarded straight away, not when it's swapped out of your hand.

Matching (snapping) a discard

Many groups let anyone throw a card onto the discard pile out of turn when it matches the rank of the top card, which gets rid of a card. A wrong match costs a penalty card. In Rafiki this is called a Slam, and you can even slam a matching card from someone else's hand.

Calling Pablo

When you think you have the lowest total, call "Pablo" instead of taking your turn. Every other player gets one more turn, then everyone turns their cards over and adds them up.

Scoring

If the player who called Pablo doesn't have the lowest hand, they usually take a penalty, often 10 points or double their score. Play several rounds; the lowest running total wins, or the first player past a limit such as 100 is out.

Pablo vs Rafiki

Rafiki is our take on the same game, built to play online. It keeps the 4 hidden cards and the peek, spy and swap powers, and adds two twists: you can slam a matching card from any hand and give that player one of yours, and the caller's hand is locked so nobody can mess with it after the call. Red Kings and Jokers are worth -1. See the full Rafiki rules.

Questions

Is Pablo the same as Cabo?

They're the same family. Both use 4 hidden cards, power cards and a call to end the round. The names and house rules vary by group: Pablo is common in the UK and Europe, Cabo is also sold as a boxed game with its own deck.

Is Gringo the same as Pablo?

Yes. Gringo is a common English name for the same game: 4 hidden cards, power cards, matching discards and a call to end the round. House rules vary from group to group.

How many cards do you get in Pablo?

Usually 4, face down in two rows. You look at your two nearest cards once at the start.

Can I play Pablo online?

Rafiki is a free online game in the same family as Pablo. You can play in your browser against computer players straight away, or make a private room for friends.