Lives card game

Irish Lives (or Lives) is a traditional card game for two or more players that is popular primarily in Dublin, Ireland and its surrounding counties.
The primary aim of Lives is to discard all of the cards in one's hand; the first player to play his final card wins the game. The secondary aim, should you not win, is to have cards of a lesser face value in your remaining hand than your fellow losers in games where there are 3 or more players.
Each player at his turn may play any card from his hand that matches the suit or the rank of the card previously played or possibly an Ace card. For example, if the previous card was a seven of clubs, the next player may put down any seven card or any club card from his hand; should the player not have either of those options to play but have an Ace of any suit in his hand then he may play this Ace as per the normal playing of an Ace (see Power Cards section below). If the player fails to meet any of the aforementioned criteria below than he must pick up one card from the pool.
Lives is played with a regular, single deck of playing cards, or with two standard decks (shuffled into one) if there are a large number of players. Jokers are removed in the the classical rules but some localised versions play these as power card with variable rules.
Rules
The game is played with a one regular deck of playing cards, or two packs for more than 8 players.
Players are initially dealt 7 cards. The remainder of the deck is placed face down and serve as a "pool" or drawing stack. At the beginning of the game the topmost card from the pool is revealed and, so long as this card is not a power card then play begins.
If the drawing stack is ran down and becomes empty, the playing stack or discard pile (except for the topmost card) is shuffled, and placed face down to become the new pool.
When a player has only one remaining card they must remember to call last card (by saying "last card" aloud) before their turn has ended. Should it be noticed that the player fail to call before the end of the turn, he is penalised and must pick up one card immediately (over and above any picking up as a matter of routing course in the game).
Face Values
2-10: cards have face value.
Jack(knave), Queen, King : 10 points.
Ace: 11 points.
Power Cards
Some cards are known as "power cards" in Lives, because their being played directly affects the gameplay:
2: if a player places a two (of any suit) down, the next player is required to pick up two cards or may choose play another 2 card on top of it if he has one in his hand. Play passes in this sequence until no more 2 cards can be or are chosen to be played. The player at the end of this sequence picks up a penalty of 2 x (number of 2 cards played in sequence). So, if two 2 cards are played in a row then the third player picks up 4 cards. If another player plays a 2 on top of a previous sequence of 2s (i.e. after someone has picked up the penalty cards) then only the 2s in the new sequence apply to any subsequent penalty.
Ace: Ace of the same suit as is currently in play can be played or if a player has no cards of the suit currently in play then an Ace of another suit may be played regardless of the suit or value of the topmost card on the playing deck. When playing an Ace, the player can decide freely the suit that has to be played next; from then on, play continues as normal, but on the suit selected by the player of the Ace until such time as that suit is changed by another Ace or by playing a card of identical rank but differing suit on top of the playing deck.
Power cards apply if they are the first card turned over upon commencement of play. In the case of the Ace, the player to the dealer's right will call the suit
Players may never finish out on a power card. If a player find himself with a power card as his last card then he must still pronounce "last card" but must pick up a card on his go regardless of any card played prior to his turn.

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See Also

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