Card Game: “May I”
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information. Thank you for your support!
May I
You play May I with rook cards or face cards. May I, I feel like it’s a mix between phase 10 and rummy. But a lot more fun than phase 10, which can be frustrating. HA! Start with two decks of rook cards. If you are playing with a bigger group, you can add another deck. Keep the rooks cards in as wilds and add two more of the blank extra cards the game comes with in as wilds, too. You can play with two people, but it is more fun with at least four or more. Start the game with dealing 6 cards to each person. You will have 7 rounds, when each round is over you shuffle and deal new cards to each person. Each new round, add an additional card to each players hand. For example, the first round you will have 6 cards each, next round 7 cards and so on , until you will have 12 cards each and that will be the last round. It’s kind of like phase 10 where you go from round to round, but you DON’T have to finish the round to move onto the next round, EVERYONE moves to the next round each time.
The Object of the Game
Each round you will either be getting sets, runs or both. For example, the first round where each person is dealt 6 cards, that round you have to get 2 sets of 3. (*if you don’t know what a set or a run is, look at the bottom of this post)
How the rounds played
- Deal 6 cards each. 2 sets of 3
- Deal 7 cards. 1 set of 3 and 1 run of four (runs have to be the same suit/color)
- Deal 8 cards. 2 runs of 4
- Deal 9 cards. 3 sets of 3
- Deal 10 cards. 2 sets of 3 and 1 run of 4
- Deal 11 cards. 2 runs of 4 and 1 set of 3
- Deal 12 cards. Either 3 runs of 4 or 4 sets of three. We usually have everyone choose which one they want to do. Or we choose one that everyone has to do.
How to start
Deal 6 cards to each person. Put the deck in the middle and Flip over the top card. The player to the left of the dealer starts. They pick one card from either the deck or the discard pile and at the end of their turn discard a card, then it’s the next persons turn. The person who went first, will be the dealer for the next round. So most people will get the chance to go first.
How to “May I”
Here is where the game gets it’s name… whenever a card is discarded and it’s a card you or anyone else wants, you say “May I” (NO MATTER if it’s your turn or not). The person whose turn it is then has the choice to either pick up the discarded card, OR say You may… Which then the player that “May I’d” first picks up the discarded card AND an additional card from the deck. So in other words, if you May I, then you will get 2 extra cards in your hand. Then the games goes on as normal and the person whose turn it was, that let you “may I,” continues with their turn. Just to be clear, if you “May I” the person whose turn it is HAS to pick up the discarded card IF they say no. They can’t just say no, just to say no.
How to go out when you have May I’d and have extra cards
When you lay down your original trick, You CAN’T lay down any extra cards that turn. You have to wait for your next turn to lay down any extra cards. When it’s your turn again, pick up a card, then at this point, you can play your extra cards on your tricks or on other peoples tricks that are laid down. Then, discard as usual. For example, if you have an extra 4 and a red 7 in your hand and someone else has laid down a set of 4’s and a run of reds 8-11, then when it is your turn you can pick up a card, play the 4 on the 4’s and the red seven in front of the 8 on the red run, then discard the extra car you have picked up and you are done!
Jokers/Wilds
You can use the wilds, you know as wilds! If you have a wild you can use it to complete a set or a run. When it is your turn you can replace any wild with the SAME card that the wild is currently being used as (like in rummy cube) and exchange it to complete your own set or run. BUT to exchange a wild and use it, you HAVE to be able to lay down or have already laid down. For example If a wild was is in a set of 5’s and you have a 5, you can replace your 5 with the wild or if a wild is being used in a run as a green 12, you HAVE to replace it with a green 12 to take the wild. Only if you can go down, when taking the wild or if you have already gone down, can you replace a wild. A wild can never go into your hand for later.
How to calculate points
When someone ends the round, by playing their trick and discarding their last card, everyone else has one last turn to try and be able to play. Whatever cards you have left in your hand are your points, you don’t want points. Each card in your hand is worth 1 point each. The person with the least amount of points at the end wins the whole game.
How you win
At the end of the 7th round add up all the points. Whoever as the least amount is the winner!
