Blind Hughie

Setup

• Players: two to four. Our practice table is you against one bot.
• Tiles: a double-six set. Two players take 7 tiles each; three or four take 5.
• Your row: lay your tiles face down in a row in front of you, without looking.
• Lead: decide who goes first. The lead passes to the next player each round.

How to play

1. 1Turn over the right end. On your turn, turn over the tile at the right end of your row.
2. 2Play it if it fits. If it matches an open end of the line, you must play it. The leader’s first tile starts the line.
3. 3Or put it back. If it does not fit, turn it back over and put it at the left end of your row. Your turn is over.
4. 4Doubles. A double matches its own number. It sits across the line, and that end stays the same.
5. 5Blocked. Once every player has turned over their whole row without a play, nobody can play. The round ends.

Winning

When a round ends, the player with the fewest pips left scores. Play your last tile and you score every pip in the other rows. First to 100 wins.

Scoring

Our rules: with two players, a round ends either when someone plays out or when both players have turned over their whole row since the last tile went down. Play to 100.

Key terms

Row:

Your tiles, face down in a line in front of you.

Turn over:

Flip the tile at the right end of your row to see what it is.

Line:

The chain of tiles played in the middle of the table.

Open end:

The number showing at either end of the line. A tile has to match one.

Double:

A tile with the same number on both halves. It sits across the line.

Pips:

The dots on a tile. Pips left in your row at the end can score for someone else.

Play out:

Play your last tile. You score the pips left in every other row.

Blocked:

Nobody can play. The fewest pips scores the difference.