This is a game for 2 or more players.  They will require a pack of playing cards (with jokers removed).

Players sit in a circle around a shared playing surface.  Players draw lots to decide who goes first - subsequent play then rotates clockwise.  The pack of playing cards is shuffled then placed face-down on the playing surface.  The first player turns over 7 cards - which remain visible to all - and then wins points for each threesome they can identify.

Threesomes are:

• 3 cards of the same suit (hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades)

• 3 cards of the same value (A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K)

• 3 consecutive cards (A23, 234, 345, ... ... ... JQK, QKA)

Each threesome is worth 1 point.  Note that individual cards may be used in more than one threesome.  (See below.)

(It is useful if another player records the suggested threesomes - to avoid repetition - and makes a note of the points scored.)

When a player has identified as many threesomes as they can, that player now removes 3 of the cards and places them face downwards in a scrap-pile (so that they are no longer available to the next player.)  Tactically, the player will scrap the 3 cards that were most useful in constructing threesomes.

Play passes (clockwise) to the next player, who turns over 3 new cards (thus making a new set of 7) and seeks to identify as many threesomes as possible.  (Note: this player may claim threesomes that the previous player claimed but was unable to break up when they scrapped 3 cards.)

Play continues for a set time period - or until a player reaches a pre-agreed target (say, 25 points)

EXAMPLE

Suppose a player has the cards:

• 3h - 4d - 5c - 5s - 6h - 8h - 9h

The player could score points as follows:

• 3h - 4d - 5c (3 consecutive cards - 1 point)

• 3h - 4d - 5s (3 consecutive cards - 1 point)

• 4h - 5c - 6h (3 consecutive cards - 1 point)

• 4h - 5s - 6h (3 consecutive cards - 1 point)

• 3h - 6h - 8h (3 same suit - 1 point)

• 3h - 6h - 9h (3 same suit - 1 point)

• 6h - 8h - 9h (3 same suit - 1 point)

In this instance, deciding which cards to scrap is going to be difficult - but it might be wise to scrap:

• 3h (preventing the following player from claiming any 345's)

• 6h (preventing the following player from claiming any 456's)

• 9h (preventing any same suit claims).

Of course these will be replaced by 3 new cards - so who knows what new threesomes will be formed?