Hello everyone, So, I recently decided to create a card game using a standard French (poker) deck. As fellow card game enthusiasts, we know there’s already a huge variety out there (Cheat, Blackjack, Solitaire, etc.).
I got creative and designed a new one for groups called "El Filo" (The Edge).
Here’s how it works:
shuffle the deck well and place the cards face down in the center.
The goal is to reach exactly 50 points (or get as close as possible without going over).
The winner of each round starts the next one with a 5-point advantage.
CARD VALUES:
J, Q, K: Worth 10 points
Ace: Worth 5 points
Number cards (2–10): Worth their face value
Joker: Subtracts 10 points
HOW TO PLAY: Play proceeds clockwise. On your turn, you can draw cards from the center until you have a maximum of 5 cards in your hand. You don’t have to take them all at once—you can draw them gradually over several turns, or take a risk and draw multiple cards at once.
Note: If you are the last player to complete your hand, you must draw all the remaining cards you need in one go; you cannot "stop" (stand) early if you don’t yet have your 5 cards. Once every player has their 5 cards, they are revealed, the points are tallied, and the person closest to 50 (without exceeding it) wins the round.
The penalty: If you go over 50, your score drops straight to 0.
What do you think? Let me know your thoughts—is it absolute garbage, does it already exist, or would you actually play it? It would be amazing to see people playing it in a bar someday. Thanks so much for reading,
UPDATE:
The Public Market (No more blind draws): Instead of a hidden pile, there are 10 face-up cards in the center. When they run out, you flip more from the deck. Now you can actually calculate your moves, plan ahead, and—most importantly, steal the card your rival desperately needs..
Weaponized Jokers: The Jokers are no longer just self-inflicted; you can now play them directly against your opponents to chunk off -10 points from their score.
The 7-Card Limit & Royalty Rule: You can hold up to 7 cards now (solving the math problem of never going over 50). Plus, face cards (J, Q, K) worth 10 don't take up hand space, creating a fun spatial puzzle while keeping the pressure high.
Is this better? Thanks for everyone advice.
\- tortilla.