[!NOTE] Source to the original document:
http://www.smiling-monster.de/spiele/smg007/download/SMG-Cabo-EN.pdf

CABO — Rules

Designer: Melissa Limes, Mandy Henning
Illustration: Adam Peele
Translation: Francois Richard (FR), Mike Bialecki (EN)
A game for 2 to 5 players ages 8 and up - Playing time approx. 30 minutes

Aim of the Game

Figure out which cards you have and accumulate fewer points than anyone else by replacing high cards for low ones, trading matching cards for a single card and swapping cards with your opponents.

To Start

Start each round by dealing everyone 4 cards face down (don't look at them yet). Place the rest of the cards face down for the draw pile and one beside it face up for the discard pile. Without looking at any of the dealt cards, each player lays them face down, side by side, in front of them. The order of the cards must remain the same throughout the round. All players may then secretly look at 2 of their cards. Remember these cards because you cannot look at them again. For the first round, decide who goes first. In the rounds that follow, the winner of the previous round goes first. In case of a tie, the tied player with the lowest overall score goes first. If still tied, randomly determine who of the tied players goes first.

To Play

Taking turns in a clockwise direction; each player must take one of three options:

1. Pick up the top card from the discard pile and replace, face down, one of your own cards or matching cards (see below for details on matching cards). The replaced card is then put on top of the discard pile, face up. Choice cards taken from the discard pile may only be used for their point value; the action may not be used.

2. Pick up the top card from the draw pile, look at it, and decide if you'd like to keep it ordiscard it.

• If you decide to keep it, replace, face down, one of your own cards or matching cards. The replaced card is then put on top of the discard pile, face up.
• If you decide to discard it, place it face up on top of the discard pile.
• If it's a choice card and you wish to use the action, carry out the action and then discard it.

3. Call Cabo. When a player believes he or she has fewer points than anyone else at the table, that player may use his or her turn to call Cabo (do not draw a card then). Once Cuba is called, all players other than the one who called Cabo take one more turn.

If the draw pile runs out of cards, set the top—most card of the discard pile aside for the new discard pile. Then reshuffle the remaining cards of the discard pile and place them face down for the new draw pile.

Matching Cards

2—, 3-, or 4—of-a-kind matches may all be traded for only one card from the discard or draw pile (you continue the game then with only 3, 2, or even only 1 card). If a match is attempted but it is not a match, the attempted cards must be shown to everyone at the table and put back in their original places. The attempted replacement card is then discarded and the turn is lost.

Choice Cards

• Peek (7 and 8) — Look at one of your own cards. Make sure no one else sees what it is.

• Spy (9 and 10) — Look at one of another player's cards. Make sure no one else sees what it is.

• Swap (11 and 12) — Swap one of your own cards with one of another player. Do not look at either of the swapped cards.

Choice cards may be used for their points or their action, not both. The action may be used only when taken from the draw pile and discarded in the same turn. It is not obligatory to use the action and the action may not be used on cards taken from the discard pile or those discarded from a player's hand. When creating matches with choice cards, the numbers must match, notjust the action.

Score

After everyone has played their last turn, flip over the cards and count the points of all cards in each player's hand. The player with the lowest score wins and receives 0 points. Everyone else receives the points in their hand. If the player who called Cabo does not have the´lowest score, he or she receives 5 penalty points on top of their score. In the event of a tie, the player who called Cabo wins. if neither of the tied player called Cabo they all receive 0 points.

Kamikaze

If you are bold enough to end a round with two 125 and both 135 then everyone else receives 50 points and you will receive 0 points regardless of who called Cabo.

Exactly 100 Points

If a player scores exactly 100 points, that player's score goes down to 50.

Ending the game

Once a player exceeds 100 points, the player with the lowest score wins.

ALTERNATE RULES

These are alternate rules as suggested by fellow Cabo players. It's fun to make house rules, so try these if you'd like. If you make any of your own, write to [email protected] and let us know how you've been playing!

Swapping Cards

When playing a swap card, a player may swap one opponent's card with another opponent.

Starting with more than 4 cards

This is especially fun when playing with only 2 people since it adds more dimension to the game, then. An example would be to start with 6 cards and look at 3 of them before each round.