Game Objective

Welcome to Pit, a frenzied trading game that simulates the hustle and bustle of a commodity exchange! The game's theme revolves around being a trader trying to "corner the market" on one of the following commodities: Wheat, Barley, Coffee, Corn, Sugar, Oats, Soybeans, or Oranges. To corner the market on a commodity, you must have all 9 cards of that same commodity in your hand. The main objective is to be the first player to reach a total of 500 points. This usually takes several rounds of play.

Setup

To set up the game, follow these steps:

1. Place the trading bell in the center of the table.
2. Prepare a scoresheet.
3. Select a dealer.
4. The dealer prepares the deck for play:
   • Use one complete set of 9 cards of the same suit for each player in the game.
   • Leave the remaining sets out of play for the entire game.
5. The dealer shuffles the cards and deals 9 cards, face down, to each player.
6. Take your cards and sort them by suit. Make sure no one else can see them.
7. As you sort your cards, decide which commodity you will try to corner. It is usually best to try to corner the commodity of which you start with the most cards.
8. After everyone has had a chance to sort their cards, the dealer rings the bell and announces, "The market is open."

Gameplay Flow

The game proceeds through trading between players. As soon as the bell rings and the announcement "The market is open" is made, players begin trading. The game continues until one player manages to corner the market on a commodity.

Actions and How to Play

At the sound of the bell, begin trading by taking one to four cards of the same commodity from your hand. These cards should be of a commodity you do NOT wish to corner. Hold the cards up (being careful that other players do not see the suit) and announce:

• "Trade One! One! One!"
• "Trade Two! Two! Two!"
• etc., depending on the number of cards you wish to trade.

You may trade cards with any opponent who is announcing the same number of cards. Sometimes, a particular opponent may want to trade fewer cards than you. In this case, you may lower your offer and trade the lesser number.

Continue trading until one player manages to get 9 cards of the same suit. If you achieve this first, ring the bell and announce "Corner on Corn!" (or whichever commodity it is). Score the points marked on the commodity you have cornered and record them on the scoresheet. The winner of the corner shuffles the cards and deals the next hand.

Playing with the Bull and Bear Cards

When you add the Bull and Bear cards to the deck, two players will receive a tenth card. If you receive ten cards, you may announce "Corner" if you have 9 cards of the same commodity and one extra card. Simply lay down the 9 matching cards and set the extra card aside.

Otherwise, the game is the same as the basic game, except for the values and penalties associated with the Bull and Bear cards.

• The Bull card can be a "wild" card or a penalty card.
• The Bear card always carries a penalty.

If you hold the Bull card when you have 8 cards of the same commodity, ring the bell, announce "Bull Corner," and score the points marked on the commodity you have cornered. If you hold the Bull card when you have 9 cards of the same commodity, ring the bell, announce "Double Corner," and score double the points marked on the commodity you have cornered.

If you hold the Bull or Bear card when an opponent announces "Corner," you lose 20 points. If you hold both the Bull and Bear cards when an opponent announces "Corner," you lose 40 points. (In Pit, your score can go below 0).

You should trade the Bear card as soon as you receive it, as 1) it will cost you points if someone goes out first; and 2) while you hold it, you cannot lay down your hand, even if you have 9 cards of one commodity. It is also a good strategy to trade the Bull card if you feel the hand is about to end and you are not going to win.

You may trade the Bull and Bear cards at any time. You may trade them individually, in combination, or along with any other cards of a suit you wish to trade. At no time, however, may you trade more than four cards at once.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when a player reaches the target score. For a shorter game, the first player to 250 points wins. For standard play, the first player to 500 points wins.

When a player corners the market on a commodity, they score the points marked on that commodity. For example, if you corner the market on Corn, you earn 75 points.

If you hold the Bull card when you have 8 cards of the same commodity and announce "Bull Corner," you score the points marked on the commodity you have cornered. If you hold the Bull card when you have 9 cards of the same commodity and announce "Double Corner," you score double the points marked on the commodity you have cornered.

If you hold the Bull or Bear card when an opponent announces "Corner," you lose 20 points. If you hold both the Bull and Bear cards when an opponent announces "Corner," you lose 40 points. Your score can go below 0.

Tips for Winning

• It is usually best to try to corner the commodity of which you start with the most cards.
• You should trade the Bear card as soon as you receive it, as it will cost you points if someone goes out first and will prevent you from laying down your hand.
• It is also a good strategy to trade the Bull card if you feel the hand is about to end and you are not going to win.