CABO
Learn the rules. Master the game. Win every round.
The objective of Cabo is to finish with the lowest total card score. Shed high cards, memorize your hand, and call "CABO" when you believe you have the lowest points!
Cabo is played with a standard 52-card deck without jokers. Each card carries a point value you want to minimize:
Ranks: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A
Cabo can be played with 2 to 6 players.
The more players, the more exciting!
Each player is dealt 4 cards face down in front of them.
Initial Peek:
Before play begins, you may peek at two of your cards once to memorize them. After that, no looking unless a power card allows it!
The remaining cards form the Draw Pile (face down), with the top card flipped to start the Discard Pile (face up).
The player to the left of the dealer starts the game (or whoever declares first). Play continues clockwise.
On your turn, draw a card from the Draw Pile or Discard Pile, then:
Swap: Replace one of your hidden cards with the drawn card and discard the old one.
Match: Discard matching face cards from anyone's hand (penalty if wrong!).
Power Card: Use special powers on 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, or Queen.
Discard: Put high-value cards (like Kings) straight into discard pile.
Power Cards Rhyme
Use power cards when drawn from the face-down pile by putting them in the discard pile:
"Seven or eight, know your fate"
Look at one of your own cards, then put it back (only you see it).
"Nine or ten, know a friend"
Peek at one card from an opponent's hand, then put it back.
"Jack or Queen, switch between"
Swap the places of any two cards on the table (excluding draw piles).
Calling "CABO" & End Game
How a round concludes and winners are determined:
Calling "CABO" (Instead of Drawing)
On your turn, you may call “Cabo” instead of drawing a card. Calling Cabo immediately ends your turn without drawing or swapping. Every other player gets exactly one final turn, then all hands are revealed.
• Win (Lowest or Tied): You score 0 points!
• Penalty: If anyone has a lower score, you take your cards + a 10-point penalty.
Other Ways The Game Ends
- A player matches their last remaining card.
- The draw deck runs out of cards.
Matching Penalty: If you make a mistake while matching cards, you must draw a penalty card face-down without looking at it.