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HOW TO PLAY SUIPE
Suipe is a card game you will have to know if you come to Samoa. Everyone plays it and it's an important part of the social fabric of Samoan life. It's also a lot of fun. Games can last long into the night, often fueled by Vailima and played with an incredbile amount of gusto. It's very similar to the western fishing game Casino, so if you know how to play Casino, you'll be able to catch on to Suipe in no time. The game has a vocabulary all it's own which you'll have to pick up when you play in Samoa. But don't worry about that. Get yourself a deck a cards, grab a friend and enjoy.
The game works best with from 2 to 4 players, though in theory more could take part. It has the distinction of being one of the few games which will deal out evenly to two, three, or four players. Four players can play in partnerships, two against two, with partners sitting opposite each other.
A regular 52 card deck is used. Each numeral card (ace-ten) is counted as its numerical value (ace = 1, two = 2, etc). The aim is to capture cards from a layout on the table, by playing a card from hand which matches in number a table card or the sum of several table cards. Picked up cards are accumulated in a pile to be counted at the end of the round.
The dealer decides how many cards to deal to each player, normally 6-8, but the whole deck can be dealt at one time (this can be especially cumbersome with only 2 players). Four cards are dealt face up in the center. These center cards are laid out separately so that all are visible. Traditionally, the deal is in twos: two cards to each other player, two to the table, then two to the dealer, then repeat. However, some players prefer to deal the cards singly. The remainder of the deck is temporarily put aside. You cannot start with two or the same cards face up on the table. If that happens put the card with lesser value back in the deck and flip another card from the top.
After everyone has played their cards, another hand of cards is dealt to each player from the remaining cards, but no more cards are dealt to the table after the first deal. After these cards have been played there is another deal, and this continues until all 52 cards have been dealt. After the last cards have been played and the hand scored, the deal passes to the left for the next round.
Starting with the player to the left of the dealer and continuing clockwise, each player in turn must play one card out from hand face up on the table. This card may or may not capture one or more cards from the table.
- In case of a capture, when the other players have had an opportunity to see the capturing card, the player picks up this card and the captured cards and stores them all face down in a pile.
- If there is no capture the played card remains face up on the table.
- Irrespective of whether a capture was made or not, the turn passes to the next player.
In detail, the possible types of play are as follows:
- CAPTURING WITH A FACE CARD
If the card played is a face card (king, queen or jack) which matches the rank of a face card on the table, the face card on the table may be captured. This is the only possible capture with a face card.
- CAPTURING WITH A NUMERAL CARD
A numeral card (Ace, 2, ..., 10) can capture any numeral cards on the table which are of the same rank as the card played, and any sets of numeral cards which add up to the rank of the card played, with the following restrictions:
- Cards which are part of a build (see below) can only be captured by a card of the rank announced for that build;
- When sets are captured, each captured card can only counted as belonging to one such set.
Example If an eight is played it could capture one, two or three eights from the table. It could also capture a five and a three, or a four and two twos. If the following cards are on the table: A 2 3 5 6 8, then an eight could capture 8 6 2 5 3 or 8 5 2 A, but not all six cards.
- BUILDING
A numeral card may be played and combined with other cards on the table, placing them together to form a build. A build can be made out of any collection of numeral cards which can be captured by a single numeral card according to rule 2 above. The player making the build must announce the capturing number (saying, for example, "5" - lima), and must hold a numeral card which can later make the capture. There are two types of build: single builds and multiple builds.
- A single build consists of two or more cards whose capture values add up to the capture value of the build - for example a 5-build made of a 2 and a 3, or a 10-build made of A-4-5.
- A multiple build consists of two or more cards or sets of cards, each of which equates to the capture value of the build - for example a 5-build made of a 2 and a 3 plus a 4 and an ace, or a 5-build made of A-4 and 5, or a 9-build made of two nines, or a 9-build made of 6-3 plus 5-4 plus 9.
When you make a build, it must include the card you just played - you cannot create a build consisting entirely of cards that were already on the table. Cards which have been made into a build can subsequently only be captured as a unit, never separately. You also cannot build with two of the same cards for example you cannot build a 6 with two 3s.
Examples
- If there is a 5 on the table, a player holding a 3 and an 8 may put the 3 on the 5 and announce "8" (valu); this single build can now only be captured by an 8.
- If there is an ace and a two on the table, a player holding two threes and a six could play one of the threes and either:
- capture the two and the ace;
- combine the played three with the ace and the two and make a single build, announcing "6" (ono);
- combine the played three with the ace and the two and make a multiple build, announcing "3" (tolu);
It would not be legal to play the three on the ace, building four, or on the two, building five, as the player does not hold a four or a five.
- CAPTURING A BUILD
A build can be captured by playing a numeral card of the rank which was announced when the build was made. It is thus possible to "steal" a build created by another player, if you have the right numeral card.
If on your turn, the table contains a build which you created or added to yourself, and no other player has added to it since your last turn, you are not allowed simply to trail a card (see below) on your next turn. You must either make a capture of some kind, create another build, or add to a build. It is always possible to capture in this situation - if nothing else, you must hold the capturing card for the build you just made, otherwise your build was illegal.
While capturing a build, you can also capture any loose cards on the table that add up to the same number. For example you have made a build of 9 and there is a 5 on the table. If the player before you plays a 4, you can capture the 4 and the 5 at the same time that you take in your build.
It is not possible to capture a build with a card of any other rank than that announced for the build. For example the table contains a 4 and a 3 combined into a build of 7, plus a separate 2. You cannot play a 9 to take the build of 7 plus the 2 - the build can only be captured with a 7.
- ADDING TO A BUILD
There are two ways of adding to a build:
- You may add a card from your hand to a single build, increasing the capturing number, provided that you also hold a card which will capture the new build. At the same time you may incorporate additional cards from the table into the build, either to make up the new capturing number or because they are equal to the new capturing number. In the last case the build will become multiple. The capturing number of a multiple build can never be changed.
Example A The table contains a build consisting of a two and a four, announced as a build of six (ono). If you hold a two and an eight, you can add the two to the build announcing "8" (valu). The next player, holding an ace and a nine, could then add the ace and say "9" (iva).
Example B The table contains an ace, a two and a four; the ace and the four have been combined by a previous player into a build of five (lima). You hold a three and a ten. You can play your three, combine it with the single five-build and the two on the table and announce "ten" (sefulu).
Example C The table contains a three and a four, built into a seven, and a separate nine. You hold a two and a nine. You can play your two, combining it with the seven-build to make nine, and at the same time incorporate the nine on the table into the build, converting it to a multiple build and saying "nine".
- You may add to any build, single or multiple, by playing a card from your hand which, either alone or combined with other cards on the table which are not yet in builds, matches the existing capture number of the build, provided that you hold a card which can capture the combined build.
Example The table contains a 9-build consisting of a 5 and a 4, and there is also a 3 on the table. You hold a six and two nines. You can play your 6, combining it with the 3 and the existing build to make a new multiple build of 9. Then on your next turn (provided that no one else captured) you could add one of the nines from your hand to the build. Finally, on the following turn, you could capture the whole build with your second nine.
Note that when making or adding to a build, you must contribute a card to it from your hand. You cannot just combine various cards which are already on the table to form a build. Note also that once a build contains more than one card or sets of cards which add to the capturing number, it is a multiple build and the capturing number can no longer be changed.
Example. There is a multiple 8-build of 3-5-8 on the table, and there is also a loose 6 on the table. In your hand you have 2, 8, 8, 10. You may add one of your 8s to the build, making 3-5-8-8, or to add your 2 together with the 6 on the table, making 3-5-8-2-6, still with capture value 8. You cannot use your 2 to change the capture value to 10.
- TRAILING
If you simply play a card without building or capturing, the card is placed face up on the table alongside any other layout cards and remains there to be captured or built on in future. It is then the next player's turn. Playing a card without building or capturing is called trailing. You are allowed to trail a card even if that card could have made a capture.
Example Suppose that in a four player partnership game your partner has two tens and you have one. Your partner plays a 10 and the next player does not take it. On your turn, if you suspect that your partner has a second 10, you can play your 10 and not capture, putting your ten on top of the other for your partner.
The only case in which trailing is not allowed is when there is a build on the table which you were the last player to add to.
When all the cards have been played in the final deal, the last player who made a capture also wins any cards which are left on the table. Hint on tactics: it is often good for the dealer to hold back a face card to play last if possible; this will capture a matching face card on the table and thereby also win any other table cards that remain.
Each player (or team) counts their score based on the pile of cards they have won. There are eleven possible points in each deal:
3 - Most Cards
1 - Most 
1 - 2
1 - Each Ace
2 - 10
If there is a tie for most cards or most spades, no one gets those points.
A Suipe occurs when a player takes all the cards from the table, leaving it empty and forcing the next player to trail. When making a Suipe, the capturing card is stored face-up in the pile of won cards, so that the number of Suipes can be checked when scoring. Capturing the last cards from the table at the very end of a round does not count as a Suipe. Remember to say Suipe in the most obnoxious voice possible whenever you take one. If you take a Suipe and your opponent has one already, you ask them to cancel (kala) their Suipe.
The winner is the player or team with the most points after two deals are played.
The best Samoan players count cards and if you want to become a good player, you're going to have to learn to remember what has been played. Start simply by counting face cards and the cards that are worth points. Once you get comfortable with that, start adding cards from 10 down. If you know what cards have been played, you'll have an equal playing field with your Samoan competition and be able dominate players who don't count.
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| Toto |
Shuffle |
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Peti |
Spades |
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Ka |
King |
| Tufa |
Deal |
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Tiamane |
Diamonds |
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Teine |
Queen |
| Kaki |
Cut |
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'Ata |
Hearts |
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Siaki |
Jack |
| 'Ai |
Points |
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Fele |
Clubs |
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