Pegs & Marbles Rules

Basic Rules

• Pegs &Marbles may be played by two to eight players and can be played in teams if four or more players are in a game. At least two decks of playing cards should be used; more should be used if there are four or more players (typically, three decks are used for games with four to six players and four decks are used with eight player games). Players sit at the side of the board that corresponds with the color of marbles that the player is using. The starting area is designated by the cross-shaped pegs in which the players should place their colored marbles.

  Deal five cards to each player. Choose someone to start (by rolling dice or by choosing the highest card from the deck). The starting player performs the following actions: first, he draws a new card from the deck; second, he plays a card and moves according to the card (see below).

Marble Movement

• As mentioned above, all players begin with five marbles in the starting zone and a hand of five cards. Before any player can move a marble, the player must play an ace card. Ace cards allow the player to do two things: move a marble one space or release a marble from the starting zone. If a player does not have an ace, that player must discard a card and wait until his or her next turn. Once a player has a marble on the game board, they may play other cards in their hand. Generally, players move their marbles according to the number on the card. That way, a two allows a player to move the marble two spaces, a three allows the player to move a marble three spaces and so on. Face cards are worth 10 spaces.

  There are special rules for 7's, 8's, 9's, and Jokers. Players with a 7 can split the move between two marbles, such as 6 for one and 1 for the other. Eights allow a player to move eight spaces backward (this is advantageous in the beginning when your marble is right next to the ending zone). 9's must be split just like sevens (the key being must; players with a 7 have the option). Jokers allow a player to move his or her marble onto an opponent's marble, sending that marble back home. Whenever a marble lands on another marble's space, the first marble must be sent back home.

  Play continues until one player has all five marbles in the ending zone. Players must use exact numbers to get into the end zone. Therefore, if a marble is only one space away from the final ending zone spot, that player must use either an 8 to move backward or an ace to get into the zone.

  In a team game, both players must get their marbles into the end zone. Players on each team may help each other out and move each other's marbles.