How To Play Sly3
Goal: Get rid of all your cards first
Set Up
Deal each player 3 cards face down (the Sly Cards), three cards face up (the Open Cards) and 3 cards for their Hand.
No Peeking at Sly Cards! These stay completely hidden until they are played.
Play
Swap — Before play begins, all players have a chance to swap any or all cards from their Hand to their Open Cards.
Play Equal or Higher — Generally, you play any card into the Play Pile that is equal to or higher than the previous card played. (Except on a 7! See below.)
If you can't play a legal card, you have to pick up the whole Play Pile and add it to your hand.
Stay at 3 — Anytime you have fewer than 3 cards in your hand after playing, draw back up to 3.
Stages
Play in three stages:
Hand: You play from your Hand, replenishing from the Draw Pile anytime you have fewer than 3 cards, until the Draw Pile is empty.
Open Cards: Once the Draw Pile is empty and you have no cards left in your Hand, you play from you Open Cards (you do not pick them up into your Hand). Can’t play? Add the whole Play Pile to your hand, and you may add one of the cards from your Open Cards to your Hand.
Sly Cards: Finally, once you've played all of your face up cards, you're playing your Sly Cards - the three face down cards. You play them as a blind flip onto the Play Pile. If the card is plays legally, play continues. If not, you pick up the Play Pile and add it to your hand.
Remember: Any time you pick up, you have to play your entire Hand before getting back to your Open and Sly Cards.
Special Cards
There are four Special Cards.
The 7 and 9 play in order respectively (ex: you can’t play a 9 on a 10), but have special powers
Forces the next player to play lower: either another 7 or a lower card.
Skips the next player. The following player must beat a 9.
Orange Wild Cards can be played on any card on your turn
Wild Paw can be played on any card and the next player can play any card on it.
Swipe clears the Play Pile from the game. Player goes again.
Special Rules
Stacks: Stacks of cards (two of a kind, three of a kind, etc) are allowed. When four or more 9s are played, they no longer skip, they just act as a Swipe.
Four of a Kind: Any time four or more of the same card are played in a row, that acts as a Swipe and clears the Play Pile. The last player to play a card goes again.
Chaos Mode (Recommended for ages 10+): Have an exact match to the top card on the Play Pile? Don't wait your turn! Slap it down immediately to steal the lead. Play then continues to your left, skipping anyone who was patiently waiting. Swipes are the only card this doesn’t work for. (They should never be on top! They clear the pile!)