«12 Chips» is a gambling board game where players try to score 21 points, but instead of the usual cards, they do it with 12 chips, half of which are red and half are blue - numbered from 1 to 12.
The rules of the game are very simple: participants play 4 chips each, and whoever has the highest total on them receives a victory point token.
However, if the sum exceeds 21, it is lost.
The game consists of several rounds. At the end of each round, the participant with the highest sum of points from the chips receives one victory point token. However, if this sum exceeds 21, it is halved! The winner is the first one to collect 3 victory point tokens. It seems simple, but the trick is in the details! Each player takes turns placing one chip face up from their hand, starting with the first player and moving clockwise. After everyone has taken their turns, the participant who placed the chip with the highest value takes all the played chips from the center of the table. Starting with this player and continuing clockwise, each player takes one chip from the center. A red chip is always preferred if available.
The player who placed the chip with the maximum value places it face up in front of them. This chip is excluded from further play. The other players add their taken chips back to their hand. These chips can be reused, and there is no need to reveal their values. During the game, each participant always has 4 chips (in hand and in front of them). The player with the highest value becomes the next starting player. If the new starting player has no chips left in hand, the round ends. The other participants place all the chips from their hands in front of them. Calculate the sum of the values of the four chips in front of them. If it exceeds 21, you "bust".
Among those who did not "bust" in this round, the participant with the highest sum wins and receives one victory point token. If everyone "busted", the one with the maximum sum wins. In the case of a tie, each participant with the same score receives one victory point token. The game ends when someone collects three victory point tokens. In the case of a tie, the victory is shared among all participants with the same result.
Game duration: from 20 to 30 minutes
Number of players: from 2 to 4