Queen Nazareen

Number of players: 4 to 10
Type of game: Cards (stops)
Period: 1674

Queen Nazareen is a lively stops game. Players lay cards in suit sequence, and the first to get rid of all their cards wins. Two special cards, the Queen Nazareen (Queen of Diamonds) and the Knave Knocker (Jack of Clubs), earn extra coins from every other player when played.

History of Queen Nazareen

• Source: The game is described in Charles Cotton’s The Compleat Gamester of 1674.

• Family: It is a “stops” game, related to Pope Joan and Newmarket, and to modern games such as Michigan Rummy, Tripoly and Rummy Royale.

• Extra-Curricular Attractions: As David Parlett puts it, the game had “extra-curricular attractions”. When played in mixed company, it was the custom for the player with the Knave Knocker to kiss the player with the Queen Nazareen.

• Rules Source: These rules are adapted from the card games booklet published by MacGregor Historic Games (historicgames.com).

Rules of Queen Nazareen

Setup

• Deck: A standard 52 card deck.

• Stakes: Each player needs a supply of coins or tokens.

• Deal: Deal five cards to each player. The rest of the deck is set aside, unseen.

• Players: 4 to 10 players. The more the better: with fewer players there are more stops, and it is easier for one player to control the whole hand.

Objective

• Be the first player to get rid of all your cards.

Gameplay

1. The eldest hand starts by playing any card they like.

2. Whoever holds the next card up in the same suit plays it. For example, after the 4 of Diamonds, whoever has the 5 of Diamonds plays it, then the 6 of Diamonds, and so on.

3. If nobody has the next card, that is a stop. Whoever played the last card starts a new run with any card, and may change suit.

4. Kings are high, so a King is always a stop, and its player leads the next run.

Special Cards

• Queen Nazareen (Queen of Diamonds): whoever plays it collects three coins from every other player.

• Knave Knocker (Jack of Clubs): whoever plays it collects two coins from every other player.

Victory Conditions

• The first player to play all their cards wins the hand.

• They collect one coin from each other player for every card still left in that player’s hand.

Optional and House Rules

1. The Kiss

• In suitable company, follow the old custom: the Knave Knocker kisses the Queen Nazareen.

2. Missed Payments

• If a player forgets to claim for the Queen Nazareen or the Knave Knocker before the next card is played, the payment is lost.

Summary Table

• Game
• Period

• Cards