What Is Go Boom?
Go Boom is a simple and satisfying card game for the whole family that blends shedding with trick-taking. Players take turns matching the lead card by suit or rank. The highest matching card wins the trick and leads next. If you cannot match, you draw cards from the pile until you can. The first player to play their very last card shouts ‘Boom!’ and wins the round.
What You Need
- One standard deck of 52 playing cards
- Two to seven players
Two Key Terms
Suit means the symbol on the card — Spades ♠, Hearts ♥, Clubs ♣, Diamonds ♦. Rank means the value — 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace.
Setting Up the Game
- Shuffle all 52 cards.
- Deal 7 cards to each player for games of two to five. Deal 5 cards each for six or seven players.
- Place remaining cards face-down as the Stock pile.
- Players pick up their cards — keep them secret from other players.
- The player to the left of the dealer goes first.
How to Play — Step by Step
- The first player leads any card from their hand face-up to the center of the table.
- Going clockwise, each player must play one card that matches the led card by SUIT (same symbol) OR by RANK (same number or face card). For example: if the lead card is the 8 of Hearts, you can play any other Heart OR any other 8.
- If you have no card that matches either the suit or the rank of the led card, you must draw cards from the Stock one at a time until you draw a card that matches. Then play it immediately.
- After all players have played one card, the trick is complete. Determine the winner: compare all cards played — only cards of the SUIT THAT WAS LED compete to win. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick. Cards of other suits do not win the trick, even if they are higher — they are simply laid down as matching by rank.
- The player who won the trick leads any card they choose to start the next trick.
- Play continues until one player plays their last card.
Shouting Boom!
The instant you play your final card from your hand, shout ‘Boom!’ The round ends immediately. You win!
Scoring
After a Boom, all other players count the value of cards still in their hands: number cards at face value, face cards (Jack, Queen, King) at 10 points each, Aces at 1 point. Record each player’s total. Play multiple rounds — the first player whose cumulative score reaches 250 points loses, and the player with the lowest score at that point wins.
Tips for New Players
- Lead suits where you hold many cards — you are more likely to win tricks in your long suits, which lets you lead again next turn.
- When drawing from the Stock because you cannot match, try to remember which card you eventually drew — it tells you what you hold for future turns.
- If you are close to going out (one or two cards left), try to lead in your final suits so you control when and where your last cards are played.