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Mikado is a
Classic Mikado consists of 41 sticks, coded with different values that have a total of 170 points and are around 15 cm long.
The sticks are bundled and taken in one hand that touches the table or ground. The release creates a circular jumble. Now the players take turns, in which one stick after another should be taken up without moving or touching others. The take-away could be by hand, possibly through pressing on a stick's tip or if one has already picked up a special stick (Mikado/Mandarin), it could be used as a helper, possibly to throw up another stick.
On a fault the turn ends (the last stick taken is not counted). The next player bundles and drops the sticks again. After several rounds, normally five, the one with the highest score – the total of the values of the sticks picked up – is the winner.
A player is allowed to stand up on but not to leave their own place. A bad throw could be rerun and the rules should be kept strict in respect to moving sticks to enjoy the game.
During a player's turn:
*the sticks are rebundled and dropped again (traditional);
*the stack is taken over as is from the previous player (casual);
*the person to the left of the player turn rebundles and drops the sticks for the player, thus eliminating the potential for a doctored drop.
Sticks allowed as pick-up helpers:
*Mikado (traditional);
*only the Mikado if the player has at least one of all other sticks (Kuli, Samurai, Bonzen, Mandarin);
*Mikado / Mandarin (simplified);
*Mikado / Mandarin / Bonzen (casual);
*any stick already picked up (very casual).
A stick taken when picking it up makes another stick in the stack move:
*is not added to the player's score and dropped back (stack take-over variant);
*is not added (traditional);
*is added to the player's score.
Scoring:
*the exact sequence of Kuli, Samurai, Bonzen and Mandarin may double the points of a turn;
*a player who does not use the correct helper may lose all points of the current turn.
pick-up sticks
Pick-up sticks, pick-a-stick, jackstraws, jack straws, spillikins, spellicans, or fiddlesticks is a game of physical and mental skill in which a bundle of sticks, between 8 and 20 centimeters long, is dropped as a loose bunch onto a table t ...
game originating in Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, played with a set of same-length sticks which can measure between .
In 1936, it was brought from Kingdom of Hungary (1920-1946)
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
(where it was called Marokko) to the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and named pick-up sticks. This term is not very specific in respect to existing stick game variations. The "Mikado" name may have been avoided because it was a brand name of a game producer. The game is named for the highest scoring (blue) stick "Mikado
Mikado may refer to:
* Emperor of Japan or
Arts and entertainment
* ''The Mikado'', an 1885 comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan
* The Mikado (1939 film), ''The Mikado'' (1939 film), an adaptation of the opera, directed by Victor Schertzinger
* ...
" (Emperor of Japan
The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...
).
Rules
Classic Mikado consists of 41 sticks, coded with different values that have a total of 170 points and are around 15 cm long.
The sticks are bundled and taken in one hand that touches the table or ground. The release creates a circular jumble. Now the players take turns, in which one stick after another should be taken up without moving or touching others. The take-away could be by hand, possibly through pressing on a stick's tip or if one has already picked up a special stick (Mikado/Mandarin), it could be used as a helper, possibly to throw up another stick.
On a fault the turn ends (the last stick taken is not counted). The next player bundles and drops the sticks again. After several rounds, normally five, the one with the highest score – the total of the values of the sticks picked up – is the winner.
A player is allowed to stand up on but not to leave their own place. A bad throw could be rerun and the rules should be kept strict in respect to moving sticks to enjoy the game.
Rule variations
During a player's turn:
*the sticks are rebundled and dropped again (traditional);
*the stack is taken over as is from the previous player (casual);
*the person to the left of the player turn rebundles and drops the sticks for the player, thus eliminating the potential for a doctored drop.
Sticks allowed as pick-up helpers:
*Mikado (traditional);
*only the Mikado if the player has at least one of all other sticks (Kuli, Samurai, Bonzen, Mandarin);
*Mikado / Mandarin (simplified);
*Mikado / Mandarin / Bonzen (casual);
*any stick already picked up (very casual).
A stick taken when picking it up makes another stick in the stack move:
*is not added to the player's score and dropped back (stack take-over variant);
*is not added (traditional);
*is added to the player's score.
Scoring:
*the exact sequence of Kuli, Samurai, Bonzen and Mandarin may double the points of a turn;
*a player who does not use the correct helper may lose all points of the current turn.
Types
Classic Mikado
Classic Mikado is typically made from beech wood. Sizes: *standard: length , thick *large: length , thick *super: length , thick The large and super variants may use the 26 sticks Giant Mikado variant.Mini Mikado
Made of 31 toothpicks painted in the middle. The game has a total of 145 points. name / coding / value / number of the sticks: *Mikado, 1 blue stripe, 20 points, 1 stick *Mandarin, 3 yellow stripes, 10 points, 5 sticks *Bonzen, 2 orange stripes, 5 points, 5 sticks *Samurai, 3 green stripes, 3 points, 10 sticks *Kuli, 2 red stripes, 2 points, 10 sticks Rules and values are the same as with normal Mikado sticks.Giant Mikado
This type is usually used for outdoor use. There are 26 sticks with a length of and diameter. The game has a total of 200 points. : Rules and markings are the same as with normal Mikado sticks.References
{{Authority control Games of physical skill