Setup
Each player receives a Merchant card, an initial capital of 25 florins and 3 random Special Orders (if playing with the Special Orders variant).
Days and Rounds
The game is played in two days and each day is divided in rounds, one for each player.
In each round a player becomes the Seller, starting with the player with the lowest priority number and continuing in ascending priority order.
Round Steps
In each round, the following steps are performed in order:
- Receive income: All players receive income based on their merchant and the cards they own.
- Reveal flower cards: The Seller reveals flower cards up until the sum of their initial values is 20 or 21.
- Create bouquets: The Seller splits their flower cards in 3 bouquets and sets each bouquet for auction.
- Auction: Players bid in any order. At the end, the highest bidder gains the cards and pay the seller.
- Buy or sell: Seller can keep the cards of the bouquet by paying the highest bidder half of the money offered, rounded up.
When the auction of one bouquet is completed, the auction of the next one immediately begins, in exactly the same way. When all the auctions are completed, then the next player (in ascending priority order) becomes the Seller.
Weeds
Weeds are cards with a negative value and are not considered flower cards. Each player at the end of the game loses points depending on the number of weeds in his possession.
Loans
A player may place a bid for a bouquet but not have enough money to pay for it. In this case, they can declare that they will take a loan at the end of the auction, in case they win the bouquet. Each loan yields 20 florins and a loan tile. Each player can get up to 2 loan tiles during the course of the game. At the end of the game, each player loses 30 points for each loan tile they hold.
Game End
The game ends at the end of the second round, after all players have become the Seller twice during the game.
Scoring
Players gain points for sets of distinct flower cards, identical flower cards, money, special cards and special order cards. They also lose points for loans and weeds. The player with the most points becomes the most prestigious merchant!
Money
Players get 1 point for every Florin they have collected.
Flower cards
Players get points based on the number of distinct / identical flowers they possess:
Qty | Points | Qty | Points | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1x1 | 1 | 10 | 10x10 | 100 | |
2 | 2x2 | 4 | 11 | 11x11 | 121 | |
3 | 3x3 | 9 | 12 | 12x12 | 144 | |
4 | 4x4 | 16 | 13 | 13x13 | 169 | |
5 | 5x5 | 25 | 14 | 14x14 | 196 | |
6 | 6x6 | 36 | 15 | 15x15 | 225 | |
7 | 7x7 | 49 | 16 | 16x16 | 256 | |
8 | 8x8 | 64 | 17 | 17x17 | 289 | |
9 | 9x9 | 81 | ... | ... | ... |
Weeds
Each player at the end of the game loses points depending on the number of weeds in his possession:
Weeds | Points | Weeds | Points | Weeds | Points | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | -5 | | | 6 | -45 | | | 11 | -110 |
2 | -11 | | | 7 | -56 | | | 12 | -125 |
3 | -18 | | | 8 | -68 | | | 13 | -140 |
4 | -26 | | | 9 | --81 | | | 14 | -155 |
5 | -35 | | | 10 | -95 | | | 15 | -170 |
Loans
Players lose 30 Points for each loan tile they hold.
Variants
Special Orders Variant
All players receive 3 special order cards at the beginning of the game, which give them an extra chance to earn points at the end of the game.
Hidden money variant
Playing with this variant all player's money are kept secret.
6th Player Variant
- When revealing new cards, the Seller reveals flower cards until the sum of their initial values is 17 or 18.
- If playing with Special Orders, each player receives 2 Special Orders at the start of the game.