See Kevin Caudle at Table 3 for Details.
The Pack
Standard 52-card deck (Jokers are removed).
The Deal
The dealer passes out 7 cards face down to each player, one at a time. The remaining cards are placed face down in the center to form the stock pile, and the top card is flipped face up next to it to start the discard pile.
Object of the Game
To be the first player to successfully get rid of all the cards in your hand.
The Play
Beginning with the player to the left of the dealer, play moves clockwise. On your turn, you must play a single card from your hand onto the discard pile by matching either the suit or the numerical rank of the top card showing. If you cannot match the card—or if you choose to pass for strategic reasons—you must ("Pick and Play" draw one card from the stock pile.
The core strategy of Matatu revolves around Special Power Cards that sabotage your opponents or change the flow of the game:
2 ("Please Do So"): When played, the next player must immediately draw 2 cards from the stock pile and forfeit their turn. Defense: If that player also holds a 2, they can play it to "counter" the attack, forcing the next person in line to draw 4 cards.
8 or Jack (Jump/Skip): Playing an 8 or a Jack immediately skips the next player's turn, granting you another consecutive turn to play a card.
Ace (Change Suit): The ultimate wildcard. An Ace can be legally played on top of any card regardless of suit or rank. The player who throws the Ace gets to declare a completely new suit for the table.
7 (Chopper): This is a high-risk power card. A 7 can only be legally played if the collective total value of all the cards currently remaining in your hand is 30 points or less.
The "Matatu!" Call: The absolute most critical rule happens when you are about to play your second-to-last card, leaving you with exactly one card remaining in your hand. You must loudly shout "Matatu!" before your card hits the table. If an opponent catches you forgetting to shout it, they will call you out, and you will be forced to draw a heavy multi-card penalty from the stock pile.
Scoring / Winning
The round ends the exact second a player legally discards their final card. That player scores 0 points. All other players must count up the face value of the cards trapped in their hands (with Aces, Jacks, and Kings acting as high penalty numbers). The game is typically played across multiple rounds, and the player with the lowest cumulative score is crowned the champion.