PREPARATION: The pattern balls are placed in the trough with the 5 white balls in the center and 2 black balls at each end. The pattern cards are shuffled and placed face down. The shortest player goes first.

THE PLAY: Three of the pattern cards are dealt face up. The first player tries to duplicate any of the patterns shown on the cards with one move. A move is made by removing any one of the 5 balls within the center pattern area of the trough and placing it on either end in the # 1 position (shown below). This forces the # 1 pattern ball into the # 2 position and the # 2 pattern ball into the center pattern area, creating a new pattern. The pattern cards must duplicate the center pattern.

SCORING: A player scores by duplicating any of the 3 upturned pattern cards with their move. (NOTE: Pattern cards are playable in any direction.) If a pattern matches a pattern card, they win the pattern card and a bonus move. Once a player matches and wins a pattern card, they turn up another card from the deck before they make their bonus move. They continue to move, and win pattern cards, until they are unable to score. The next player then moves. The play continues until all pattern cards have been matched. The winner is the player who has matched the most cards at the end of the game.

GENERAL STRATEGY: Always plan your moves to try to build as many patterns as possible in succession. Watch moves closely to prevent the next player from scoring, if possible. Defense is just as important as offense.

VARIATIONS:
(1) Play a set of 3 games and total all scores to decide the winner.
(2) Deal an equal amount of cards to each player, discarding extras. Each player, keeping their cards secret, tries to match their patterns in their turn. First player to match all of their patterns is the winner.