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- BGG #6,427
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- 6.9
Fish Cook
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Lamarckian Poker
1999
Rules assistance for Lamarckian Poker
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 10 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Lamarckian Poker
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Lamarckian Poker is a board game released in 1999 for 2–6 players, 10 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by James Ernest and David Howell and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Simultaneous Action Selection.
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About the game
In Lamarckian Poker players start with a hand resembling primordial ooze, but attempt through successive generations to "evolve" it into something more useful. But unlike Lamarck's giraffes, they may find themselves competing with others for the very same improvements. In the end, the player who has accumulated the best Poker hand wins. Can be played using a standard Poker deck without Jokers. Players start with four cards. Each round, there are four new cards available. Each player simultaneously chooses a card from her hand. The cards are revealed and then resolved in order from highest to smallest, with suit order breaking ties. Each card takes all the cards of same value OR same suit from the pool and then goes into the pool, so a card played never returns to the hand of the player and later cards can capture earlier cards. The cards that are left in the pool are discarded and a new pool of four cards is dealt. This process is repeated as long as there are cards left in the deck, then the player who has the best five-card Poker hand wins the game.
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- Cheapass Games
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Questions and answers
Lamarckian Poker supports 2–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Lamarckian Poker is 10 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Lamarckian Poker for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Lamarckian Poker has a complexity rating of 1.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Lamarckian Poker belongs to these categories: Card Game and Prehistoric. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Simultaneous Action Selection. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Lamarckian Poker are: James Ernest and David Howell. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Lamarckian Poker as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.