Beat the Buzzard (also known as Hol’s der Geier) is a simultaneous card game designed by Alex Randolph. Players each have an identical set of numbered cards (1–15) and compete to win prize cards that are revealed one at a time. Prize cards include positive-value mice (worth points) and negative-value buzzards (penalties). Players simultaneously play one card from their hand each round; the highest unique bid wins a mouse, while the lowest unique bid gets stuck with a buzzard. Tied bids cancel each other out. The player with the most points after all prize cards have been claimed wins.
Components
5 sets of player cards, each numbered 1–15 (one set per player)
10 mouse cards, numbered 1–10 (positive points)
5 buzzard cards, numbered -1 to -5 (negative points)
Setup
Each player takes one complete set of cards numbered 1–15.
Shuffle the 15 prize cards (10 mice + 5 buzzards) and place them face-down in a central pile.
Determine a starting player or simply begin.
Turn Structure
Each round follows this sequence:
Reveal Prize Card: Flip the top card from the prize pile. It shows either a positive mouse value or a negative buzzard value.
Simultaneous Selection: Each player secretly selects one card from their hand and places it face-down.
Reveal Bids: All players simultaneously reveal their chosen cards.
Resolve Winner:
For a mouse (positive card): The highest unique bid wins the card. If multiple players tie for the highest, those bids cancel and the next-highest unique bid wins.
For a buzzard (negative card): The lowest unique bid is stuck with the card. If multiple players tie for the lowest, those bids cancel and the next-lowest unique bid gets it.
If all bids are tied or cancel out, the prize card carries over and is added to the next round’s prize.
Discard Played Cards: All played bid cards are removed from the game (each card can only be used once).
Repeat until all 15 prize cards have been resolved.
Actions
Bidding
Choose one card from your remaining hand to bid. Each card can only be used once per game, so managing which numbers to play on which prizes is the core strategy.
Tie-Breaking
Tied bids always cancel. This cascading cancellation continues until a unique bid is found or no valid winner exists (in which case the prize carries over).
Scoring / Victory Conditions
After all 15 prize cards have been claimed, each player totals the values of their won prize cards (mice are positive, buzzards are negative).
The player with the highest total score wins.
In case of a tie, tied players share the victory.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
If a prize card cannot be awarded because all bids cancel, the prize carries over and is combined with the next round’s prize card. Both are awarded to the winner of the next round.
Players must play a card each round; passing is not allowed.
With fewer than 5 players, remove the unused player card sets.
The game works with 3–5 players (some editions support 2 players with modified rules).