Buy Mechanism (v5.1.3)
The buy mechanism allows players to claim a recently discarded card "out of turn." This is a powerful strategic tool—but buys are limited, so use them wisely.
How Buying Works
The Buy Window
When a player discards, a buy window opens for the player who is "out of turn" (skipped in normal rotation):
| Who Discarded | First Buy Opportunity | Second Buy Opportunity |
|---|---|---|
| Human | Jabot | — |
| Habot | Human | — |
| Jabot | Habot | Human (if Habot passes) |
Buy Cost
- You receive the discarded card
- You also draw a penalty card from the deck
- Your buy count decreases by 1
Buy Limits
- Hands 1–6: 3 buys per player per hand
- Hand 7: Fewer buys (increased difficulty)
- Unused buys do not carry over between hands
The Three-State Buy Button
| State | Color | Icon | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your Turn | 🟢 Green | 👆 | "BUY! (Xs)" |
| AI Thinking | 🟡 Amber | ⏳ | "AI... (Xs)" |
| Locked | 🔴 Red | 🔒 | "WAIT" |
The Buy Window Flow (Example)
Turn: Habot
┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Habot evaluates hand │
│ 2. Habot discards 7♠ │
│ 3. 7♠ appears on discard pile │
│ 4. Buy button turns 🟢 GREEN │
│ "👆 BUY! (16s)" │
│ 5. Human has 16 seconds to decide │
│ - If Human buys: receives 7♠ + penalty│
│ - If Human passes: window closes │
│ 6. Buy button turns 🔴 RED │
│ 7. Human's turn begins │
└──────────────────────────────────────────┘