The aim is to get rid of all of the cards in hand without breaking certain unspoken rules which tend to vary by venue.

The person giving the penalty must state what the incorrect action was, without explaining the rule that was broken.

[6] While beginners sometimes assume that the dealer (sometimes called the "Chairman", the "Mao" or the "Grand Master") and other experienced players are simply making up possibly inconsistent rules (as in the games Mornington Crescent or Fizbin), the rules of Mao are consistent within each game and can be followed correctly.

It may have influenced the game Eleusis, which was published in Martin Gardner's column in Scientific American in June 1959.

[citation needed] Part of the traditional experience of Mao is a new player being forced to learn some or all of the rules of the game through observation and trial and error.

It has no restrictions on what cards to play (other than those made by the players) and can get very confusing when rules conflict.

This time period basically is an intermission to game play and often comes with its own set of rules.

Most versions penalize players for touching their cards (including failing to put them down in a timely manner) during a point of order.

The objective of a point of order is to clarify uncertain aspects of gameplay: particularly to allow disputes over penalties to be resolved.

[8][9][11] If exceeded, the player gets a penalty card for delay of game or late play and either loses their turn or gets another penalty every five seconds thereafter to either comply with any violated rules, or play a card.

In many variants an additional rule is silently and secretly added to the game with each round.

It is customary for a player (often the winner of the previous round, sometimes the next person to deal) to add one new rule to the game.

To create a rule, one could pick a triggering condition, and then an action and/or game effect.

The spirit of the rule is generally something in good fun; while rules that unfairly sway the game in favor of one player or to the detriment of one specific player are quite easy to concoct ("Every time James plays a ten, he gets a penalty of ten cards"), they are also generally frowned upon as unsportsmanlike.