The only rule you may be told is this one
October 2nd, 2006Today I was privileged to play my first game of Mao, a card game that one must play in order to learn. You see, the rules of the game are never discussed out loud. There is no talking why playing, and the rules aren’t written down anywhere. Game-play becomes increasingly complex as the game progresses. Attention to detail and memorization are both key skills for the game. I only had a chance to play four hands, but was a lot of fun. I hear that it is popular among hackers. Perhaps I can find a group of Linux enthusiasts that also play Mao. It is a tiring game because a great deal of mental exertion is necessary to play well.
You can try to find rules online, and they are not easy to find, but they are not going to help much as the rules vary from group to group. Besides, reading the rules online ruins the spirit of the game. Ask around and see if you can find someone who will play who might already know the rules. If you do, you are in for a lot of fun!