A game for 2

1. Remove all cards numbered 1, 2 and 3 of each color from deck, leaving 44 cards.

2. DEALING: To choose dealer, players draw for high card. The dealer shuffles the deck well and deals 10 cards each, face down, one at a time, alternately to opponent and self. Dealer then deals 10 cards each for opponent’s battery and dealer’s battery. The first 5 cards of each battery are dealt face down, side by side in a row, in front of each player. The next 5 cards are dealt face up on top of these cards, making 5 groups of 2 cards each. Thus each player begins the game with 10 cards in hand and battery of 10 cards, 5 of which are face up, and 5 camouflaged, covered up, face down. The 4 cards remaining are placed at the side of the table face down, as a nest.

3. BIDDING: Bid for the privilege of naming the trump color as in regular game. The dealer must begin by bidding 50 or over. High bidder names the trump color and then picks up the nest. He may exchange any of the cards in the nest for cards in the hand in order to strengthen his hand. He puts 4 cards back into the nest. No Count Cards-5’s, 10’s and 14’s- may be discarded or left in the nest. The nest is then removed from the table.

4. PLAY: Low bidder leads by playing a card from his own hand. High bidder follows. Opponent then plays any exposed card from his battery. High bidder follows by playing from his battery, completing a trick of 4 cards. The hand or battery capturing a trick leads for the next play. When a battery card takes a trick, that battery leads. Then the opposing battery plays, after which the owner of the first battery plays from his hand. Then the opponent does likewise. Note that one battery always plays immediately after the other, and one opponent plays from his hand after the other has done so.

A play from the battery is made only from the face up cards. As soon as an exposed card has been played from the battery, the card beneath it is turned face up ready to be used.

5. SCORING: 200 points win the game. Count Cards score as in regular game- each 14 counts 10, each 10 counts 10 and each 5 counts 5. Points captured by a player’s battery count as his own. If high bidder makes good his bid, both players score what they earn. If he fails to equal his bid, he receives no score, and his opponent’s score in that hand is doubled. Players may, if they wish, add 2 points for each captured trick.

6. All other rules are identical to regular game.