This is a game for 3 - 4 - 5 or 6 players using a normal pack of cards but not using the Jokers. For three players the 2 of clubs is discarded. For five players the 2 of clubs and 2 of spades are discarded. For six players all the 2's are discarded.

Each player plays as an individual, although unspoken partnerships can develop to try and ensure that a particular player does not achieve his contract. A player, having already gone down part way through a hand, may consider winning or losing a trick to prevent another player from achieving their contract.

Contract bidding is such that the total number of tricks contracted for cannot equal the total number of tricks available. The total number of tricks contracted for can be greater or lesser than the total number of tricks available. This ensures that at least one person will go down at each hand. A player MUST take EXACTLY THE NUMBER OF TRICKS CONTRACTED FOR, otherwise they go down. With 4 players, in the first hand there are 13 tricks available.

Player 1 contracts to take 5 tricks.
Player 2 contracts to take 3 tricks.
Player 3 contracts to take 0 tricks.
Player 4 (the dealer) contracts to take anything BUT 5 tricks although he still states an amount.

In the second and subsequent hands, the cards dealt to each player are reduced each time by one, until finally only one card each is dealt. At the end of each hand, each player is credited with the contracted tricks made, plus 10.

Thus if a player contracted to take 4 tricks, took 4, he would score 14. If a player contracted to take 0 tricks, took 0, he would score 10. If a player contracted to take 3 tricks, took anything but 3, he would score ZILCH (0).

The winner is the player with the highest TOTAL score.

The dealer and trumps are selected and thereafter the trump sequence is followed and a score sheet prepared. Basic Whist rules apply.

After the cards have been dealt, each player, starting with the player to the dealer's LEFT, declares his contract and a note of the declaration is made on the score sheet. The declarations continue in a clockwise direction until everyone has declared their contracts. Once contracts have been declared, they cannot be changed. The advice is THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK. Once all the contracts have been declared and noted, the game starts and is played under normal whist rules.

A score sheet may look something like this:-