32-card deck. Six cards each, two-card blind. Picker takes the blind and buries two cards back to six.
If everyone passes, play a leaster.
Picker + called-ace partner play against the three Defenders.
Picking side needs 61+ points. At 60–60, the Defenders win.
Callable aces are A♣, A♠ and A♥. For a normal call, the picker must retain at least one fail card in that suit.
If the picker had no fail card of that suit in the eight-card hand, the ace can be called “unknown” using your table procedure. It is still a club, spade or heart ace call.
The picker still takes the blind and buries two before going alone. If the picker has all three callable fail aces in the eight-card hand, your house rule requires going alone.
Normal card strength, trump order, follow-suit rules and point values. Lowest points wins, but the winner must take at least one trick.
The blind goes to the last trick. “Two tie = all tie.”
A = 11 · 10 = 10 · K = 4 · Q = 3 · J = 2
9, 8 and 7 are zero.
Q♣ is boss. Q♠ is near-boss. Black queens are much more valuable than red queens. Four or six trump can still be shaky if the top end is weak.
Do not automatically save black queens. Leading one early can strip opponents' trump and promote your weaker queens, jacks and diamonds.
A hand can start Q♠–Q♥–J♣ and then fall off a cliff to 7♦. Ask what happens after the first two or three strong trump are gone.
With a deep trump wall, preserve diamonds that can become boss cards later. A♦, 10♦, K♦ — even a low diamond — may be worth more than its printed points.
If you are the partner and have trump, the default first lead is your lowest trump into the picker. Everyone with trump must follow; the picker decides whether to take control or play low.
Feed a fail suit the picker is likely void in. Holding several cards in one fail suit is evidence. Picker position matters: a picker on the end can often trump cheaply; a picker immediately after you may have to spend a high trump.
If you have a fail card in the called suit, leading it is a strong default. It forces the called ace, exposes the partner, and may create a suit your side can trump later.
When the picker is last, they know what must be beaten and can use the cheapest winning trump. When the picker acts early, later players can overtrump.
Do not pretend a weak hand can control the game. Focus on getting your aces, tens and kings home on tricks your side is likely to win.
This helper stops after the opening lead. The rest of the hand is where you read the table, make mistakes, argue about them, and learn.
| Picking-side points | Picker | Partner | Each Defender |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | +6 | +3 | −3 |
| 91–119 | +4 | +2 | −2 |
| 61–90 | +2 | +1 | −1 |
| 31–60 | −4 | −2 | +2 |
| 0–30, at least one trick | −8 | −4 | +4 |
| No tricks | −12 | −6 | +6 |
| Picker points | Picker |
|---|---|
| 120 | +12 |
| 91–119 | +8 |
| 61–90 | +4 |
| 31–60 | −8 |
| 0–30, at least one trick | −16 |
| No tricks | −24 |
Lowest point total among players who took at least one trick wins one chip from each of the other four players: winner +4, everyone else −1.