Four Hand Sixty-Six

The Pack

The A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7 of each suit are pulled from a standard 52-card pack to form a 32-card deck

Rank of Cards

A (high), 10, K, Q, J, 9,8,7

The Deal

Eight cards are dealt clockwise to each player in packets of three, then two, then three, beginning with the player on the dealer's left. The last card is turned for trump and belongs to dealer.

Object of the Game

The goal is to score 66 points as follows: Each ace (taken in on tricks) 11 Each ten (taken in on tricks) 10 Each king (taken in on tricks) 4 Each queen (taken in on tricks) 3 Each jack (taken in on tricks) 2 Winning last trick 10

The Play

The player on the dealer's left leads, and each succeeding player in turn not only must follow suit but must win the trick if possible. If the player cannot follow suit, he must trump or top the previous trump if he can.

Either player holding the nine of trumps may exchange it for a higher trump card at any time provided they have previously won a trick, unless the nine is the last card in the stock.

After the stock is exhausted or closed, the non-leader on each trick must follow suit if possible.

Closing

Either player may close (end the game), when they have the lead, either before or after drawing, by turning down the trump card. Thereafter, no cards are drawn, and the last trick does not score 10 points. If either player announces during play that their score is 66 or more, the play immediately stops and the game is "closed."

How to Keep Score

A side counting 66 or more, but less than 100, scores 1 game point; a side with more than 100 but less than 130 scores 2 points; if it takes every trick (130), the side wins 3 points. If each side has 65, neither scores, and 1 game point is added to the score of the winners of the next hand.

The side that scores 7 game points first, wins.