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A trick-taking game for 2 to 7. Every hand you say how many tricks you'll take — then you have to take exactly that many. Not one more. Hence the name.
- One pack, no jokers. Ace high.
- The first hand is 7 cards each, then one fewer each hand down to 1, and back up. Thirteen hands in all.
- After the deal, the next card is turned over: its suit is trump for that hand.
- The deal moves one seat to the left each hand.
- Starting on the dealer's left, everyone says how many tricks they'll take, from 0 to the hand size.
- The hook: the dealer bids last, and may not make the bids add up to the number of cards. So at least one person is going to miss.
- The player left of the dealer leads the first trick. Anything goes on a lead.
- Everyone else must follow suit if they hold one. If you don't, play anything — a trump, or a throwaway.
- The trick goes to the highest trump in it; if there's none, to the highest card of the suit led.
- Whoever takes the trick leads the next one.
10 + tricksif you took exactly what you bid. A made bid of 0 scores 10, a made bid of 3 scores 13.
0if you took more or fewer than you said. Even by one.
Highest total after the last hand wins. The bottom of the table takes the hat.
On the felt: the strip across the top keeps every seat's bid, tricks taken and total; Scores opens the whole game hand by hand. On your bid you get pills 0 to N (the one the hook forbids is crossed out); on your go a card you can't play sits dim. If someone leaves mid-hand the game ends there and the scores stand.
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