Setup and deal
- Deal the entire deck clockwise. With four players each receives 13 cards.
- Before most hands, each player chooses three cards and passes them left, right, across, then holds on the fourth hand. Repeat that four-hand cycle.
- After the pass, the player holding the 2♣ leads it. If that card was removed for a smaller game, lead the lowest club.
Taking tricks
- Players must follow the led suit when able. Otherwise they may discard another suit.
- The highest card of the led suit wins. There is no trump. The trick winner leads next.
- On the first trick, do not discard a heart or Q♠ unless the hand contains no alternative.
- Hearts cannot be led until a heart or Q♠ has been discarded, unless the leader has only hearts.
Scoring
- Each captured heart is 1 penalty point. Q♠ is 13, so every normal hand contains 26 points.
- Shooting the moon means capturing all 13 hearts and Q♠. Standard scoring gives every opponent 26 and the shooter 0.
- When anyone reaches 100 or more after a hand, the game ends and the lowest total wins. Ties continue until broken.
Quick table check
- Confirm the passing direction before looking at received cards.
- Keep won tricks face down but separated by player so the scoring cards can be verified.
- A player may inspect their own captured tricks but not another player's hand.
Common house rules
- 50-point short game or a different target
- Subtract 26 from the shooter instead of adding 26 to opponents
- Jack of diamonds worth −10
- No passing on every fourth hand