Objective

Stay in the game by winning at least 1 trick each round.

Gameplay

Deal

The dealing player rotates clockwise with each hand.

For the first hand, deal 7 cards to each player. This number decreases by 1 each hand, until 1.

There is a trump for each hand. For the first hand, turn the next card face up and use its suit.

From the second hand onwards, the player who won the most tricks last hand chooses the trump instead, unless there is a tie (in that case, use the first hand's method).

Play

The play begins with the player to the dealer's left, who leads the first card. The lead may be any suit.

Play follows clockwise. Each player must follow the suit led, if they can. If not, they may play any other card in their hand.

The player who has played the highest trump card, or if no trump was played, the highest card of the suit led, wins the trick. That player then leads to the next trick.

Continue until all tricks have been played and won.

Elimination

If a player takes no tricks in a hand, they are eliminated from the game.

When all but one player are eliminated, the game ends and the surviving player wins.

Variants

Dog's Life

The first time when a player would be eliminated (by taking no tricks in a hand), they gain the "Dog's Life" instead.

If several players are eliminated simultaneously, they all gain the Dog's Life.

A player on a Dog's Life is only dealt one card in the next hand, which can be played on any trick.

If a player on a Dog's Life manages to take a trick with their hand, they reenter the game and is dealt a normal hand starting from the next hand, as normal. If not, they are eliminated.

Card Exchange

After trumps are chosen but before the first trick is led, each player may discard 0-3 cards and redraw the same number of cards.