Thousand — how to play

Simple rules — the game also teaches you as you play.

1. 24 cards (9 to ace), 7 each, 3 to the kitty. First to 1000 wins.
2. Card points: ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3, jack 2. The ten beats the king.
3. Bidding: the player after the dealer starts at 100, then +5 or +10, or pass. Without a marriage — no more than 120.
4. The winner of the bid takes the kitty and gives one card to each opponent. Follow suit; if you cannot, play a trump.
5. A marriage is a king and queen of one suit: ♠ 40, ♣ 60, ♦ 80, ♥ 100. Declare it by leading one of them after you have taken a trick — that suit becomes trumps.
6. Make your bid — score it; fail — lose it. Others score their points. The barrel starts at 880, a bolt is a zero deal, and exactly 555 drops you to 0.

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