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Go To: Bidding and Naming Trump - Melding - Playing the Game - Playing at Yahoo!

Playing the Game
The highest bidder leads to the first trick, and may choose to play any card from his or her hand, including cards previously melded. Each player in turn, moving clockwise around the table, also plays a card. After each player has played a card, the four cards constitute a trick, which is won by one of the players, as explained below, and placed facedown to be scored after the hand.

A player must follow suit if possible, and must "head" the trick (also known as "crawl")--that is, beat the highest card played so far on the trick, if possible. A player who cannot follow suit must play a trump if able, and must play a higher trump than anyone else has played so far, if able. A player who cannot beat the card played must still follow suit (any card in the suit may be played), and a player who is out of the suit led must still play a trump even if unable to beat the highest trump played so far. If a suit other than trump is led and someone plays a trump, players who have cards in the original suit may play any card of that suit. (They are no longer required to play higher cards in the suit because they cannot beat the trump.) Players with neither the suit led nor trump may play any card in their hands.

A trick is won by the highest trump played on it or, if no trumps are played, by the highest ranking card of the suit led. From high to low, cards rank as follows: ace, ten, king, queen, jack. If two or more identical cards are played on a trick, the first one played outranks the others.

The winner of a trick leads to the next trick, and is always free to choose any card in his or her hand.

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Playing the Game
	The highest bidder leads to the first trick, and may choose to play any card from his or her hand, including cards previously melded. Each player in turn, moving clockwise around the table, also plays a card. After each player has played a card, the four cards constitute a trick, which is won by one of the players, as explained below, and placed facedown to be scored after the hand. A player must follow suit if possible, and must "head" the trick (also known as "crawl")--that is, beat the highest card played so far on the trick, if possible. A player who cannot follow suit must play a trump if able, and must play a higher trump than anyone else has played so far, if able. A player who cannot beat the card played must still follow suit (any card in the suit may be played), and a player who is out of the suit led must still play a trump even if unable to beat the highest trump played so far. If a suit other than trump is led and someone plays a trump, players who have cards in the original suit may play any card of that suit. (They are no longer required to play higher cards in the suit because they cannot beat the trump.) Players with neither the suit led nor trump may play any card in their hands. A trick is won by the highest trump played on it or, if no trumps are played, by the highest ranking card of the suit led. From high to low, cards rank as follows: ace, ten, king, queen, jack. If two or more identical cards are played on a trick, the first one played outranks the others. The winner of a trick leads to the next trick, and is always free to choose any card in his or her hand. Back to Top Next: Playing at Yahoo!