Win two books
A book is one round of three cards. Play the highest card in the suit that was led.
Tap the glowing Ace to win your first book.FIRST FLIGHT · 3 MINUTES
Learn by stealing an Ace.
No rulebook. Six tiny decisions teach books, following suit, trump, quotas, and the move that gives the game its name.
Lesson 1 of 6 · Replay anytime
🐔Sneaky HenVULNERABLE
Rules at a glance
Classic 7/6/4 is the recommended baseline. Platform house rules are labeled so experienced card players can see exactly what is different before the first deal.
Deck and rank
Remove the Two of Hearts, Diamonds, and Spades. Keep the Two of Clubs and add Big and Little Joker. Non-trump ranks Ace high; trump ranks Big Joker, Little Joker, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, then 10 through 2.
Start and dealer
Deal clockwise. The dealer calls trump and needs 7 books; the player to the left needs 6 and the player to the right needs 4. Dealer rotates clockwise after every hand.
Follow suit
The holder of the Two of Clubs must lead it for the first book. After a suit is led, play that suit whenever you can. If you are void, you may discard or play trump.
Break trump
Trump cannot be led until a player cuts a non-trump lead while void in that suit. If Clubs is trump, the opening Two of Clubs breaks trump immediately. If only trump remains, it may be led.
Win a book
The highest trump wins. If no trump was played, the highest card in the led suit wins. The winner collects the book and leads the next one.
Pluck exchange
After the dealer locks trump, offer a non-trump card to a vulnerable rival. Its suit determines the return: you receive that rival's highest card of the offered suit. The selected trump suit and both Jokers are protected.
Quota pressure
Each book above quota scores one point and earns one pluck for the next hand. Hitting quota exactly is safe but scores nothing. Each book below quota creates one point of vulnerability.
Who plucks first
The player with the most rights acts first. Ties use seat order relative to the dealer. Multiple pluckers alternate until all rights and vulnerabilities are resolved.
DISCLOSED DIFFERENCES
Platform house rules
These choices are intentional and enforced by the authoritative game server.
The first human or AI to receive any Jack during the opening deal becomes the first dealer. This replaces drawing high; later deals rotate normally.
Big and Little Joker are locked until trump is broken. After the break they remain trump cards: follow the led suit when able, or play a Joker when trump is led or you are void.
Game flow
- 1Shuffle & deal
Cards travel clockwise, one at a time. The first Jack dealt selects the opening dealer.
- 2Call trump
The dealer chooses Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, or Spades before any earned plucks begin.
- 3Resolve plucks
From hand two onward, earned exchanges happen after trump is locked. Trump cards cannot be taken.
- 4Play the books
The Two of Clubs opens. Follow suit, cut when void, and track each seat's quota.
- 5Score the hand
Every book above quota scores one point and earns one pluck. A deficit creates vulnerability.
- 6Race to 20
The first player to reach or pass the match target wins.
Rule presets
Classic 7/6/4
51 cards · 17 each · quotas 7/6/4 · only the Two of Clubs remains.
Full Deck 7/6/5
54 cards · 18 each · quotas 7/6/5 · all four Twos remain.
Table questions
Why is a card dimmed?
Dim cards are illegal in the current state—usually because you must follow suit, the Two of Clubs must open, or trump has not been broken. Glowing cards are legal.
Where do Jokers sit in my hand?
After trump is chosen, the trump group moves to the left of your hand. Big Joker and Little Joker sit first because they are its two highest cards.
When can I play a Joker?
Only after trump is broken. A Joker is a trump card, so you must still follow the led suit when you can. If trump is led, a Joker follows trump; if you are void after the break, you may cut with it.
Can trump or a Joker be plucked?
No. The dealer locks trump before plucking begins. Every card in that suit, including both Jokers, is protected from the exchange.
What is a book?
A book, also called a trick, is one card from each of the three players. The winning player collects it toward their quota.
Ready to play? Start as a guest, pick any AI difficulty, or join a live table.
TAKE A SEAT →