- Deck. 48 cards: each of 9, J, Q, K, T, A appears TWICE in every suit.
- Meld. Before play, score combinations from your hand: marriages (K+Q), pinochles (J♦+Q♠), runs in trump, and "arounds" (one of a rank in each suit).
- Trick play. Follow suit if able. Trump beats non-trump. Card order: A > T > K > Q > J > 9. Points: A=11, T=10, K=4, Q=3, J=2.
- Score. Meld + trick points. Last trick = +10. Higher total wins this hand.
- v1 note. This is the simplified two-hand variant. No bidding, no widow, no melding during tricks.