Determination of seating positions and identity of the first dealer can be performed in a variety of ways, with a draw of cards a common method. Using this method each player would draw a card from the shuffled deck. Any players drawing duplicate cards of the same rank as another player has draw should discard the card drawn and draw another, continuing until drawing a card not drawn by any other player. The players would take thus seats at the table in order of precedence based on the ranking of cards drawn, from highest to lowest. The player drawing the highest card of all is set as the first dealer.
Once the players are seated and first dealer chosen, the dealer would thoroughly shuffle the deck and offer it to the player at his immediate left to cut. After the cut, the dealer begins dealing the cards in a counter-clockwise direction around the table, starting with the player at his right. He deals the cards one-at-a-time and face down, continuing until the entire deck has been dealt out. Some players may receive one extra card which is common and allowed.
Gameplay progresses through a series of tricks. The player to the immediate right of the dealer leads the first card to the first trick, with each other player playing a card to the trick in a counter-clockwise direction to the trick as able. On the first trick of the hand, the leader must lead to the trick the last card dealt to him during the deal. Each other player than plays a card to the trick in turn if able. If a player has a card of the same suit as originally led to the trick he must play it. If he has no such cards, but has a Joker he may optionally play the Joker, if he prefers. If he has no cards of the suit originally led to that trick, and has no Jokers or elects not to play a Joker to that trick, play to that particular trick immediately ends. The player who was unable to play a card to the trick must then take any one card from the trick, of his choice, however he may not take a Joker if the trick contains any. After this, the remaining cards from the trick, if any are set aside, out of play. It is then determined who has won the trick.
If a Joker was played to start a trick, each other player may play any card of choice from their hand, regardless of suit or denomination. A Joker played to a trick automatically wins that trick. If two players played jokers to the same trick, the first of the two Jokers played to the trick is indicated to win that trick. If the trick contains no Jokers the player of the highest card to that trick is declared the winner. The winner of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.
If a player legally plays his last card to a trick, he then drops from that hand. If that player was the winner of the trick, the next trick is led by the player of the next highest card to that trick who still has cards remaining in the hand. If a Joker was led to that trick, the player who still has cards remaining in the hand who played the highest card (of any suit) to that last trick leads to the next trick.
The hand continues until all but one player have depleted their hand of cards. This last player must then drop from the entire game (not taking part in further hands until the game has been completed with a winner decided). However, if two or more players manage to play their last card to the last trick, no player is forced to drop from that hand, with all currently active players advancing and continuing play in the next hand. Thus the next hand will be played with one fewer players, however that last player who was required to drop from the game deals out the next hand but does not deal any cards to himself. The nearest active player still having cards, in a counter-clockwise direction from this dealer, then leads the first card to the first trick, this card being the last card dealt to that player.
The game thus continues until there are only two active players in the last hand of that game, and whichever player manages to be first to deplete their hand on that last hand is declared the winner (called Champion) of the entire game. Whereas a new game can then be started, again including every player.