Game Play
Players must play a card within 10 seconds. If a player does not play a card within 10 seconds, the opposing player/team verbally states “Time”. The player has an additional 5 seconds to play a card (“5-second grace period”).
In-turn play: Cards cannot be pulled back once played.
Out-of-turn play: The penalty card stays face up on the table and is played at the first legal opportunity which includes:
- When another player leads suit of the penalty card
- When another player leads suit in which the offender is void
- Offender takes a trick and is on lead
If Offender plays another card when the penalty card should be played, then:
- Opposing player/team may require that the original penalty card be played, and the improperly played card remains on the table as a penalty card; or
- Opposing player/team may accept the improperly played card, if legal, and the original penalty card remains on the table as a penalty card.
Card Toss - Cards played in turn are played by tossing into the middle of the table. No spoon-feeding cards to indicate whose card was played or placing your cards directly on the bottom, on top, or directly in front of you or any other type of “patterned play.” Players are permitted to move a card in the middle of the table if they cannot see a card that is being obstructed by cards already out in the middle of the table. Players are not permitted to manipulate played cards in the middle of the table unless they are collecting the book to be racked.
Racking Cards – Cards for each book (trick) are racked in a vertical and horizontal manner interchangeably to easily assess the number of tricks won. (See side image).
Sandbags - Occurs when player/team makes more tricks/books beyond the bid. A bag is earned for each instance this occurs until the maximum threshold is reached (e.g., 5 or 10).
Example:
Assume a 500-point game, with a10-sandbag limit results in a 100-point sandbag penalty. If Team A already has 8 sandbags and accrues 2 more sandbags, they receive a 100-point penalty. The total number of sandbags resets to “0”. However, if the team has 8 sandbags and accrues 3 more sandbags, they receive a 100-point penalty and will still have “1” sandbag going into the next hand.
For an 8-sandbag limit, the total bags can only have the following numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. There is no 8th bag, since once that limit is reached, it will cycle back to 0, 1, 2...etc., depending on how many bags were obtained in the previous round.
Winning the Game
a. First team to reach the game max score of 250, 300, 500, etc. wins
b. Opposing team is –200 or less
c. Boston (Shooting the Moon). Team bids “13” and wins all the tricks in one hand to win automatically. The winning team is awarded the max score for that game (250, 300, 500, etc.). Losing team is only awarded the points accrued up to the previous round.
Tiebreakers – Win/Loss PCT, Head-to-head, Point Differential