ROOK FOR TWO



OBJECTIVE OF ROOK FOR TWO:  Be the first player to 150 points or more

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 players

NUMBER OF CARDS: 44 Rook playing cards

RANK OF CARDS:  (low) 4 – 14 (high)

TYPE OF GAME: Trick taking

AUDIENCE: Adults


INTRODUCTION OF ROOK FOR TWO

Rook for Two uses the 1914 publishing of the rules as its source.  George S. Parker (of the Parker Bros.) wrote the rules himself.  One interesting thing to note is that the Rook card was not used in the standard rules for this game.  The instructions here on GameRules will hold true to the original 1914 publication by not including the Rook card.

It should also be noted that this rendition plays differently than the modern day 2 player variation included in Hasbro’s instructions for the game.

THE CARDS & THE DEAL

 Remove the 1’s, 2’s, 3’s and the Rook card to form a 44 card deck.  Draw cards to determine the first dealer for the game.  This game incorporates what is called a Dummy hand.  The Dummy will always be dealt the same amount of cards as the two players.

Beginning with the opposite player, deal one card at a time until both players and the Dummy possess 13 cards.  The Dummy’s hand is always located to the right of the dealer, and the hand is kept in a neat face down pile.  

The last five cards form the nest, and they are kept face down.

Deal alternates each round.

THE PLAY

BIDDING

Players bid to see who decides the trump color for the round.  There are a total of 126 points available each round.  100 points can be earned from count cards, and 26 points can be earned from capturing tricks.  

The dealer bids first with an automatic bid of 30 points.  Players take turns bidding until one passes.  The player that wins the bid declares which color will be trump.  After declaring the trump suit, that player picks up the five card nest and adds it to their hand.  The player may exchange two cards from their hand with two cards from the nest.  It must be two cards or none at all.  After the exchange, the nest is removed from play.  

FIRST TRICK

The player opposite of the dealer leads the first trick.  They play any one card from their hand.  The Dummy goes next.  The dealer removes the top card from the Dummy’s hand and plays it to the trick.  The Dummy always plays the top card from their pile regardless of the color that was led.  The player following must play the same color as what is led if possible.  If they cannot play the same color that was led, they play any card.  The highest card in the color led or the highest trump card captures the trick.  That player leads the next trick.  If the Dummy captures the trick, it is placed face down near the Dummy’s hand.  The Dummy leads the next trick with the top card from their hand.

Play continues until all of the tricks have been played.  Continue playing rounds until one player wins.

SCORING

The score does not need to be kept for the Dummy.  If the player who calls trump meets their bid, both players earn 2 points for each trick they capture.  Count card points are also earned as follows:

5’s = 5 points each

10’s = 10 points each

14’s = 10 points each

If the player that calls trump fails to meet their bid, that player earns zero points.  Their opponent’s points are doubled for the round.

WINNING

The first player to earn 150 points wins the game.  

Mark Ball
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