OBJECTIVE OF DIXIE ROOK: Be the first team to 300 points or more
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 or 6 players in partnerships
NUMBER OF CARDS: 56 Rook playing cards
RANK OF CARDS: (low) 1 – 14 (high)
TYPE OF GAME: Trick taking
AUDIENCE: Adults
INTRODUCTION OF DIXIE ROOK
Dixie Rook is a partnership trick taking game for 4 or 6 players. It was created by George Parker in 1912, and it plays similarly to standard Rook with a few key differences. The most notable change is the inclusion of all 14 ranks. Also, 14’s are not count cards. Instead, 13’s become a 10 point count card. Teams earn 20 points for capturing the most tricks. Both of these factors must be considered when bidding.
For the 6 player ruleset, see the 6 PLAYER RULES section at the bottom of the page.
THE CARDS & THE DEAL
Dixie Rook uses a 56 card Rook deck, and it does not include the 20 point Rook card. Shuffle and deal thirteen cards to each player one at a time. The remaining four cards are the nest for the round. Place those face down in a pile.
Deal passes left each round.
THE PLAY
BIDDING
Players bid based on how many points they believe their team can capture after determining the trump color. In this game, points are earned for collected count cards as well as each captured trick. There are a total of 120 points possible each round – 100 points in count cards, and 20 points for being the team that takes the most tricks. A typical maximum bid is 95 points.
Beginning with the player left of the dealer, each player bids or passes. Once a player passes, they cannot jump back in with a bid later. The first player to bid must bid at least 70. All following bids must be higher and a number divisible by 5. For example, if the first player bid 70, the following bid could be 75, 80, 85 and so on. Bidding continues until all but one player passes.
The bid-winner picks up the nest and adds it to their hand. They choose any four cards from their hand and discard them face down to form the new nest. That player then decides the trump color for the round.
THE FIRST TRICK
Player left of the dealer leads the first trick with any card. Following players must play a card that matches in color if they can. If they can’t, they may play any card. The highest ranking card in the color that was led, or the highest trump colored card wins the trick. The trick-winner leads the next trick. Play continues until all of the tricks are played.
THE LAST TRICK
The player that captures the final trick also gets the nest. That team earns points for any count cards in the nest and the nest counts as a trick towards the team’s trick total.
Continue playing rounds until one team wins.
SCORING
14’s are not count cards in this game. They remain the highest ranking card for each color, but they are not worth additional points. Instead, 13’s are count cards worth 10 points each. 10’s are worth 10 points each, and 5’s are worth 5 points each.
The team that captured the most tricks earns 20 points. Should both teams end up with 7 tricks at the end of the round, all of the players cut the deck. Each team adds up the total of their cut cards, and the highest total wins the points for having the most tricks.
If the bid winning team fails to meet their bid, they deduct the value of their bid from their score. A score may go into the negatives.
WINNING
The first team to reach 300 points or more wins the game.
6 PLAYER RULES
Each team has three players. Seating should alternate based on the team (Team 1, Team 2, Team 1, Team 2, and so on). Deal 9 cards to each player with a 2 card nest remaining. Play as described above.
- TRIPLE SNAKES - February 15, 2021