Whist with an auction, a kitty, and the choice to play low.
Whist with an auction, a kitty, and one thing no other whist has: you may declare that the low cards win. Four players in partnerships, popular in African American card-playing tradition for over a century.
54 cards — a full deck with both jokers. The jokers are the two highest trumps, big joker above little joker.
Twelve cards each and six face down as the kitty.
Bid a number of tricks above six, from three to seven, along with uptown, downtown or no-trump.
Uptown means aces are high in the trump suit, as normal. Downtown means the trump suit runs the other way — the two is the highest trump and the ace is the lowest. The other suits are unaffected.
No-trump is bid as high or low and uses no jokers.
The winner takes the kitty, discards six, and names the trump suit.
Follow suit if you can. Highest trump wins, otherwise the highest card of the suit led — remembering that in a downtown contract highest means lowest.
The declaring side scores 1 point per trick taken above six, and loses the amount bid if they fall short. The defenders score 1 per trick they take above six. No-trump contracts are usually worth double.
Game is 7 points.
Taking all thirteen tricks is a Boston and is worth a large bonus, agreed beforehand.