Components
- 1 standard 52-card deck
- Tokens, coins, or pencil and paper for scoring
Deck & Setup
Use only Aces through 8s of all four suits, creating a 32-card deck. Ace = 1; 2–8 are face value; suits have no effect.
Each player begins with 0 points. Choose a starting player and shuffle.
- 3 players: deal 10 cards each and set the remaining 2 aside unseen.
- 4 players: deal 8 cards each.
Objective
Play cards to a running total without going over 9. Make exactly 9 to score, force opponents to pass, and be the first to empty your hand. After all rounds, most points wins.
Playing a Count
The starting player leads any card. Its value becomes the running total. Play continues clockwise.
On your turn, you must play one card if you can do so without taking the total above 9. Add its value to the total. You may not pass if you have a legal card.
Make 9
If your card makes exactly 9, score 2 points, end the Count immediately, clear the played cards, and lead the next Count.
Unable to Play
If every card in your hand would take the total above 9, lose 1 point (never below 0) and pass for the rest of that Count.
Last Player Standing
If every other player has passed and play would return to the player who made the last legal play, that player scores 1 point, the Count ends, and that player leads the next Count.
Ending a Round
The Round ends immediately when a player plays their final card. There is no bonus for emptying your hand. If the final card makes exactly 9, score the normal 2 points.
Shuffle and deal again. The player who emptied their hand starts the next Round.
Ending the Game
Play a number of Rounds equal to the number of players plus one: 4 Rounds with 3 players; 5 Rounds with 4 players. The player with the most points wins. Tied players share the victory.