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add the nest cards to his hand, and discard any five cards from his hand that he chooses.

After the bidding has ended and the trump suit has been determined, play begins with the first player to the left of the dealer. The first player may place any card from his hand face up on the table. Play continues around the table clockwise. Each player must play a card of the same suit as the first card played in the round or play the Rook card. If a player doesn't have that specific suit or the Rook, the player may play any card, including a trump card.

Whoever takes the trick leads in the next round. 'Taking the trick' simply means whoever had the highest card of the suit that led or whoever had the highest trump card. The Rook bird card is always the highest trump card.

The Rook card may be played at any time during the game, even if you have other cards that will play. No other cards may be played this way. If someone leads a round with the Rook card, everyone else must play a trump card if they possess one. Also if a trump suit begins a round and a player only possesses the Rook bird card, that player must play the Rook card.

When the round is over, each player or team totals their points by adding up the counters that they have taken. If the winning bidder didn't make enough points to at least equal their bid, they lose the same number of points as their winning bid. In addition, they do not get to add any points for the counters that they did capture.

Rook is a great game in many ways. It's inexpensive. It can be played by children and adults alike. It involves strategy and skill. It's easy to learn. It can be addictive. Go to your nearest store, buy a deck, and try it out.

If you don't have any Rook partners, do an internet search for online Rook games. There are many Rook fanatics online. Or you can play online against a computer. Who knows, maybe you'll become so skilled that you will enter one of the many Rook tournaments across the nation.

Learn more about this author, Angela Harris.
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