Free The Penguin Book of Card Games: Everything You Need to Know to Play Over 250 Games by David Parlett Page B

case his partner announces how many he
    proposes to win. This establishes his side’s contract, which is lost if
    the nil bidder wins any tricks. Only one player per side may bid nil,
    unless otherwise agreed in advance (see Variants).
    ‘Blind nil’ is a nil bid made before a player looks at his cards. It
    is permit ed only to a player whose side is losing by 100 or more
    points. In this case the nil bidder then looks at his cards, and passes
    two face down to his partner, who adds them to his hand and
    passes two cards face down in return.
    Play To the first trick everyone must play their lowest club. Anyone
    void in clubs must play any heart or diamond, but not a spade.
    Whoever plays the highest club wins the trick and leads to the next.
    Play as at Whist or Bridge, but with the restriction that trumps
    (spades) may not be led until the suit is broken – that is, until a
    player has used a spade to trump a trick when unable to fol ow
    suit. This does not, of course, apply to a player who has only
    spades in hand to lead. Score A side that takes at least as many
    tricks as its bid scores 10 times its bid, plus 1 per overtrick. There is
    a penalty, however, for consistent underbidding. When, over a
    series of deals, a side’s overtricks total 10 or more (as witnessed by

    series of deals, a side’s overtricks total 10 or more (as witnessed by
    the final digit of their cumulative score), their score is reduced by
    100, and any overtricks above 10 are carried forward to the next
    cycle of ten. This is cal ed sandbagging. (Variant: Each overtrick
    counts minus 1 point and there is no sandbagging.)
    A Example: A side has a score of 488, and on the next deal bid five and win
    nine tricks. This brings them to 538 plus 4 for overtricks, making 542. For the
    excess of 12 overtricks they deduct 100, bringing them to 442 and leaving them
    with an excess of 2 towards the next cycle.
    For a failed contract, a side loses 10 points per trick bid.
    For a successful nil bid, the nil bidder’s side scores 50 points, in
    addition to the score won (or lost) by his partner for tricks made. If
    it fails, the nil bidder’s side loses 50 points, but any tricks taken by
    the nil bidder may be counted towards the fulfilment of his
    partner’s contract. Blind nil scores on the same principle, but
    doubled to 100.
    Game is 500 points.
    Variants Some players include two dif erentiated Jokers. Big Joker
    counts as the highest and Lit le Joker as the second highest spade,
    fol owed by Ace (etc.) down to Two. The last two cards go to the
    dealer (variant: to the holder of 2), who discards any two face
    down before (variant: after) bidding.
    In a variant popular with African Americans the 2 and 2 are
    stripped and replaced by dif erentiated Jokers. Trumps run: Big
    Joker, Lit le Joker, 2, then AKQJT9876543, but Ace remains
    highest in the other three suits. Any card may be led to any trick. A
    lost bid scores minus 10 times the bid value (e.g. a lost bid of 8
    scores –80), with no extras for undertricks. There is no nil bid, and
    instead of a blind nil a partnership can cal a ‘Blind Seven’,
    undertaking to win at least seven tricks before either partner has
    looked at his cards. This doubles the score to plus or minus 140,
    overtricks counting 1 each as usual.
    overtricks counting 1 each as usual.
    Many special cal s are recognized in dif erent circles, in dif erent
    combinations, and with dif erent procedures and scoring. Here’s a
    smal selection to choose from, or to suggest new ideas.
    Misdeal may be cal ed by a player with an of icial y recognized
    ‘bad’ hand’, such as one lacking spades or face cards, or containing
    seven or more of a plain suit. The cards are thrown in and a new
    hand dealt by the same dealer.
    10-for-200: A bid to win exactly 10 tricks for a score of 200, or
    minus 200 if lost.
    Moon, or Boston: A bid to win al 13 tricks, also worth plus or
    minus 200 (or 500 if 10-for-200 is also recognized).
    No trump: