Capitol City Card Club - Rules of play

• Players will pull for the deal to begin each round. High card deals first, and the deal rotates clockwise.
• Dealer must deal left to right, with no cross dealing, teasers, switch dealing or sporting the kitty.
• No consecutive cards may be dealt into the kitty.
• The dealer must get the last card.
• Deal must be completed before hands are picked up by players.

              NOTE: COUNT YOUR CARDS WHEN THE DEALER HAS FINISHED DEALING.

      It is considered a MISDEAL when:

• A card is exposed while dealing.
• An incorrect number of cards are dealt.
• Too many or not enough cards are put into the kitty.
• Cards are not dealt into the kitty.
• The first four (4) or last four (4) cards are dealt into the kitty.
• An incomplete deck of cards is used.

 NOTE: If a misdeal is discovered before any cards have been played, the dealer re-deals. If a misdeal is discovered after the first card has been played, then the team that caused the misdeal will lose that hand 

 The Kitty will contain six (6) cards. There is no sporting of the kitty. The first four (4) and last four (4) cards cannot be placed in the kitty. At the beginning of each hand, the bidder must make sure the bid is recorded BEFORE picking up the kitty. The bidder keeps the discarded kitty and the partner will collect and neatly stack books won in the order collected 

Progressive Bidding - Half bidding is not allowed. A low bid cannot take out a high bid of the same number.

• A no trump bid beats a number bid whether hi(high)/special bid. The minimum Bid is 4.
• You must BID or say PASS. BACK BIDDING is not allowed. “I PASS” is not allowed and is a TECH
• NUMBER = HIGH OR UPTOWN. Correct Verbiage: 4, 5, 6, or 7.
• # SPECIAL = Downtown or Low. Correct Verbiage: 4, 5, 6, or 7 Special.
• No trump bids: Correct Verbiage: 4 No, 5 No, 6 No, 7 No.
  • If the No bid is won, state your direction as UP or DOWN
• If the first 3 players PASS, the dealer must bid at least the Minimum Bid of a 4, 4 Special or 4 No.
• A bidder may ask that the bids be repeated during the bidding process.
• The winner bidder may re-announce their bid prior to beginning play.

 If a player makes an improper bid, that player must bid the next number in the same direction. FOR EXAMPLE: If any 5 bid is on the table and a player bids a 5 bid that player must bid 6in the same direction as the improper bid.  PAY ATTENTION TO THE BIDS. After the first card is played, you must refer to the score sheet to determine the bid. 

At the determination of the Tournament Director, based on timing of events, prior to starting the rounds, tournament director will announce the number of rounds/hands to be played.  Tournaments may consist of a varied number of rounds and hands.

            Example:   4 Rounds / 4 or 5 Hands
                              5 Rounds / 4 or 5 Hands
                              8 Rounds / 4 or 5 Hands
 Winning calculations will be determined by hands won, Points and then Bostons.

 Select a score keeper for the table. Record the score on the appropriate score sheet (Color Coded and pre-numbered by Round) for each hand according to the instructions and/or SAMPLE SCORE SHEET that was provided prior to the tournament. Record points associated with the bid and what was earned for each hand. You get what you make. In a No Bid, points are doubled. A Boston NO is 14 Pts.  If you set your opponent, the team setting the bid will be awarded the points associated with the bid. Tally the scores for each hand played and record in the Tally Box. One team representative from each team is required to validate the score recorded with a signature. A monitor will collect and verify the score sheet before leaving the table. Your score will be based on the number of hands you won and points earned per round.  A signed and submitted score sheet is FINAL!!! 

 Each table will be numbered and each team will be assigned a team number by the host club.
In 5 Round Tournaments EVEN numbered teams will rotate forward for rounds 2 & 3.  Odd numbered teams will rotate backwards in rounds 4 & 5.
In 8 Round tournament, even numbered teams will rotate forward in rounds 2, 3, and 4.  Odd numbered teams will rotate backwards in rounds 5, 6, 7 and 8.  

Teams will be seated according to Team Number with even numbered teams seated east/west, and odd numbered teams seating north/south.  Once you complete a round, please exit the tournament area or remained seated quietly until the time clock has expired, and you are directed to move to the next table. The Tournament Director or a monitor will notify you when your next table is available. 

 The Guarantee or Colored Joker is the BIG JOKER in a trump bid. Jokers have no value (Nil) in a No bid. The Joker must be played the first time you cannot follow suit during a No bid. If awarded a No bid, you must discard the Joker(s) in the kitty.  Failure to discard the joker properly is a Tech 

• A player fails to follow suit while possessing a card of that suit.
• In a No-Trump bid, a player fails to play a Joker the first time a suit is led when the player does not have that suit.
• The bidder of a No-Trump bids fails to discard the Joker(s) in the kitty.
• A card laid is a card played when it is exposed on the playing surface.
• Once a renege is proven, the team causing the renege loses that hand.
• A renege can only be called by the opposing team.

NOTE: DO NOT ANTICIPATE THE NEXT PLAY. PAY ATTENTION TO THE CARDS YOU ARE PLAYING. 

It is considered a Technical (Tech) Call when the opposing team calls an official to the table to dispute a technical action. Each technical action will he handled by the official to determine the validity of the Technical Call. It is a technical (Tech) action for any of the following:

• A player plays out of turn (except on the last book).
• A player bids out of turn.
• A player is "talking the board" to their partner or another person.
• A player reneges by failing to follow suit on a closed book and plays the same suit on an open play. NOTE: If a Renege is called - Do not throw in your cards. Call an official to your table for a ruling. Once a renege is proven, the team causing the renege loses that hand.
• A player reopens a closed book without an official being present at the table.
• A player pops, slams cards or gives any type of signal - verbal or nonverbal.
• Exposed card: when another card falls from a player’s hand while playing.
• If a technical violation is proven, the violating team loses the hand and the opposing team is awarded the points associated with the bid. 

 The top four teams with the highest number of Wins/Hands won will automatically win 1st through 4th place. In the event there are multiple teams tied with total number of Wins/Hands won, the first criteria for tie-breaker will be number of Points, then number of Bostons. Should this not resolve any ties, there will be a one-hand play-off to determine the winners place.
 

• All rounds will be timed. Each Round will be a timed 20 or 25 minutes, based on the number of hands in the round, with a maximum of 5 minute intermission between rounds at the discretion of the Tournament Director. After intermission, the next round will start. Keep talking to a minimum. Remember this is a tournament where each round is timed.
• If one team (or person) is not sitting at the table when the clock is started and the teams are not able to complete all five hands, the team that was late will automatically lose the hands that were not completed. The opposing team (the team originally sitting at the table) will be awarded 5 points for each hand not completed.
• All hands must be played out unless a set is conceded by the bidder, or the bidder states “I have no losers, may I lay it down?”. Failure to have all the winning books is a Tech.
• The bidder must have all the winning trump or all winning cards.  
• All books must be completely turned down and stacked neatly before the next card is played.
• Each player must have an opportunity to see the cards before they are collected.
• All cell phones should be on silent or turned off. No talking on phone while in tournament play.
• No Profanity. Continued usage will result in tournament ejection.
• No refunds on entry/tournament fee - period!!!
• Disputes and disagreements shall be resolved in a civilized manner without raising your voice or shouting. If there is a problem, call a tournament official to your table.
• Argumentative behavior will not be tolerated and will result in ejection from tournament.
• Rulings of the tournament officials are FINAL.
• In the event of an emergency situation a filler team and/or proxy player may be provided.