How to Play King
Description
Six ways to lose and one way to win, played in a fixed order until everyone has declared each one.
Objective
Survive a series of negative contracts, then win as many tricks as possible in the positive ones.
Setup
A standard deck stripped to 32 cards for four players, eight cards each.
The game runs as a fixed sequence of contracts, each dealt fresh.
Rules
In the negative contracts you are avoiding things: no tricks, no hearts, no queens, no men (Jacks and Kings), no last two tricks, and not the King of Hearts.
In the positive contracts you are chasing tricks instead, scoring for each one taken.
Follow suit if you can; there is no trump. The highest card of the suit led takes the trick.
Winning
Each contract has its own penalty or reward per card taken, and the deal rotates so every player declares each contract once.
When all contracts have been played, the highest cumulative score wins.