How to Play 3-5-8
Description
Three seats, three different targets, and only one of you can be comfortable.
Objective
Take exactly the number of tricks your seat demands — three, five or eight — and pass any shortfall to whoever came up short with you.
Setup
A standard 52-card deck. Three players.
Deal sixteen cards to each of the three players, with the last four cards set aside as a kitty for the player needing eight to draw into.
Rules
Each seat has a fixed target for the hand: one player must take three tricks, one five, and one eight. The targets rotate with the deal.
The player needing eight names the trump suit after looking at their hand and exchanging cards with the widow.
Follow suit if you can; otherwise trump or discard. Highest trump takes the trick, or the highest card of the suit led.
Winning
Meeting your target exactly scores nothing against you. Every trick short of your target is a bag owed.
Bags are settled between players at the end of each hand, and play continues until someone reaches the agreed limit and drops out.