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Nap
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No. of Players |
2 – 9 |
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Cards to be dealt |
5 cards dealt face down to each player plus one floating card. 2 – 5 players only 9’s up to aces used (Aces high) 6 – 7 players only 6’s up to aces used 8 – 9 players use the whole pack |
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Stake |
Stakes are agreed in accordance with the following ascending order of bids:- 1. Three tricks with the use of the floating card 2. Three tricks without the use of the floating card 3. Four tricks with the floating card 4. Four tricks without 5. Five tricks (known as Nap) with 6. Five tricks (Nap) without (Highest Bid possible) If all the hands are thrown in without a bid being made, then the stakes are doubled for the next round |
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Object |
To bid and make the number of tricks declared. |
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Preliminaries |
Cut for deal. The dealer changes each round in clockwise rotation. Before bidding commences, the dealer looks at and notes the floating card and replaces it face down on the table. The player to the left of the dealer commences proceedings by looking at his or her hand, assessing its value in terms of trick taking and then has the following options:- 1. Passing without bidding. 2. Paying (an amount agreed at the start of the game into a central kitty) to look at the floating card with the intention of trying to improve his or her hand by substituting one of the five cards held with the floating card. After looking at the floating card the player may still pass or make a bid as outlined in the table above, stating whether the bid is with or without the floating card. 3. Make a positive bid without looking at the floating card. The bidding then passes to the next player who repeats the process but who may only make a positive bid if it exceeds the previous highest bid made. The floating card remains the same and face down throughout the bidding with each player either choosing to pay to look at the card or simply passing it on to the next player. The dealer who has had a free look at the floating card before bidding commenced is the last to bid. Once the dealer has had his or her go, the bidding passes round the table again in rotation, giving any player the opportunity to increase their original bid to win the auction. |
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Play |
The player who wins the auction is the first to play and the first card played determines the trump suit. Before that stage, the floating card will either be declared superfluous or substituted in accordance with the bid made and the rejected card will remain undisclosed and returned to the residue of the pack. Play will begin as in Whist (see knockout whist) and the player who won the auction will endeavour to make or exceed the number of tricks declared in the bidding. If he or she is successful, all players will pay to the winner according to the scale agreed. If the auction is defeated, i.e. the number of tricks declared has not been achieved, the loser will pay an amount according to the scale to all the other players. |
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NB |
The central kitty may only be won by a player who calls and makes "Nap" either with or without the floating card. |