- The traditional version of Rook is played with four players. These players are divided up into two teams of two players each. The teammates sit across from the table from each other. Even though these players are member of the same team, they are not permitted to show each other their cards or participate in "table talk" -- letting their partner know anything about their cards.
- Remove all the ones through fours from the deck. These cards are not used in the traditional version of Rook but can be used in other variations of the game. Deal one card to each player and then one into the center of the table. Repeat this five times. At this point a total of 20 cards will have been dealt out. Deal the final 20 cards out to the players, with one card not being dealt. This will result in each player having 10 cards.
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The cards in the traditional game of Rook have four suits. These suits are the colors of black, red, green and yellow. Each suit features cards numbered from five through 14 -- remember, the cards below the five were removed from the deck. There is also a Rook card featuring a picture of a bird on it. This card is the highest trump card in the deck.
Only certain cards in the deck are worth points when captured in tricks. These cards include the five, 10 and 14 cards along with the Rook card. The five cards are worth five points, the 10s and 14s are worth 10 points, and the Rook card is worth 20 points. - Players take turns bidding how many points they think they can win during the 10 tricks played during a hand of Rook. The bidding starts at 70, and increases in increments of five. If a player does not wish to bid, he may pass. Once a player has passed, he may not bid again. The last player remaining in the bidding with the highest bid gets two privileges. She gets to pick up the five cards dealt into the center of the table and then discard any five cards from her hand after looking at all 15 cards. She can then name the color that will be the trump suit for that round of Rook.
- The player to the left of the bidder plays any card from his hand that he wishes to start the first trick. Each player must follow suit if she has a card of that suit in her hand. The only exception to this is that the player with the Rook card can play the Rook card even if he has a card in the suit that was led. The trick is won by the player who plays the highest card in the suit that was led, unless a trump card was played. If a trump card was played, the player who played the highest-ranking trump card wins the trick. Remember, other than the Rook card, a player can only play a trump card if she has no cards in the suit that was led in her hand.
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After all 10 tricks are played, the players count the point value of all the fives, 10s, 14s and Rook cards they won in the tricks. If the combined score for the bidder and his partner is higher than the bid, they score their point total from that hand. If it is lower, their bid is deducted from their score at the beginning of the round. The non-bidding team receives points for every five, 10, 14 and Rook card they win; there is no penalty for not exceeding the amount the bidding team bid.
Continue playing until one team has more than 300 points. That team is declared the winner. If both teams exceed 300 points on the same hand, the team that had the bid that hand is the winner.
