Four-Player 40-Point Tractor · Game rules
One 54-card deck is used. Four players receive 12 cards each, with 6 bottom cards; opposite seats are fixed partners.
Trump and dealer
Everyone may reveal trump, normally at the scheduled dealer’s level; permission to reveal is not permission to become dealer. Opposite seats are fixed partners. If the previous dealer’s side wins, their partner deals next; if it loses, the next seat deals. Revealing or overturning does not change this normal rotation. Level cards, the trump suit and jokers are trump; at no-trump only level cards and jokers are trump. The scheduled dealer takes and buries the bottom, then leads. The first hand uses the preset dealer; revolt redeals use the special revolt dealer rules. One deck has no identical level or joker pairs to reveal.
Playing and following
Play singles or same-suit throws. One deck has no identical cards, so pairs and tractors cannot be formed. Follow the led suit; if short, play all cards of that suit. A void player may discard or ruff. If a higher same-suit card can beat a component of a throw, the throw is recalled and its smallest card is led instead. A void player may ruff without recalling the throw. If the throw contains a tractor, a ruff must contain a trump tractor of matching length; a lone trump pair or separated trump pairs cannot beat it. A throw with pairs but no tractor requires a trump pair; a lone trump cannot beat it. A standalone pair is not a throw, and a higher single neither blocks nor beats it.
Points and advancement
Fives are worth 5 points; tens and kings are worth 10, for 100 total. Final-trick bottom points are multiplied by the pattern; at 40–59 defender points, sides turn over without advancing.
Tractors and compulsory pairs
The single-deck 40-point game has no identical card pairs, so pairs and tractors cannot be formed.
Reinforcing a single trump reveal
If your single trump reveal has not been overturned and you receive a second card of the same suit and level, you may reinforce it by showing the pair together. The dealer, hand level and trump suit stay unchanged. Other level pairs cannot overturn the reinforced pair, but another player may still use an identical joker pair for no-trump. Skipping applies only to this opportunity: you are asked again on your next dealt card while reinforcement remains legal. You may only reinforce the original suit and rank, not switch suits or use jokers to overturn yourself. After an opponent overturns, normal overturn rules apply. The single-deck variant has no identical pairs and cannot reinforce.
Throw ruffs, bottom multipliers and match completion
A void player cutting a throw containing a tractor needs a trump tractor of matching length. Side 99 + 1010 + A needs a four-card trump tractor, not a pair plus fillers; a six-card tractor needs six trump tractor cards. Compare qualifying tractors for overruffs, not an extra big joker filler. If defenders win the final trick, multiply bottom points by 2ⁿ, where n is the number of cards led: six cards ×64, eight ×256. An individual advancing beyond A wins immediately: K plus two levels wins without first playing a hand at A; K plus one only reaches A. One deck cannot form pairs or tractors.