Five-Player Tractor · Game rules
Two 54-card decks are used. Five players receive 20 cards each, with 8 bottom cards; the dealer calls a side-suit card to find a hidden partner.
Trump and dealer
Everyone may reveal on the first hand. Later, everyone, including previous winners and losers, may first reveal any previous winner’s current level. After a reveal, any other player, including previous winners, may overturn a single with a pair at any previous winner’s level, changing the hand level and dealer. With winning levels 9, 10 and J, diamond 9 can be overturned by paired heart 10s; dealing continues at level 10 with hearts trump. If the shown rank matches the revealer’s own level, they become dealer; otherwise choose the first previous winner at that level clockwise from the next seat. Two big jokers or two small jokers may overturn to no-trump; mixed jokers cannot. A previous winner showing the joker pair becomes dealer at their own level. A previous loser keeps the already selected dealer and hand level, changing only to no-trump. If no trump has been revealed yet, a previous loser showing a joker pair directly passes the dealer role to the first previous winner from the next seat in play order, playing no-trump at that winner’s current level. On the first hand or a revolt redeal everyone has dealer eligibility, suit reveals may use any player’s level, and a joker revealer becomes dealer at their own level. You cannot overturn your own reveal. A single reveal may be overturned by a level pair, and a level pair by a joker pair. After revealing ends, the dealer takes and buries the bottom, then leads.
Playing and following
Singles, pairs, tractors, and same-suit throws are supported. Follow the lead suit when possible; when void, discard or ruff with trump. 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. If defenders win the final trick, bottom-card points are multiplied by the final pattern. Defender points determine advancement or a turnover.
Tractors and compulsory pairs
A tractor consists of two or more consecutive pairs in one suit group: 4, 6, 8 or more cards may be led together. Skip the level rank in ordinary rank order: at level 2, 33-44-55 is a six-card tractor; at level 3, 22-44 is consecutive. Special trump tiers are off-suit level, main-suit level, small joker, big joker. Ordinary trump-suit ranks do not connect to off-suit levels; different off-suit levels share one tier and do not connect to each other. At level 3 with clubs trump, club 33 plus diamond 33, club 33 plus paired small jokers, and paired small plus paired big jokers are tractors. In no-trump, omit the main-level tier: an off-level pair connects to small jokers. Each pair must be two identical suit-and-rank cards; mixed jokers are not a pair. When following a tractor, play a same-size led-suit tractor if available. Otherwise follow as many led-suit pairs as possible, up to the number led, and fill with led-suit singles. Against four diamond tractor cards, diamond 3,4,5,A,A requires AA plus two singles; 3,4,5,A is illegal. Exhaust the led group if short. When void, discard or ruff with a same-size trump tractor.
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.