How to play

Start with two players and Modern, Cassinito’s default rules. Take turns playing one card to capture, build, or trail. The app handles the dealing and arithmetic.

Capture cards.

Play a card to take table cards of the same value, or cards that add up to it. Your played card joins your captured pile, too.

Play the 9 to capture both cards.

Build for later.

Have a 3 and an 8, with a 5 on the table? Play your 3 onto the 5 to build 8. Keep your 8 to capture the whole pile on a later turn.

The catch: your opponent can take it first with an 8 of their own. And while you own a build, you must keep its capturing card and cannot trail.

3 + 5 builds 8. Keep your 8 to capture it later.

Trail a card.

Place one card face up on the table without taking anything. That's a trail. You can do it even when a capture is available, as long as you don't own a build.

The 6 stays on the table for a later move.

Clear the table.

Capture every card on the table and you've made a sweep. That earns one extra point.

Aces can capture as 1 or 14. So if the table holds just a 10 and a 4, your ace can take both.

Sweep! One empty table. One extra point.

Count your points.

When the deck is gone and every hand is played, the round is scored. Collect the most cards for 3 points, the most spades for 1, the 10♦ for 2, the 2♠ for 1, and each ace for 1. Every sweep adds another point.

Play to 21, or choose a Quick match to 11. The highest total wins at the end of a round that reaches the target. Tied at the top? Deal another round.

Keep an eye on these three.