Each player is dealt six cards. From the top of the rest of the deck, two cards are taken. One is placed face up on top of the other, which is face down. Part of the back of the face-down card, however, must be showing. Face-cards have no value.
Aces count as ones, but are also considered to be one greater than a king.
There is one exception to the above rule. During a spread, players may play cards of the same rank, regardless of color, without gain or penalty. A spread is ended when a card of the next higher or lower rank is played, with the usual side effects occurring. If the deck would run out of cards if a turn is completed normally, then the player on whose turn it would run out draws only enough cards so that only one remains in the deck.