Each partnership aims to make a contract by bidding and then to win enough tricks to fulfill that contract. A pack of 43 cards created by discarding the twos, threes and black fours from a regular deck of 52, then add the joker. The joker is always the highest trump. The jack of the trump suit is the second-highest trump and is called the right bower . The jack of the other suit of the same color as the trump suit is the third-highest trump and is called the left bower .
First dealer is chosen by low cut.
After the first round of the deal, three cards are placed face down in the middle of the table to form the widow . Bidding begins with the player on the dealer's left. Each player has one chance to bid, either passing or making a bid higher than any preceding bid. If all players pass, the deal is thrown in without score and the next dealer deals. Otherwise the highest bid becomes the contract.