Rook

About this board game

Rook is a trump-based trick-taking card game for 2–6 players, with a standard game for four players and a play time of about 45 minutes.

First sold by Parker Brothers in 1906, it uses a distinctive deck with numbered cards from 1 to 14 in four colors, plus the Rook card. Unlike a standard deck, it has no face cards and no suits such as spades or hearts.

In the standard four-player partnership game, the 1s, 2s, 3s, and 4s are removed, leaving a 41-card deck. Each hand begins with players bidding for trump. The partnership that wins the bid must then collect enough points during the hand to match its bid.

• Follow the color led whenever possible.
• Play a trump card when unable to follow the color.
• The highest card of the led color wins unless the trick is trumped.
• The Rook card may be played at any time and always wins the trick.

Unlike Whist or Bridge, the total number of tricks is not what determines the score. Instead, players earn points from particular cards captured in tricks: the 5s, 10s, 14s, and the Rook card. This makes bidding, timing, and identifying valuable captures central to each hand.

Although the standard format is designed for four players, the rules include variants for two and three players, and many additional variations and house rules are used. Rook has also been called Missionary Poker and has been popular among religious groups that object to standard playing cards.