Ninety-nine is played with a full deck (the cards, not the players), including as many jokers as are available. Each player is dealt four cards, and the remaining cards are placed in a central pile, face down, except for the topmost remaining card with is turned face up. This card acts as if it had been played by the dealer. The player next to the dealer in the direction of deal is first to play (unless the turned-up card is a reverse — see below).

The aim of the game is to continue being able to play. If at any point a player cannot play, that player’s cards are placed face down on the table, and a fine must be imbibed proportional to the number of players who are still in the game.

During play, a total is kept (verbally, by the player who has just changed it in each case). Each card played may affect this total. The total can never exceed 99, so a player may not play a card which would cause the total to exceed this figure — and as mentioned above, a player who cannot play goes out. The total is started at zero, but the turn-up card affects it.

When playing, a player puts the card played face-up on top of the pile of played cards (or the turn-up card in the case of the first player), and the current total is spoken. That player may then pick up a replacement card off the unplayed pile, unless precluded by the rules below. When the pile of unplayed cards becomes empty, the top card of the played cards is retained as if it was the turn-up card, and the remaining played pile is turned over to form a new source pile. The pack is not shuffled in doing so, although it should be shuffled thoroughly between games. After each game, deal revolves in the direction of dealing.

The effect of each card is as follows:

Ace

Adds one or fourteen to the total, at the player’s discretion

Two

Adds two to the total

Three

Adds three to the total

Four

Does not affect the total, but reverses the direction of play

Five

Adds five to the total, and skips the next player

Six

Adds six to the total

Seven

Adds seven to the total, and reverses the direction of play

Eight

Adds eight to the total

Nine

Makes the total 99

Ten

Adds or subtracts ten from the total, at the player’s discretion

Jack

Adds eleven to the total

Queen

Does not affect the total, but the next player cannot pick up after playing a card. However, if the next player plays a queen, the effect is cumulative until a player who does not play a queen is reached. That player must play a number of cards (all of which count) equal to the number of consecutive queens which have been played, and may not pick up replacement cards for any of them.

King

Does not affect the total

Joker

Makes the total 99

This game is derived from Icelandic 99, which has identical rules for the cards; a distinction is sometimes made for subtleties.