Gondola is a cooperative card game using a subset of a standard deck of playing cards using only the ace, 2-7, Jack, King, and Queen.
It is played in rounds, each of which have two phases (Loading and Delivery). A standard game of Gondola ends after three rounds, while a long game (called a double-shift) ends after six rounds.
The Loading Phase is similar to a game of Blackjack or Pontoon in which the players are trying to get a total value of 13 without going over. The Delivery Phase involves a cooperative scoring of points.
Gondolieri and the Wakemaker
The players of Gondola are the Gondolieri, taking the place of the legendary canal-traversing figures of Pentola, singers of abjuring ballads and destroyers of the demons who lurk in the city’s waters. Those demons are represented by the Wakemaker, who is the dealer.
Source: The Game Website.