First shuffle the cards face downwards. Each player then draws seven cards each in turn. The game is played over 7 hands. In order, they are Tommy, Polly, Bob, Pam, Jim, Amy and Knock.When ready, the players call “TOMMY”.
The player who holds four-way “TOMMY” now plays that card to the centre of the table. The next player to his left, plays a “TOMMY” to the nearest point of four-way “TOMMY”. The next player to the left, plays a “TOMMY” to his nearest point. The fourth player does like-wise to the next point. The first player now closes the four-way by playing a “TOMMY” to the last vacant place.
If any player cannot “go” at any stage of the game, he asks the next player on his left to give him the card he wants. Should he be unable to do so, he asks the other players in turn, until the card is obtained. The borrower plays the card received, to his point. The next player continues to play to his own point, or does the same as the previous player, if unable to match the card he last played. Players must always play to their own point.
If a hand is completed, the next player must play a 4 Way Polly card, and cards are used in the same procedure as described (except it is Polly cards that must be added. After completion, 4 Way Bob is resolved, and so on until all seven are played (unless the game stops earlier than the very end).
The hand is finished when one player plays all his cards, or alternatively, when a player has tried all the players, and fails to get a card to enable him to 'go' at his point.
Each hand completely changes scoring possibilities. The complete seven hands can be played in twenty minutes. The player with the lowest score after the seven hands, wins.