How to Play

Rickety Kate is the Australian and New Zealand name for Black Lady (a Hearts-family trick-taking game). 3 to 6 players each try to avoid capturing hearts (1 point each) and the Queen of Spades ('Rickety Kate', 13 points) in tricks; first to 100 penalty points ends the match, lowest cumulative score wins.

Rickety Kate is the Australian and New Zealand name for the trick-taking game played elsewhere as Black Lady or Black Maria (a member of the Hearts family). 3 to 6 players, each for themselves, play a series of no-trump tricks in which every heart scores one penalty point and the Queen of Spades (nicknamed 'Rickety Kate') scores thirteen. The aim of each deal is to take as few penalty points as possible; across many deals, the lowest cumulative score wins. A full game to 100 penalty points takes 45 to 60 minutes.

Players

3 to 6 players; 4 is considered optimal. Every player plays individually (no partnerships). The first dealer is chosen by dealing a single card to each player; lowest card deals. The deal then rotates one seat clockwise each hand.

Card Deck

One standard 52-card deck, no jokers. Within each suit cards rank from Ace (high) down through King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (low). There is no trump suit. To make the deal even, remove low cards as needed: for 3 players remove the ; for 5 players remove both black deuces ( and ); for 6 players remove all four deuces. For 4 players use the full 52-card pack with no removal.

Objective

Avoid capturing penalty cards in tricks: every heart is worth 1 penalty point, and the Queen of Spades (Rickety Kate) is worth 13 penalty points. At the end of each deal penalty points are added to each player's running score; the overall winner is the player with the lowest cumulative score when someone first exceeds the end-score threshold.

Setup and Deal

1. Remove the low cards dictated by the player count (see Card Deck), then shuffle the remaining pack thoroughly. The dealer offers the deck to the player on their right to cut.
2. Deal all cards out clockwise, one at a time, beginning with eldest hand (the player to the dealer's left). With the correct removals, every player receives the same number of cards: 17 each for 3 players (from 51 cards), 13 each for 4 players (from 52), 10 each for 5 players (from 50), and 8 each for 6 players (from 48).
3. Passing phase (happens before play each hand): Each player selects exactly 3 cards from their hand and passes them face-down to a designated opponent. Do not look at cards passed to you until after you have passed your own. Passing direction rotates: hand 1 pass left, hand 2 pass right, hand 3 pass across (or to a fixed opponent in 3/5/6-player games), hand 4 no passing, hand 5 restart the cycle. Some houses play a simpler always-left pass; agree before starting.
4. After the pass, each player picks up the 3 cards received and merges them into their hand.
5. Misdeal: If any player receives the wrong number of cards, or a card is exposed during the deal, the deal is void and the same dealer re-deals.

Gameplay

1. Leading the first trick: In the four-player game, the player holding the leads it as the first card of the first trick. In reduced-deck games (3, 5, 6 players) where may have been removed, the player to the dealer's left leads any card. Some houses always lead with when it is in play.2♣2♣2♣
2. Trick structure: The lead card sets the led suit. Play proceeds clockwise; each player in turn plays one card face-up to the centre. You must follow suit if you hold any card of the led suit; if you have none, you may play any card (this is called a discard or sluff).
3. Winning the trick: After all players have played, the highest card of the led suit wins the trick (there is no trump suit, so off-suit cards cannot win even the Queen of Spades does not win a trick unless spades were led). The trick winner collects the four cards face-down in front of them and leads to the next trick.Q♠
4. Hearts broken: A player may not lead a heart to a trick until hearts have been 'broken' (that is, a heart has previously been played as a discard on a non-heart lead). A player whose hand contains nothing but hearts may lead one by necessity, which also breaks hearts.
5. First-trick restriction: On the very first trick of a hand (the one led by the ), no penalty cards may be discarded. That is, you may not play a heart or the Queen of Spades on the first trick even if you cannot follow clubs; you must discard a non-penalty card instead. If your hand contains only hearts and/or , you may then play one, because you have no other legal option.2♣Q♠
6. Reneging (revoking): Failing to follow suit when you could have is a renege. If spotted before the next trick is led, the offender takes back the illegal play and plays a legal card; they are also penalised a fixed 13 points at the end of the hand. If spotted later, the same penalty applies and the current deal may be replayed at the group's discretion.
7. End of hand: The hand ends when all tricks have been played and every card is accounted for. Each player totals the penalty cards in their captured tricks: 1 point per heart in the captures, plus 13 if they captured . These totals are added to the running scores.Q♠

Scoring

• Penalty cards: Each heart [♥] captured in a trick scores 1 penalty point; the Queen of Spades scores 13. The deal has 13 hearts plus the Queen of Spades, for 26 penalty points total per deal (in the standard 4-player game).Q♠
• Shooting the moon (slam): If a single player captures every penalty card in the deal (all 13 hearts and the , 26 points in total), that player shoots the moon. Under the old-moon rule, the shooter scores 0 and each other player scores 26. Under the new-moon rule, the shooter chooses to either add 26 to each opponent's score (old-moon) or subtract 26 from their own score (possibly going negative). Agree which variant is in use before the first hand.Q♠
• Failed moon attempt: If a shooter falls short (takes 25 or fewer of the 26 penalty points), they score whatever they captured normally, and other scorers likewise score their captured penalties at the normal values (1 per heart, 13 for Kate).
• Running total: Add each deal's score to every player's running total. Continue playing hands until a player reaches or exceeds the agreed end-score threshold.

Winning

• End condition: The game ends after the first deal in which any player's cumulative score reaches or passes 100 penalty points. (Some houses use 50 for a shorter game; agree beforehand.)
• Match winner: The player with the lowest cumulative score at the moment the game ends wins. A score of zero or negative is possible under the new-moon rule and is a win.
• Tie-breakers: If two or more players are tied for the lowest score at game end, play one more hand between those players only (others sit out and keep their scores). The player with the fewest penalty points captured in that tie-break hand wins. If still tied, repeat.

Common Variations

• No-pass Rickety Kate: Skip the 3-card pass entirely; helps new players focus on trick-play.
• Jack of Diamonds bonus: The counts as minus 10 (a bonus to its capturer). Common in casual Australian play; shifts strategy toward wanting the while avoiding Kate and hearts.J♦J♦
• Omnibus Hearts (+10♦): Adds as a bonus card worth minus 10. Some houses use both bonus cards together.10♦
• No first-trick penalty: Remove the restriction on penalty cards in the first trick; gives slightly more flexibility but is rare in Australia.
• Cancellation Rickety Kate (6+ players, two decks): Shuffle two 52-card decks together. If two identical cards are played in the same trick, both cancel each other out for trick-winning; the highest remaining card wins.
• Black Jack variant: Use instead of as the 'black lady', worth 10 points; the Queen is then an ordinary card. Rare in Australia, common in some British pubs.J♠Q♠

Tips and Strategy

• Passing is the most impactful decision. Usually pass away your highest spades (, , ) before they can win a trick you did not want; pass high hearts if you are long in them. Do not pass what you intend to shoot the moon with.Q♠K♠A♠
• Try to void one suit early (play all your cards of that suit out quickly) so you can discard penalty cards into tricks led in that suit without risk.
• Watch the spade count. If is still live and you hold or with no protection below (2 through 9), you are in danger of winning a spade lead and taking Kate. Shed high spades on non-spade leads as soon as hearts break.Q♠K♠A♠
• Moon-shooting is rare but devastating; if an opponent seems to be taking every trick, sacrifice a mid-range heart into a trick they cannot easily capture to break their run.
• Lead low cards in non-penalty suits to force opponents to use up their safe cards. Save your own 2s and 3s as 'ducks' to dodge dangerous leads later.

Glossary

• Trick: One round of play in which every player lays down one card; the player who laid the highest card of the led suit wins and collects all the cards.
• Follow suit: Play a card of the suit that was led, if you hold one. Mandatory when possible.
• Led suit: The suit of the first card played to the current trick; it determines what you must follow.
• Discard / sluff: To play a card of a different suit than the one led (because you have none of the led suit). Off-suit cards cannot win the trick.
• Renege / revoke: An illegal failure to follow suit when able; penalised.
• Rickety Kate: The nickname for the Queen of Spades (), the chief penalty card worth 13 points.Q♠
• Shoot the moon: To deliberately capture every single penalty card in a deal, turning what would have been 26 penalty points into a zero (or minus 26 under the new-moon rule).
• Hearts broken: The state of the hand after a heart has been discarded on a non-heart lead; from that point on, hearts may be led.
• Eldest hand: The player to the dealer's left; the first to act after the deal (when applicable).