Description

The game is played with a pack of 52 cards, made up of 12 tradesmen and a Burglar each using three tools. Players are dealt hands of four cards, and each turn must draw from the top of the deck or from the discard pile. After each draw, the player must discard a card face down. The first player to collect a set of a tradesman and his three tools wins the hand.

The adult version of the game is set up for gambling. Each person antes a coin at the start of each hand. The winner of the hand collects half the pot, but if he has included another tradesman's tool by mistake, he loses a like amount instead. If any player has the Burglar in hand, he must pay a penalty of half the pot - unless he also has the Bobby, in which case he takes the other half of the pot. Similarly, anyone holding one of the Burglar's tools (crowbar, mask or swag bag) pays a penalty of two coins each unless also holding one of the Bobby's tools (handcuffs, lantern or helmet).

There are also rules for young people that make the game a form of "Go Fish".