Streetsboro Rules For Rook

At the church of Christ's building in Streetsboro, Ohio around 1992, a group of guys got together to play Rook.  We had self-professed hillbilly transplants from WV, Monroe County, OH loyalists, and others—a proverbial "band of brothers." Well, each person had their own little twist to the game they brought to the table. After playing a hand or two, we found out there were other twists, turns, or variations. This would not do!

So, we all sat down and hashed out all the various rules, forget the rule book Parker Brothers provided, and came up with what we all agreed would be "Streetsboro Rules for Rook".  We played every chance we were together.  Many of us played and brought new players (including girls when we HAD to, joking ladies) into the fold including:  Roy Woofter, Tom Hatfield, David Kenney, Brent Harris, John Harris, Mitch Stanley, Barry Hatfield, Doug Woofter, Kevin Liticker, Kathy Liticker, Annette Kenney, Pam Harris, Celeste Miller, Gary Shovestull, Dan Kelley, Dayton Hickerson,  Eddie Vanhorn,  and others along the way.  Playing with these characters we agreed cheating was a free offense to keep those who were nodding off and losing track of what was played.  We always played New Years' Eve.

Here are Streetsboro Rules of Rook to the best of my recollection:

1.) Play with cards numbered 1-14, no cards omitted.

2.) No counting of tricks, too much of a hassle for the mathematically challenged.

3.) Five-card "nest" went to the winner of the bid in an effort to supplement their hand, but sometimes such became a detriment.

4.) Five cards were to be discounted except for point cards and trump (unless you had too--hate that when that happens!)  If trump was to be put in the nest, the bidder had to state so. Whoever took the last hand captured the nest including any points.

4.) The 1-cards are high (almost like being a "15." The Rook Card is low trump, but with the most points so one had to guard and protect it.

5.) Score::

1s = 15 points each
14s = 10 points each
10s = 10 points each
5s = 5 points each
Rook = 20 points
Total points 180

6.) Minimum bid was 70; although that was a joke!  Person left of the dealer began bid.

7.) Trump is not to be led until broken into play on another hand, then it could be led.

8.) You had to follow suit, but if you could not then you could trump or throw off. If you were caught reneging, well we just laughed at you and made up whatever penalty we wanted.

The interesting thing about Rook (and other such games) is one can come up with all kinds of variations of the game. I recall my parents' deck of Rook had a rule book that included all kinds of variations. People are free to adapt the rules to suit their tastes because they have the authority to do so. But not everything is subject to the authority of men.

The Bible is God's Word. No one has the right to set it aside. Sometimes people do not understand how Christians can say they believe the Bible but are governed by the New Testament. Man did not set the Old Law aside, God did (cf. Col 2:14; Heb 8:13.) God has that authority, we do not. When we use the Old Law to try and establish religious practices today, we are dishonoring God by not obeying His will. Christians, "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. I anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." (1 Pet  4:11 NKJV.)

Play with the rule book to Rook is one matter, but tampering with God's rule book is strictly forbidden and those who take liberties with God's book will have to answer to God for their disobedience and disrespect.