2.       The Deal

a.       At the beginning of the game, all players will select a random card to determine the first dealer.  The person drawing the highest card (2 through Ace high, Joker the highest above an Ace) will be the first dealer.  If more than one person draws the highest number, they will re-draw and continue doing so until there is a clear “winner” who will become the first dealer.

b.       The dealer will deal the Hand.

c.       The person to the right of the dealer will deal the Foot.

d.       Both dealers are responsible for ensuring that all card decks are combined and shuffled.

e.       The Hand is dealt face-down to each player, starting with the player to the Hand dealer’s left.  Each Hand contains 13 cards.  Players may look at their Hands as soon as they are dealt.

f.        The Hand dealer will also deal an additional card face-up in the center of the table to start the Discard Pile.  If the face-up card is a Black or Red 3, any 2 or a Joker, then another card shall be turned face-up on top of it.  This will continue until the face-up card at the top of the Discard Pile is not a Black 3, Red 3, any 2 or a Joker.

g.       The Foot is dealt face-down to each player, starting with the player to the Foot dealer’s left (who will be the person who dealt the Hand).  Each Foot contains 11 cards.  Players may NOT look at their foot and should set it aside for later play.

h.       After all cards are dealt by both dealers, the Hand dealer ensures that there is a stack of cards in the center of the table to draw from (this may be split into multiple stacks) and that the discard pile is located in the center of the table.

i.         If either the Hand or Foot is discovered by any player to contain the wrong number of cards, then the person dealing will add cards as necessary from the Pickup Pile.  If there are too many cards dealt, then the player to each players left will remove a card, sight unseen, from the right-hand player’s hand (or foot) and those extra cards will be returned to the middle of the pickup pile(s), which will then be shuffled in-place.