set aside face-down. Using a double deck raises the possibility of a card or combination that ties the previous one (an impossibility with a single deck). Published sources do not address this, but the logical resolutions are: Such a play is not allowed, since it fails to beat the previous card or combination. A later nominal tie is considered to beat the earlier card or combination. Ties of the highest cards in combinations are broken by their highest distinct cards, and if on this basis the later combination beats the earlier, it may be played (this option cannot function for single cards or combinations that are exactly identical). Viet Cong (VC) Viet Cong (or VC) is an American form, played as above but with these variant rules: A player dealt four 2s wins automatically, with no outplay. The holder of the must include it in the leading combination. 2s may not be included in a single sequence (although they may occur in double sequences). The 2-beating combinations (referred to above as "bombs") are called slams, and their rules are: A single 2 is beaten by any quartet or a double sequence of 3+ pairs (same as above) A pair of 2s is beaten by 2 consecutive quartets or a double sequence of 5+ pairs A triplet of 2s is beaten by 3 consecutive quartets or a double sequence of 7+ pairs Optionally, the game may be played with trading: after the deal and before the initial lead, any 2 players may exchange any equal number of cards with each other. The specific cards of the trade must be mutually agreed to; if not, there is no trade. When playing with trading, four 2s do not win automatically. Notes References Vietnamese games Shedding-type card games Climbing games