Dear Sun Spots: Would anyone happen to have the rules for the card game “63,” which we used to play years ago? Also, the scoring for the cards? We can’t find these anywhere and would appreciate any help. You may call 524-2152. Thanks. – No Name, No Town.

Answer: In addition to responses from readers, according to www.pgat.com, 63 allows four players in fixed partnerships, and a standard 52-card pack is used. The ranking of the cards is as in other card games. Points are scored for winning scoring trumps in tricks, the scores being as follows:

ace (high) – 1 point

king – 25 points

jack – 1 point

ten (sometimes called game) – 1 point

nine – 9 points

five (right pedro) – 5 points

other five of same color (left pedro) – 5 points

three – 15 points

two (low) – 1 point

This makes 63 points altogether, hence the name of the game. Nine cards are dealt to each player, in threes. The bidding is by numbers, the maximum being 63 and the minimum (presumably) 1. Players bid in rotation, starting at dealer’s left and going around the table as many times as necessary until the highest bid is passed by the other three players. After the bidding, each player is dealt four more cards (which uses up the whole pack) and discards seven cards, so that everyone has a 6-card hand.

The rules of play are as in the game Pedro. The high bidder leads. Players who can follow suit must either do so or trump. Players who cannot follow suit can play anything. The whole game is won by the first team to 152 points. For more on the game, check out the above Web site.

Dear Sun Spots: Is there anyone who has a bulletin board, size 4-by-4 or 4-by-6, that is no longer wanted that we can have for our church Sunday School? – No Name, No Town.

Dear Sun Spots: To the reader seeking a recipe for maraschino-cherry cake, this recipe comes from a 1960s Betty Crocker cookbook:

Ingredients: 2¼ cups of cake flour, 11/3 cups sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ cup soft shortening, ¼ cup of maraschino cherry juice, 16 maraschino cherries cut in eighths, ½ cup milk, 4 eggs whites, unbeaten, ½ cup chopped nuts. Method: Heat oven to 350 degrees Farhrenheit. Grease and flour two layer pans or an oblong pan, 13-by-9 inches. Sieve flour and measure. Stir dry ingredients together. Add shortening, cherry juice, cherries and milk. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed on mixer. Add egg whites and beat 2 more minutes. Fold in nuts and pour into pans.

Bake layers 30 to 35 minutes and oblong 35 to 40 minutes. – Evelyn Ehrenfried, No Town.

Dear Sun Spots: If you will please indulge me, I would like to share with Sun Spots readers something cute about my great-grandson Ivan, who is 6 years old. On Christmas Eve, my family gathered together at our home. My son-in-law went smoking outside and took Ivan with him. Ivan came running into the house yelling, “I saw Rudolf. I saw Rudolf.” What he really saw was the red blinking lights on a cell-phone tower across from our house.

We gave him some presents, and he immediately tiptoed quietly into the hallway looking for Santa in the bedroom. I then told him that Santa had gone to deliver presents to other children. He was so proud to have seen Rudolf.

I hope you all enjoy my story. – Marcie of Lewiston.

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