Playing Gene Autry’s House Rules, the dilemma always arose whether to pose “bareback” double-six.

At Gene’s game, double-six posed the first game. Afterwards, the holder of double-six posed whatever. Best practice was to pose double-six unless you held five sixes (double-six can’t “die”) or double-six is bareback” (unguarded by another six). If “bareback” it can still be posed if there’s no other “very posable” double or your hand contains every number.

One Saturday afternoon, playing against Dessie and The Dunce, I picked up the following motley collection: double-six; four-trey; double-trey; double-deuce; double-ace; ace-blank; double-blank.