First of all, you'll need a deck of cards. All 52 cards in a normal deck will be used. Drok can be played with a minimum of 3 players and a theoretical maximum of 10 players. The dealer deals each player 5 cards and turns over one card which designates the TRUMP suit. At any time during the game, if a player has the 2 of the trump suit, they may exchange the 2 of trump with the initial card turned over to determine the trump.
Play begins with the player clockwise to the dealer. This player leads a card (or cards) to the player clockwise to them. The recipient must cover the card(s) with a higher valued card in the same suit or with any valued trump card (provied that the original card was not trump in which case the card must be covered with a higher valued trump). The PASSER can pass multiple cards only if the cards are of the same value (ie a pair of sixes, 3 nines, four aces, etc). The COVERER can forward the PASS by placing the same valued card on the received cards and forwarding the pass to the next player clockwise.
What do the other players do during a PASS? Well, the other players can add cards to the PASS provided that the value has appeared during the attempted COVER. The number of cards passed to the COVERER cannot exceed the number of cards in the COVERER's hand. The COVERER covers the PASS, as described above with cards from their hand, then waits a reasonable amount of time for other players to add to the PASS ... and then turns over the cards involved in play to the discard pile face down. This is a successful COVER scenario. If the COVERER cannot cover the PASS, then the COVERER must pick up ALL the cards involved in the PASS. Other players will give this person a reasonable amount of time to sort the "loot" before resuming play.
After each PASS, all players must reload from the remaining cards starting in a COUNTER-CLOCKWISE rotation from the COVERER. Players with less than 5 cards replentish their hand to a total of five cards. The last card to be picked will be the trump indicator. If the COVERER suceeded in covering the pass, then they become the PASSER, otherwise they forfeit their opportunity to pass to the next player clockwise.
The object of Drok is to get rid of the cards in your hand before you become the Drok (the last player with cards remaining). If you still have cards in your hand when all other players do not, then you are the Drok. If a next game is required, the next person clockwise to the dealer shuffles and becomes the new dealer. Lather, rinse, repeat as needed. Enjoy!
I've been "the Drok" for over a year at one point in time, a few month stretch is no problem for me to handle ... I've been known to say "I can be the Drok for everyone" since I've had so much experience. These rules are an effort to increase the number of potential players of the fine game of Drok in order to be able to redeem myself from Drok-ness if the need arises. Currently (as of Fri Apr 16 21:54:59 CST 2004 ) I am living life Drok-free. However the Drok has left town for the Rock (aka St. John's Newfoundland) hence I may be Drok once again. It sucks being the Drok