Joker-Joker-Deuce-Deuce (JJDD) Spades

The deck

Start from a standard 52-card deck. Add the Big Joker and Little Joker. Remove the 2 of hearts and 2 of clubs. The deck stays at 52 cards, dealt 13 to each player.

• Add: Big Joker, Little Joker
• Remove: 2♥, 2♣

Trump ladder

The trump order, highest to lowest: Big Joker → Little Joker → 2♦ → 2♠ → A♠ → K♠ → Q♠ → J♠ → 10♠ → 9♠ → 8♠ → 7♠ → 6♠ → 5♠ → 4♠ → 3♠. The 2♦ ranks above the 2♠; both rank above the A♠.

The 2♦ is trump only

This is the rule that makes JJDD distinctive. The 2♦ is pure trump — it is not a diamond for the purposes of following suit:

• Leading: the 2♦ cannot be led until trump is broken (it is trump), unless you hold only trump. When led, it establishes a trump lead.
• Following a diamond lead: you must follow with your real diamonds. The 2♦ does not count as a diamond, so you cannot use it to follow a diamond lead.
• When void: if you have no cards of the led suit, you may play the 2♦ as a trump — it beats every trump except the Little Joker and Big Joker.

Example trick

Diamonds are led with the K♦. You hold the 2♦ and the 3♦. Because the 2♦ is trump only, you must follow with the 3♦ — the 2♦ is not a legal follow here. Later, an opponent leads a club you are void in; you play the 2♦ to trump, and it beats the A♠ another player trumps with, because the 2♦ outranks the A♠. Only a Joker would beat it.