Making Hand 'n Foot Games Come To An End

All good things must come to an end, and this old principal holds true for games of Hand 'n Foot as well.  Some of the skill that is required to play the game comes from the ability to know how exactly to end a game.  It's not quite the same as other card games, where you simply play all your cards and the game is done.  To "go out" in Hand 'n Foot, you actually have to ask permission.

Because Hand 'n Foot is generally played as a partnership game, the player that is ready to go out has to ask his or her partner for permission before doing so.  If your partner refuses to let you, then you have to follow the instruction.  On the other hand, partner responses are bound to simple "yes" or "no" answers, so there's no need to worry about smart answers like: "Sure, if you do the dishes for a week."  

Finishing off the game isn't reliant upon your partner's feelings on the matter either. Even if you can play all your cards, there are still other requirements that you have to have met in order to qualify to go out.  Your team must have at least two Dirty Groups and one Clean Group, not counting a wild card group.  If you don't have these, then you have to keep at least one card in your hand.  You can only go out when you can play the last card in the Foot, either by discard or by playing it on the board.  A player who is going out isn't required to discard, however.