Version used here
This note follows the John Hay account preserved by Pagat. Two players use forty-eight cards and start with twelve each. A turned-up card establishes trump; the remaining cards form a stock. There is no auction.
Notice the transition
Play has a stock phase and a final phase after the stock is exhausted. In the final phase there is no more melding, and following-suit and compulsory-play rules change. Read the linked account before moving between phases.
Keep timing visible
For an open-hand practice, use a small note saying “stock available” on one side and “stock exhausted” on the other. Turn it over at the transition. This teaching aid does not create a new rule; it simply reminds you to look at the correct part of the reference.
Check the editor’s note
The source distinguishes drawing before melding from a common book version that melds before drawing. Agree which timing you will use rather than silently alternating between them.