In this game, the dealer, Ellipse, declares that cross-eyed jacks and left-handed tens are tame. All other cards score their face values, except when the Vienna Exception is operative.

Uncertain, the player to the left of the dealer, has first grift:

Uncertain: I'm gonna qak. This is a classic opening gambit from Uncertain. It's a solid first move but does not limit his options for the next grift, leaving him open to employ Dugarry's Finesse at a later stage should he so wish.

Ellipse: I'm building a stairway to heaven..., A nice reply from Ellipse, making use of his first grift to circumvent the "no Led Zep while players are at table" rule. He can, of course, complete the grift if he has the cards.

Ellipse: ...,and now I'm buying it. And complete it he does! Not too difficult a grift this early in the game but it's a flourish appreciated by the audience nonetheless. This sort of flamboyance is often a feature of Ellipse's game and we can expect more showmanship from him in the grifts to come.

Both players have now made their opening grifts. As even the novice player will know, a grift is begun by picking up one, three or 17 cards from the pack (according to the law of primacy) and then laying down one or more cards, the number laid down depending upon the grift selected by the player. The grift is completed when the player discards a card onto the discard pile. If a player cannot grift, he or she shall signify this by the words "I cannot grift" or syntactic equivalent.

Uncertain considers his next grift...,

Uncertain: Six hundred three score and six. Not a grift for the faint-hearted, this one, but Uncertain is renowned as one of the most fearless exponents of the game. By opting for this grift, Uncertain has sold his soul and cast himself into the pit, where he will remain for the rest of the game. If possible, the next grift should include the inverse sign of the beast (9,9,9) to help minimise its negative impact and call for an ambulance in case of casualties.

Ellipse: I think I'll castle at this point. Clearly lacking the cards he'd need to counter Uncertain's last grift, Ellipse now wisely decides to go defensive. Protecting the dark kings is always a priority in these situations.

Uncertain: I'm triangulating. Uncertain presses his advantage with a risky grift, which leaves him vulnerable to the MacLean Counter.

Ellipse: ...,and I'll complete the square. Well, that's always the danger of triangulating and Uncertain will have plenty of time to rue his impetuosity. He couldn't have known that Ellipse was holding the Jack of All Hearts but his significant advantage has now been all but obliterated.

Uncertain: I can't grift.

Ellipse: Well, I can't either.

An extraordinary and abrupt end to a remarkable game. Uncertain was probably still just ahead on points but needed to score a birdie or higher to avoid the follow-on, while Ellipse had two yellow cards against him, following grifts 3 and 7, and would have had to exercise care if he weren't to invoke the Hindenberg penalty clause and forfeit his best three cards. Match drawn.