Setting up a JJDD deck takes twenty seconds if you know what you're doing. Get it wrong and you'll be counting cards three hands in wondering why the numbers don't add up.
Start with a full deck plus Jokers
You need 52 standard cards plus both Jokers — that's 54 cards. A brand-new deck usually comes with two Jokers. Make sure both are still in the box; some houses toss them out on instinct.
If your deck came with one Joker that's colored and one that's black-and-white, that's ideal — the colored one is the Big Joker and the plain one is the Little Joker. If they look identical, mark one with a small ink dot or a pen scratch on the back so everyone knows which is which.
Remove the 2 of Hearts and 2 of Clubs
Take out the 2♥ and the 2♣. Set them aside — don't lose them, you'll need them if you switch back to Ace-High.
Why these two specifically? The 2♦ becomes a Power 2 (trump). The 2♠ becomes a Power 2 (trump). The 2♥ and 2♣ have no elevated role in JJDD, and the deck needs exactly 52 cards for a 4-player, 13-cards-each deal. So those are the ones that go.
Shuffle and deal
Shuffle thoroughly — JJDD hands swing hard on card distribution, and a bad shuffle can create absurd hands for a whole night. Deal one card at a time, clockwise, until everyone has 13.
First deal: dealer's left leads bidding, then goes around clockwise. After that, whoever won the previous book leads the next one. That's the whole setup.
