I detest ambiguity (just look at pretty much any topic I've ever started on BoardGameGeek in a rules forum), so I tackle rules-writing very meticulously. Usually, the principles I employ are simple, but to detail them precisely is, well, headache-inducing. (Try writing rigorous instructions for solving crossword puzzles! It's not trivial.) Here's the short version:

- Use each card once;
- Loops are Rummy melds;
- Arrows are Poker hands;
- Hearts all line up, but with Q♠ included.

That's it. But there are devils in the details ("Are aces high or low in this Rummy?", &c.) that I needed to make sure everyone was on the same page with, so I made it a point to get it right the first time.

I'm sympathetic, but not apologetic (expect perhaps for the puns). I recommend following along with the sample solution - it cuts through the rules and gets straight to the logic the puzzle requires in solving it, which ultimately is what really matters. - ZM