How do I say _______?

Hi there!

So here's the deal. I have this game I've been developing for the past few months now, and I've found JUST the right mechanic that makes the game work.

But I don't know how to say it. Well, not simply anyway.

I want to have players put down cards in a face down row next to the deck, like this...

[D] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

(The [D] is the deck and the [ ] is an individual card)

And that's simple enough. But the number of cards in that row has to be one plus the number of players playing.

And trying to express that in a single thought is rough. It's been the stumbling block for the game's instructions. "One plus the number of players" always sounds wrong.

Do you have any suggestions for me? How can I express this as simply as possible? Thanks!