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Russian bank (card game)

2025-10-11T23:18:52Z

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{{short description|Card game}}
{{Redirect|Russian Bank||Russian bank (disambiguation)}}

[[File:Russian Bank, Crapette, Tunj card game.jpg|thumb|alt=A photograph of the standard in-game setup|Russian bank, crapette, or tunj: a standard in-game setup]]

'''Russian bank''', '''crapette''' or '''tunj''', historically also called '''the wrangle''',<ref>[https://archive.org/details/illustratedbook00lewigoog/page/n127/mode/1up The Illustrated Book of Patience Games], Louis Hoffmann, 1892, pp. 117–118, no.61 "The Wrangle"]</ref> is a [[card game]] for two players from the [[patience (card game)|patience]] family. It is played with two decks of 52 standard [[playing card]]s.<ref name="Foster1922">{{cite book|last=Foster|first=Robert Frederick|title=Foster's Russian Bank: A Card Game for Two Players|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zvUxAQAAMAAJ|year=1922|publisher=Dutton}}</ref> The U.S. Playing Card Company, who first published its rules in 1898, called it "probably the best game for two players ever invented".<ref>{{cite book|author=U.S. Playing Card Co.|title=The Official Rules of Card Games: Hoyle Up-to-date|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C5eIAAAAMAAJ|year=1922|page=199|quote=Russian Bank (OR CRAPETTE) This game, which is sometimes called double solitaire, has lately come into great favor as being probably the best game for two players ever invented.}}; {{cite book|last1=Wood|first1=Clement|last2=Goddard|first2=Gloria|title=The Complete Book of Games|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jCRwAAAAMAAJ|year=1940|publisher=Garden City|page=242|quote=Russian Bank or Crapette This Double Patience or Double Solitaire is often regarded today as the most enjoyable game for two players ever invented.}}</ref>

The goal of Russian bank, like many card games, is for the player to get rid of forty-eight cards before their opponent can rid themselves of theirs. At the same time, it is required to build "piles" of suits, [[ace]] through king, in the center of the board. If a rule regarding the placement of piles is broken, the opponent may call "Stop!" (or "Tunj!" or "Crapette!") to end one's turn.<ref name=Pagat>[http://www.pagat.com/patience/crapette.html Rules of Russian Bank], ''Pagat.com''. Retrieved 2020-09-09.</ref>

Commercially produced versions of Russian bank include ''[[Skip-Bo]]'' and ''[[Spite and Malice]]''.<ref>"Spite and Malice" (p. 455ff) in ''The Penguin Book of Card Games'' by David Parlett, Treasure Press, 1987. {{ISBN|1-85051-221-3}}</ref>

==Name==
Russian Bank is also called '''double solitaire'''. It is also known as '''crapette''' or '''crapot''' in Brazil and Portugal, as '''crapette''' in France<ref>"Russian Bank" (p. 212) in ''Hoyle's Rules of Games'' (3rd edition) by Philip D. Morehead (ed.), 2001. {{ISBN|0-451-20484-0}}</ref> (''crapat'' is Breton for ''ladder''), as '''touch''', and as '''tunj''' in the Middle East ({{langx|ar|طنج}}, other transliterations are tonj, tonge, tunje).<ref name=Pagat/>

== Rules ==
{| border="1" align="right"
| align="center" colspan="4"|'''Player A'''
|-
| align="right"|[[Talon (cards)|Talon]] 35 cards (face down) [[Image:Card back 05.svg|60px]]
| align="center" colspan="2"| Waste pile
| Reserve 13 cards (top face up) {{card|diamond|J|60px}}
|-
| align="right"|{{card|club|5|60px}}
| width="50" align="center"| {{card|spade|A|60px}}
| width="50" align="center"| {{if dark|♤|♠}}
| {{card|spade|J|60px}}
|-
| align="right"|{{card|heart|9|60px}}
| align="center"| ♥
| align="center"| ♥
| {{card|spade|Q|60px}}
|-
| align="right"|{{card|spade|K|60px}}
| align="center"| ♦
| align="center"| {{card|diamond|A|60px}}
| {{card|diamond|10|60px}}
|-
| align="right"|{{card|spade|9|60px}}
| align="center"| {{if dark|♧|♣}}
| align="center"| {{if dark|♧|♣}}
| {{card|heart|10|60px}}
|-
| align="right"|{{card|club|10|60px}} Reserve 13 cards (top face up)
| align="center" colspan="2"| Waste pile
| [[Image:Card back 05a.svg|60px]] [[Talon (cards)|Talon]] 35 cards (face down)
|-
| align="center" colspan="4"|'''Player B'''
|-
|}

===Start and setup===
Each of the two players sitting opposite each other takes a pack of 52 cards, without jokers, shuffles it and lets the opponent cut it. The one who took off the highest card starts. The first player places their first thirteen cards in a "reserve pile", with the top card open, and the next four cards in a column (the "auxiliary columns") face up between both players. In the picture this is the right hand column. The same is then built up on the left side by the second player. There must be space between the two auxiliary columns for the eight aces, which will be placed there during the game (in the picture the two middle columns).<ref name=Pagat/>

===Gameplay===
The first player then draws the remaining cards of their game one after the other, trying to either add each card to the "middle columns", or to add them onto the "auxiliary columns". The first card that the first player cannot fit in this way is placed in front of them as the beginning of their "waste pile" ("discard pile").<ref name=Pagat/>

The second player follows, who does the same and still has the right to place cards that do not fit on the ace columns or the auxiliary columns on the opponent's reserve pack or on the opponent's waste pile if they match the suit, and are either one higher or one lower. The first player has the same right when the game continues. This allows a player to increase the opponent's card supply while reducing their own.<ref name=Pagat/>

The top cards on each of the eight auxiliary places can be transferred to the column of aces as soon as they fit (i.e. they are the same suit, and one rank higher). It is generally advisable to use the open cards from the reserve pack first if possible, be it on the ace row or on the eight supply packs.<ref name=Pagat/>

Once a player has run out of cards, on their next turn they can shuffle their talon and continue.<ref name=Pagat/>

The one who is first with his cards at the end wins the game.<ref name=Pagat/>

===Middle columns===
As the game progresses, as soon as they appear, the aces are placed in their designated places and form the ''foundation cards'' for ''families'' of increasing value. New cards are added on the aces in single increments in ascending order, ending with the kings.<ref name=Pagat/>

===Auxiliary columns===
Cards must be placed on the auxiliary columns in red-black sequences, e.g. one could put either {{cards|hJ}} or {{cards|dJ}} on {{cards|♠Q}}. Auxiliary cards can be moved around, but, unlike solitare, they can only be moved one card at a time, and assuming spaces are available for each card in turn.<ref name=Pagat/>

Note, the early versions of the game had auxiliary columns being built in the same suit in descending order on the auxiliary columns, although this is no longer common.<ref name=Pagat/>

A variation exists whereby instead of a column of four face-up cards, a player first places one or two rows of four face-down cards and then one face-up card on each face-down card.<ref name=Pagat/>

===Compulsory moves, and Stop! or Tunj!===
If a player fails to make a "compulsory move", the opponent can shout "Stop!", "Tunj!" or "Crapette!". The player's turn ends immediately and it is his opponent's turn. The "compulsory moves", in order of required preference, are as follows, assuming possible:<ref name=Pagat/>
* Playing the top card of your reserve to a foundation (the open reserve card takes precedence over all others)
* Playing any other available card to a foundation (building the families on the aces takes precedence over any other possible move)
* Playing your open reserve card to the auxiliary columns
In some versions these rules apply if the player simply touches a card that cannot legally be moved, for example, moving any card that is not available or does not fit.<ref name=Pagat/>

If a card has been placed illegally, it must be reversed before the opponent's turn begins.<ref name=Pagat/>

==See also==
* [[Nerts]]
* [[Skip-Bo]]
* [[Spite and malice]]
* [[List of patiences and solitaires]]
* [[Glossary of patience and solitaire terms]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1931/05/31/archives/fun-for-two.html|title=Fun for Two|date=1931-05-31|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-03-26|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}
* [[Albert H. Morehead]], [[Richard L. Frey]], [[Geoffrey Mott-Smith]]: ''The New Complete Hoyle: the authoritative guide to the official rules of all popular games of skill and chance'', New York: Doubleday, 1991, {{ISBN|0-385-24962-4}}
* Jean Boussac. [https://www.australia-casino.org/encyclopedia/the-crapette ''Encyclopedia of card games: The Crapette''], pp. 313–315. Paris, 1896. Transl. from French, 2017.
* [[David Parlett]]: ''A Dictionary of Card Games'', Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1992/96, {{ISBN|0-19-869173-4}}
* [[David Parlett]]: ''The Oxford Guide to Card Games'' Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York, 1990, {{ISBN|0-19-214165-1}}
* [http://www.pagat.com/patience/crapette.html Rules of Russian Bank], [[Pagat.com]]. Retrieved 2020-09-09.

{{Patience}}
[[Category:Double-deck patience card games]]
[[Category:Card games for children]]
[[Category:Competitive patience card games]]

Hold up (bridge)

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{{Short description|Contract bridge card play}}
In the [[card game]] of [[contract bridge]], to '''hold up''' means to play low to a trick led by the opponents, losing it intentionally in order to sever their communication. The primary purpose is to give as many tricks to opponents as needed to exhaust all the cards in the suit from one of their hands. If that hand regains the lead, it will not be able to put the partner on lead to cash its tricks. Hold up is one of basic techniques in play.

While mechanically identical,<ref>Francis et al (2001), p. 128</ref> a hold up is in a suit played by the opponents while a '''[[duck (bridge)|duck]]''' (or '''ducking''') is a manoeuver in one's own suit.<ref>Levé (2007), p. 100.</ref> Nevertheless, the terms are used interchangeably<ref>Reese and Trézel (1978), p. 7.</ref> with duck or ducking more common.

==Examples==

===Denying an entry (declarer play)===
{{BridgeSuitLeft|10 8 7|9 2|K Q 3|A J 6 5 4}} West leads the top of a doubleton against a suit contract, and East plays the queen. Suppose South wins the first trick with the ace and West gets in before trumps are drawn (with the ace of trumps, for example). Now West can lead his remaining card in the suit to East's king, and East can return the suit for West to [[ruff (cards)|ruff]].

Proper procedure is for South to hold up on the first trick, and win the ace on the second round of the suit. Now, when West gets in, he is void in his short suit and cannot lead that suit to get to East's hand.

===Denying an entry (defender play)===
{{BridgeSuitLeft|K Q J 2|10 9 8 7|A 6 5|4 3}} The declarer (South) plays toward dummy's long suit. Assuming there are no side entries, on the distribution shown East must duck once to prevent declarer from running the suit.

Note that West must give a proper [[Signal (bridge)|count signal]] in this situation. In the distribution shown, West signals an even count; East assumes it shows four and ducks once. (If West has only two, then South has four and ducking neither helps nor hurts.) If West signals an odd count, East will have to decide (possibly from the bidding or previous play in other suits) whether it shows three or five, and win the first or third trick accordingly.

===Rectifying the count===
Often, to set up a [[squeeze play (bridge)|squeeze]], one or more tricks must be lost in advance. This is known as "rectifying the count", but it is actually just another instance of ducking.

===Endplay===
Here is a simple [[endplay]] situation:
{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label =
|Lead = South to lead
|—|—|4 3 2|—
|K 2|A|—|—
|—|—|7 6 5|—
|A Q|2|—|—}} At no trump, South is on lead with three cards left to play. South ducks the {{cards|h2}} to West, who must now lead spades into South's ace-queen tenace and South wins two tricks. If South plays spades first, he wins only one of the last three tricks.
This play is not really a duck, because it does not surrender a trick that could be won.{{Clear}}

{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label = South in 3NT
|Lead = Lead:{{cards|dK}}
|J 10 7|10 8 3 2|A 5 3|K J 10
|Q 9 6|7 5 4|K Q J 10 9|8 3
|5 4 3 2|Q J 6|7 4 2|A 7 4
|A K 8|A K 9|8 6|Q 9 6 5 2}}

South is playing a contract of three notrump, and West leads the king of diamonds. There are nine needed tricks: two spades, two hearts, one diamond and four clubs. However, if the declarer wins the ace of diamonds at trick one and drives out the ace of clubs, the defenders will cash four diamond tricks to set the contract.

South can assure the contract (provided the ace of clubs is with East) by holding up the ace of diamonds: he plays low to the first two diamond tricks (known as [[duck (bridge)|duck]]ing) and wins the ace of diamonds on the third trick. Now, when East wins the ace of clubs, he has no diamonds left to play. If West holds the ace of clubs, the contract is impossible to make. If, on the other hand, East had a diamond, that would mean that diamonds were originally split 4-4 and defenders could only cash three tricks in the suit, so the contract was not in danger.{{Clear}}

===Deception===
{{BridgeSuitLeft|K 10 8 2|A 5 3|J 6|Q 9 7 4}} A defender can deceive the declarer by ducking a trick he could win, inducing him to place the defender's cards wrongly and adopt a losing line of play. In the position shown, declarer leads a small card from dummy to the queen in trump suit. If West takes the ace, the declarer could easily play the king in second round, dropping East's jack. However, if West ducks, the declarer will place the ace with East, and finesse the dummy's ten in second round, losing to East's now singleton jack.

This kind of duck requires perfect [[Card reading (bridge)|reading of cards]] and nerve, especially if the suit involved is a side suit in a trump contract. West must duck smoothly, without hesitation, otherwise the declarer could infer the actual layout.

==Rule of seven==
The rule assumes play in a 3NT contract and is as follows:
:''Subtract from seven the total number of cards that declarer and dummy hold in the defenders' suit and duck their lead of the suit that many times.''<ref>Francis et al (2001), p. 401</ref>

The rule can be generalized for all notrump contracts as follows:
:''In a notrump contract, subtract from 'n' the total number of cards that declarer and dummy hold in the defenders' suit and duck their lead of the suit that many times; 'n' is equal to four plus the level of the contract.''

In the hand above, there are five diamonds in the combined North-South hands, and declarer must duck two tricks (winning the third).

If there were an additional diamond in either the North or South hand, for a total of six, then declarer need only duck one trick (winning the second). This is because if West has five diamonds (and North-South six), then East will have only two and will be out of diamonds after two rounds of the suit. If East does have three diamonds, then West will have only four and the defenders can cash only two additional diamond tricks (for a total of three) upon winning the ace of clubs.

==See also==
*[[Avoidance play]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{OEB|6}}
* {{cite book
|last = Levé
|first = Guy
|title = The Encyclopedia of Card Play Techniques at Bridge
|publisher = Master Point Press
|location = Toronto
|year = 2007
|isbn = 978-1-897106-25-9}}
* {{cite book
|last1 = Reese
|first1 = Terence
|author-link1 = Terence Reese
|last2 = Trézel
|first2 = Roger
|author-link2 = Roger Trézel
|title = When to Duck when to Win in Bridge
|publisher = Frederick Fell Publishers, Inc.
|location = New York
|series = Master Bridge Series
|year = 1978
|lccn = 77-23677
|isbn = 0-88391-078-0}}

{{WPCBIndex}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holdup (Bridge)}}
[[Category:Contract bridge card play]]

Card

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{{wiktionary|card|cârd|Card}}
'''Card''' or '''The Card''' may refer to:
{{TOC right}}

==Common uses==
* [[Bank card]]
* [[Business card]]
* Calling or [[Visiting card]]
* [[Credit card]]
* [[Debit card]]
* [[Greeting card]], given on special occasions
* [[Payment card]]
* [[Plastic card]]
* [[Playing card]], used in games
* [[Postcard]]
* [[Trading card]], aka collectible card

==Arts and entertainment==
* ''[[The Card]]'', a 1911 novel by Arnold Bennett
** [[The Card (1922 film)|''The Card'' (1922 film)]], based on the novel
** [[The Card (1952 film)|''The Card'' (1952 film)]], based on the novel
** [[The Card (musical)|''The Card'' (musical)]], 1973, based on the novel
* ''The Card'', a 2012 novel by [[Graham Rawle]]
* [[The Card (The Twilight Zone)|"The Card" (''The Twilight Zone'')]], a TV episode
* "The Card", an episode of [[SpongeBob SquarePants (season 6)|''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (season 6)]]

==Businesses and organisations==
* [[American Committee for Devastated France]] (''Comité Américain pour les Régions Dévastées de France''), a group of American women in France after {{nowrap|World War I}}
* [[Campaign Against Racial Discrimination]], a British organization, founded in 1964–67
* [[Center for Autism and Related Disorders]], an American applied behavior analysis provider
* [[Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases]], at Guy's Hospital, London, England

==Science and technology==
* Card, a device for [[carding]], the cleaning and aligning of fibers
* [[CARD (domain)]], caspase recruitment domain in proteins
* [[Collegiate Aerial Robotics Demonstration]], an American robotics competition
* [[Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database]], a biological database
* <math>\operatorname{card}</math>, a mathematical function that returns the [[cardinality]] of a set
* [[Printed circuit board]], or card
* [[Punched card]], also known as EAM card and Holerith card, an early input medium for accounting machines and computers
* [[Digital card]], a physical or digital item

== Sport ==
* [[Card (sports)]], list of the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event
* [[Arizona Cardinals]], an American football team nicknamed the "Cards"
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]], an American baseball team nicknamed the "Cards"
* [[Louisville Cardinals]], the sports teams of the University of Louisville, nicknamed the "Cards"
* [[Woking F.C.]], an association football club, based in Surrey, England, nicknamed the "Cards"

==Other uses==
* [[Card (surname)]], including a list of people with the name
* [[Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development, and Stabilisation]] (CARDS) programme, the EU's financial assistance to the western Balkans

== See also ==
{{Commons category|Cards}}
* {{srt}}
* [[Card game (disambiguation)]]
* [[Card holder (disambiguation)]]
* [[Cardinality (disambiguation)]]
* [[Carding (disambiguation)]]
* [[Carte (disambiguation)]]
* [[Bank card (disambiguation)]]
* [[Postcard (disambiguation)]]
* [[Calling card (disambiguation)]]
* [[Credit CARD Act of 2009]] (Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act of 2009), United States legislation

{{disambiguation}}

Cassino (card game)

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{{Short description|Fishing card game}}
{{Infobox card game
| title = Cassino
| subtitle =
| image_link = File:French Portrait card deck - 1816 - 10 of Diamonds.jpg
| image_caption = The ''Great Cassino''
| image_size = 120px
| Family = [[Card game#Matching games|Matching]]
| alt_names =
| type = [[:Category:Fishing card games|Fishing]]
| players = 2–4 (2 best)
| play = Clockwise
| num_cards = 52
| deck = [[French-suited]] pack
| origin = England
| related = [[Skwitz]]{{*}}[[Tablanette]]{{*}}[[Zwickern]]
| playing_time = 10-15 min.
| random_chance = Medium
| skills = Tactics| footnotes =
}}

'''Cassino''', sometimes spelt '''Casino''', is an English [[card game]] for two to four players using a standard, 52-card, [[French-suited pack]].<ref name=Parlett>Parlett (2008), p. 401.</ref> It is the only fishing game to have penetrated the English-speaking world.<ref name=Parlett/> It is similar to the later Italian game of [[Scopa]] and is often said, without substantiation, to be of Italian origin. Cassino is still played today in [[Madeira]], probably due to English influence.<ref name=funchalnotic>[https://funchalnoticias.net/2017/05/01/camara-de-lobos-cumpre-tradicao-do-torneio-de-cassino-do-1o-de-maio/ ''Câmara de Lobos cumpre tradição do Torneio de Cassino do 1º de Maio''] at funchalnoticias.net. Retrieved 22 May 2023.</ref>

== History ==
Although Cassino is often claimed to be of Italian origin, detailed research by [[Franco Pratesi]] has shown that there is no evidence of it ever being played in Italy and the earliest references to its Italian cousins, [[Scopa]] and [[Scopone]], post-date those of Cassino.<ref name=Pratesi>Pratesi (1995), pp. 6-12.</ref> The spelling "Cassino" is used in the earliest rules of 1792 and is the most persistent spelling since,<ref name=Long/> although German sources invariably use the spelling "Casino" along with some English sources.

Likewise an origin in gambling dens appears unlikely since a ''casino'' in the late 18th century was a summer house or country villa; the name was not transferred to gambling establishments until later.<ref name=casitalian>{{cite book|last1=Thompson|first1=William N.|title=Gambling in America: An Encyclopedia of History, Issues, and Society|date=2015|page=43|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QAI9BgAAQBAJ&q=casino+word+italian+casa+villa&pg=PA43|access-date=August 17, 2015|isbn=9781610699808}}</ref>

In fact, as "Cassino", the game is first recorded in 1792 in England<ref name=Long>Long (1792).</ref> where it appears to have become something of a fashionable craze,<ref name=Pratesi/> and certainly well known enough for Mrs. Scatter to declare "I do long for a game of Cassino" in [[Frederic Reynolds]]' 1797 comedy, ''Cheap Living''.<ref>Reynolds (1797), p. 39.</ref>{{efn|According to Pratesi, at that stage, sweeps were not part of the rules, but Long admits 1 point for a clearing the table, although this is not included in his summary table which may explain why Pratesi thought it was absent.}} At that stage, the [[court card]]s had no numerical value and could only be paired, and there was no building; that did not appear in English rules until the second half of the century.<ref>"Trumps" (1868), pp. 177 ff.</ref> The [[counting card]]s were the [[Ace]]s and two special cards known as the 'Great Cassino' ({{cards|d10}}) and 'Little Cassino' ({{cards|s2}}).<ref name=Long/> As the game developed, further [[counter (cards)|counters]] were added.

One country to follow hard on English heels was Austria-Hungary where, as early as 1795 in Vienna and Prague, rules were published that incorporated English terminology such as "sweep" and "lurch."<ref>_ (1795), pp. 395-406</ref> Initially the rules followed those in English sources, but as early as 1810, a markedly different variant appeared in which the court cards, [[Ace]]s and Cassinos became far more potent. The courts were given values of 11, 12 and 13 respectively, the Aces could be valued at 14 as well as 1, the Great Cassino at 10 or 16 and the Little Cassino at 2 or 15.<ref>von Abenstein (1810), pp. 155 ff.</ref> This elaboration of the Cassino went unnoticed in its country of origin and across the Atlantic, apart from a fleeting observation in 1846 by Lady Sarah Nicolas in 1846 who recounts that "the game of Cassino is thus played in some parts of Germany:- Great Cassino takes sixteen. Little Cassino – fifteen. Every Ace – fourteen. King – thirteen. Queen – twelve. Knave – eleven."<ref>Nicolas (1846), p. 128.</ref>

Rules continued to be published in German until at least 1975,<ref>Grupp (1975), pp. 55-57.</ref> but the game seems to have waned in Germany and Austria towards the end of the 19th century.

However, while the game began to fade away in England, it was in America that Cassino gained its second wind in the second half of the 19th century, initially due to new moves such as building and calling and, later, through several interesting new variants that emerged, including what became Royal Cassino, in which court cards were given a numerical value as in German Cassino such that they could capture two or more cards, and Spade Cassino, in which players scored for the most Spades, and Diamond Cassino, in which three cards are dealt instead of four. Royal Cassino is mentioned as early as 1894 when we learn that a passenger on a line from New York to London played the game with a doctor and his wife<ref>''The Illustrated American'' (1894), p. 359.</ref> but its rules first appear in English ''Foster's Complete Hoyle'' of 1897.<ref>Foster (1897), p. 448.</ref> Cassino was eventually eclipsed by [[Gin Rummy]].<ref name=Pratesi/>

By the early 20th century, Cassino itself was obsolete everywhere, but two successors were emerging. [[Zwickern]], a north German variant, introduced up to 6 Jokers as special cards and grew so popular that bespoke packs were made for it. Today the game is still played in a few villages in [[Schleswig]]. [[Tablanette]], another apparent variant in which the Kings, Queens, Knaves and Tens are also counters, appeared in the late 19th in a German source<ref>Ulmann (1890), p. 232.</ref> and later featured in one of [[Hubert Phillips]]' games compendia in 1939. It does not seem to have caught on, although it may have gained more traction in its various eastern European forms.<ref>Phillips & Westall (1939), pp. 168-170.</ref>

== English Cassino ==
These classic rules emerged in 1792 and remained largely unchanged until the mid-19th century. The following are based on Long:<ref name=Long/>

The game is for two players using a [[standard pack]]. The [[dealer (card player)|dealer]] [[deals (cards)|deals]] four cards each and four to the table, placing the rest face down as the [[stock (cards)|stock]]. Non-dealer plays the first card and aims to capture as many cards from the table as possible that match the card played. For example, if the table cards are 6–9–3–9–J, by playing a 9, a player may capture the 6 and 3 in combination as well as two 9s. If a player is able to clear the table (later called a ''sweep'') this scores 1 point. Captured cards are placed in a [[trick (cards)|trick]] pile, face up, by the player who took them. A player unable to capture anything must trail (add) a card to the table.

The players play cards alternately and when the first hand of four is exhausted, the dealer deals four more cards each from the stock, but none to the table this time. Play continues in this way until the stock is exhausted and the players have played their last hand of four. Any cards left on the table are claimed by the last player to take a trick, unless the last card played is a [[court card]] in which case its holder claims any remaining cards. In neither case does this score a point.{{efn|The rule about a court card played last clearing the table is explicit in later rules, e.g. Jones (1796)<ref name=Jones>Jones (1796), pp. 298–300.</ref> but only hinted at in Long.}}

At the end of the [[hand (cards)|hand]], score as follows:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Feat
! Points
|-
| Most cards
| 3
|-
| Great Cassino ({{cards|d10}})
| 2
|-
| Little Cassino ({{cards|s2}})
| 1
|-
| Most spades
| 1
|-
| Each Ace
| 1
|-
| Each sweep
| 1
|}

Thus there are 11 points in the game plus the bonus points for sweeps. If players tie on cards or spades, no point is awarded. The lower score is deducted from the higher and the winner scores the difference. Game is 11 points; if the loser has less than 6, he or she is [[lurch (cards)|lurched]] and loses double.

=== Three-Handed Cassino ===
Only the scoring differs. After totalling their points the two lower scores are combined and deducted from the highest score e.g. if A score 8, B 2 and C 1, A scores 8 - (2 + 1) = 5 game points; but if A has 5, B 4 and C 2, A scores nothing.

=== Four-Handed Cassino ===
There are two teams of two and they follow Whist rules for cutting for places, dealing and scoring the games singly or double. They play a rubber i.e. the best of 3 games.

== American Cassino ==
In 1864, [[William Brisbane Dick]], alias "Trumps", published the first rules that included the feature of "building up", whereby players were allowed to place a card on an existing table card and, by announcing their combined value, fix the build at that value. In 1867, however, Dick published an even more elaborate set of rules that included "calling" for the first time. The rules were based on research that included testing and approval by "the best players in this city".{{efn|Presumably New York where the rules were published.}} The following is a summary of those rules:<ref>"Trumps" (1867), pp. 217–222.</ref>

=== Overview ===
The game is played by two, three, four or six players with a 52-card pack. Four play as two pairs.

=== Deal ===
Players cut for deal and the player with the lowest card deals first. Ties 'cut over' and Aces are low. Dealer gives each player four cards, singly, [[eldest hand]] first. Four cards are dealt to the table either regularly as he deals or in packets of two, three or all four. After the first four hand cards are played, the dealer deals another four each, singly, but none to the table, and this continues until all cards have been played out.

=== Play ===
Eldest hand leads a card and then each player in turn plays one card which may be used for:
* Capturing. The played card may capture all table cards either by pairing – taking cards of the same rank – or by combining – taking cards that, in combination, add up to the value of the played card.
* Sweeping. If a player captures all the table cards, this is a sweep and scores 1 point. The next player must trail a card.
* Calling. A player with 2 or more cards in hand of the same rank as one or more table cards, may play one of them and call their rank e.g. "Fives". An opponent may only capture the card by pairing, but may not build on that card or capture it as part of a combination.
* Building.
** Simple Build. A player may build by placing a hand card on a table card and announcing the total, thus fixing the value of the build, e.g. Andrew holds 5 and 3, and there is a 2 on the table; he places the 3 on the 2 and calls "Five". The cards of the build cannot now be taken separately but must be capturing by pairing with a 5 or as part of a combination where the build counts as 5.
** Multiple Build. A player may build on an opponent's build provided that player has a hand card matching the new total. Players may not build on their own build in succession, but only alternately on the same build.
** Second Build. Players may make a second build on a different card or make any other legal play before taking up the first build.
** Build and Call. A player with more than one card that matches a build may play it onto the build and call their values e.g. "Eights". This then counts as a call and fixes the value of both build and played card. The player must then capture both by playing the remaining card on a later turn.
* Trailing. A player unwilling or unable to do any of the above must trail a card i.e. add it to the existing table cards, face up.

=== Scoring ===
Points are scored at the end of each hand as in classic English Cassino, but instead of game being 11 points, each deal is a complete game and the player or team with the most points wins.

==Variants==
{{anchor|Twenty-One Point Cassino|21-Point Cassino}}
===Twenty-one Point Cassino===
'''Twenty-one Point Cassino''' appears for the first time in print in Dick's 1880 ''Modern Pocket Hoyle'' where he says that "Cassino is now very generally played for a fixed number of points (usually twenty-one)". The first player to the target score wins and the points are scored as soon as made. Sweeps are not turned down "as in the single deal game" but scored as they are taken. A player who erroneously claims to have won loses the game.<ref>“Trumps” (1880), p. 181.</ref>

{{anchor|Royal Cassino}}

===Royal Cassino===
'''Royal Cassino''' appears for the first time in ''Foster's Complete Hoyle'' (1897); however, the concept of giving values to the [[court card]]s was a Austro-German invention of the early 19th century. The only difference from standard American Cassino is that Jacks are now worth 11, Queens 12 and Kings 13, so that, for example, a Queen can capture and Ace and a Jack or a 7 and a 5.<ref name=Foster1897>Foster (1897), p. 448.</ref>
In a variation recorded by [[David Parlett]], the Ace is worth 1 or 14 as desired.<ref name=Parlett405>Parlett (2008), p. 405.</ref>

===Spade Cassino===
Also making its first appearance in 1897 was the "interesting variation" of '''Spade Cassino''' in which every spade scored a point except for the {{cards|sJ}} which scored 2. This replaced the usual score for "most spades" and gave 24 points per hand, excluding sweeps. Game is 61 and hence it is scored on a [[cribbage]] board, all points being pegged as they are made apart from "most cards" which is pegged at the end.<ref name=Foster1897/>

===Diamond Cassino===
'''Diamond Cassino''' is a recent variant that has been described as a "cross between Cassino and [[Scopa]]". Only 40 cards are used, the face cards being removed. Players are dealt three cards each, and four cards are dealt to the table. Game is 11 up and players get 1 for most cards, 1 for most diamonds, 1 for the {{cards|d7}}, 2 for all four 7s, 6s or As, and 1 for each sweep.<ref>Parlett (2008), p. 404.</ref>

===Draw Cassino===
In '''Draw Cassino''', first called '''Royal Draw Cassino''',<ref>_ (1911), p. 198.</ref> players draw a replacement card each time they make a play, so that they always have four cards in hand (until the end), rather than being dealt cards in discrete rounds of four. It is a two-player game.<ref name=Parlett405/>

== Related games==
There are a number of other European fishing games in the same family as Cassino.

===Callabra===
In this "fast and simple forerunner of Cassino", each player is dealt three cards, and five are dealt to the table. Players may trail or take cards from the table, if they have cards which match the cards on the table, or if they have two cards which add up to a card on the table and equal the table card's value. In this game, Jacks are worth eleven points, Queens are worth twelve points and Kings are worth thirteen points. Game ends when a player finally clears all the cards from the table.<ref>Parlett (2008). pp. 418–419</ref>

===Tablanette===
{{main|Tablanette}}
Tablanette is said to be of Russian provenance. In this game, each player has six cards, and a player with a jack may use it to clear the whole table. At the end of a round, players score points for holding the most cards, and extra points if they are holding picture
cards.<ref>''The Penguin Book of Card Games'' (Penguin, 1979).</ref>

===Diloti===
In this Greek fishing game,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rules of Card Games: Diloti|url=https://www.pagat.com/fishing/diloti.html|access-date=2021-10-10|website=www.pagat.com}}</ref> players are dealt 6 cards. Matching face cards must be captured, so that no two face cards of the same value can ever be together in the pool. The scoring differs most notably in that there is no special suit, and sweeps are very valuable:

* Higher number of cards: 4
* 10 of diamonds: 2
* 2 of spades: 1
* Each ace: 1
* Each sweep (''Xeri''): 10 (!) extra points

== See also ==
* [[Pasur (card game)|Pasur]]
* [[Mulle]]
* [[Zwickern]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Literature ==
* _ (1793). [https://books.google.com/books?id=frw6AQAAMAAJ&q=cassino&pg=PA3 "Short Rules for Playing the Game of Cassino"] in ''The Conjuror's Magazine'', Locke, London. January issue.
* _ (1795). ''Der beliebte Weltmensch''. Joseph Gerold, Vienna.
* [[Foster, Robert Frederick|Foster, R.F.]], ed. (1911). ''The Official Rules of Card Games'', 15th edn. Cincinnati.
* [[Foster, Robert Frederick]] (1897). ''Foster’s Complete Hoyle''. 3rd edn. Frederick.A. Stokes, New York and London.
* Grupp, Claus D. (1975/79). ''Kartenspiele''. Falken, Niedernhausen. {{ISBN|3-8068-2001-5}}.
* Jones, Charles. (1796). ''Hoyle’s Games Improved''. New, enlarged edn. London: R. Baldwin, etc.
* Long, Robert (1792). [https://books.google.com/books?id=DjGRzLWn1PUC&dq=Cassino&pg=PA3 ''Short Rules for Playing the Game of Cassino'']. London: J Owens.
* Nicolas, Lady Sarah (1846). ''The Cairn: A Gathering of Precious Stones from Many Hands''. London: George Bell.
* [[Parlett, David]] (2008). ''The Penguin Book of Card Games''. London, New York, etc.: Penguin.
* [[Pratesi, Franco]] (1995). "Casino From Nowhere to Vaguely Everywhere" in ''The Playing-Card'', Vol. XXIV, No. 1, Jul/Aug 1995, ISSN 0305-2133.
* [[Frederic Reynolds|Reynolds, Frederick]] (1797). ''Cheap Living'', A Comedy in Five Acts as it is performed at The Theatre-Royal, Drury Lane. London: G.G. & J. Robinson.
* [[William Brisbane Dick|"Trumps"]] (1867). ''The American Hoyle''. 4th edn. NY: Dick & Fitzgerald.
* [[William Brisbane Dick|"Trumps"]] (1880). ''The Modern Pocket Hoyle.'' 10th edn. rev. & corr. NY: Dick & Fitzgerald. FV
* von Abenstein, G.W. (1810). ''Spielalmanach für Karten-, Schach-, Bret-, Billard-, Kegel – und Ball-Spieler zum Selbstunterrichte von Julius Cäsar.'' Improved and expanded edn. Berlin: Gottfr. Hayn.

{{Non trick-taking card games}}

[[Category:18th-century card games]]
[[Category:English card games]]
[[Category:Fishing card games]]
[[Category:Two-player card games]]

Mau-Mau (card game)

2025-10-11T18:30:03Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Variants */cards template now supports suit first

{{Short description|Card game}}
{{Distinguish|Mao (card game)}}
{{Infobox card game
| title = Mau-Mau
| subtitle =
| image_link = File:Walet Karo z Wzoru Berlińskiego.png
| image_caption = If a player's final card is a Jack, they must call ''"Mau Mau"''.
| image_size = 120px
| alt_names =
| type = Shedding-type
| family = First-out wins
| players = 2–5
| play = Clockwise
| card_rank = A K Q J 10 9 8 7 A K O U 10 9 8 7 A H V B 10 9 8 7
| ages = 6+
| num_cards = 32 or 36
| deck = [[French-suited playing cards|French]] or [[German-suited playing cards|German pack]]
| origin =
| related = [[Switch (card game)|Switch]]{{*}}[[Crazy Eights]] {{*}}[[Whot!]]
| playing_time = Various
| random_chance = Medium
| skills = [[tactic (method)|Tactics]], communication
| footnotes =
}}
'''Mau-Mau''' is a [[card game]] for two to five players that is popular in [[Germany]], [[Austria]], [[South Tyrol]], the [[United States]], [[Brazil]], [[Greece]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Slovakia]], [[Israel]], and the [[Netherlands]]. Mau-Mau is a member of the [[Card games#Shedding games|shedding]] family, to which the game [[Crazy Eights]] with the proprietary card game [[Uno (card game)|Uno]] belongs. Other similar games are [[Whot!]] or [[Switch (card game)|Switch]]. However, Mau-Mau is played with standard French or German-suited playing cards.

== History ==
Mau-Mau surfaced in Germany shortly after the [[Second World War]]. In 1961, it was still "a very recent game" that had gained "astonishing popularity within just a few years".<ref name=Trumpf61>Trumpf (1961), p. 16.</ref>

Its rules were first published in 1958 and although "it appeared quite suddenly... anyone who has played it once will be enthralled by it... Its particular charm lies in its cheerful, light entertaining character and perfectly refined simplicity. Anyone can play it in five minutes".<ref name=Trumpf58>Trumpf (1958), p. 125.</ref>

== Rules ==
The game is typically played with a 32-card pack, either a [[French-suited pack]] from which the Twos, Threes, Fours, Fives and Sixes have been removed or, especially in Europe, with a 32-card [[German pack]].
For more than five players, two packs of cards may be used.

The aim is to be first to get rid of all of one's cards. Most of the time, the winner will have to say something at this point, usually "Mau". If the winner fails to say this, they do not win and instead must take penalty cards. If a player's last card is a Jack, they must reply differently, usually saying "Mau Mau".

Before the start of the game, a player who is not the dealer cuts the deck four times. If the player cuts 1–3 significant cards, they’re allowed to keep them if they want. However, if four cards where the cards are cut are found to be power cards, the deck needs to be reshuffled and the cut is repeated.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2023-12-24 |title=The Mau Mau Club card game rules |url=https://mauking.com/pravila-igre-mau-mau/ |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=mauking.com |language=sr-RS}}</ref> The players are each dealt a hand of cards (usually 5 or 6).<ref name=":1" /> The rest is placed face down as the [[stock (cards)|stock]] or stack. At the beginning of the game the topmost card is revealed and placed face up on the table then the players take it in turns to play their cards.

A card can only be played if it corresponds to the suit or value of the face-up card. For example, if it is the 10 of spades, only another spade or another 10 can be played (but see below for Jacks).
If a player is not able to do this, they draw one card from the stack; If they can play this card, they may do so; otherwise, they keep the drawn card and their turn ends. When the drawing stack is empty, the playing stack (except for the topmost card) is shuffled and turned over to serve as a new drawing stack.

The 7, 8, Jack, and Ace of all suits are significant cards:

*If a 7 is played, the next player has to draw two cards but may play. (A variant of the game allows the player facing the 7 to play another 7, in which case the player to their left must take 4 cards from the pack, unless they play a 7 too, in which case the player to their left must take 6 cards from the pack, unless they also play a 7, in which case the player to their left must take 8 cards from the pack.)
*Any 8 forces the next player to miss their turn. (A variant of the game allows the player facing the 8 to play another 8, in which case the next player after them must play another 8 or miss a turn, etc.)
*A Jack of any suit is the equivalent of a Joker and can be played on any card. The player who plays it then chooses a card suit. The next player then plays as if the Jack was of the chosen suit.
*If an Ace is played, one other card ''must'' be played with it. If the player does not have another card, or cannot follow in suit or number, then the player must take a card from the pack. If a player's final card is an Ace, they cannot win on that turn.
*When a player has only one card left, they must say "Mau" (even if it is an Ace); if that card is a Jack, they must say "Mau-Mau". Failure means that the player must take a card.
*If the game is scored, ''and'' the winning card is a Jack, then all points against the losers are doubled.{{sfn|Parlett|2008|p=447}}

== Variants ==
===Austria and Bavaria===
In [[Austria]] and [[Bavaria]], a variation is the 32-card game known as '''Neuner''' ("Nines"); in this variation, a Joker is added and the Nines are used as [[wild card (playing card)|wild cards]].{{sfn|Parlett|2008|p=447}}

=== Czech Republic ===
The most popular variant of this game in the [[Czech Republic]] is called '''Prší''' (''raining'' in [[Czech language|Czech]]).<ref>{{cite book |title=Nové universum: všeobecná encyklopedie, A-Ž |date=2003 |publisher=Universum |isbn=978-80-242-1069-8 |page=880 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KuhMAQAAIAAJ&q=Pr%C5%A1%C3%AD+mau+mau |language=cs}}</ref>
It is played with a deck of 32 [[Playing card#German|German cards]] (four card suits, values from 7 to Ace) and has almost identical rules with several differences:
*Players are dealt four cards each.
*Ace forces the next player to skip their turn.
*7 forces the next player to draw two cards, unless they too play a 7, thus requiring the next player to draw four cards and so on. A player who draws cards cannot play a card in the same turn.
*In some rules, {{cards|sK}} forces the next player to draw 4 cards. They may play {{cards|s7}} to pass the penalty on to the next player who must draw 6 cards or play another 7 and so on. subsequent player, etc. Similarly, {{cards|sK}} may be played on {{cards|s7}} instead of another 7.
*An [[Ober (playing card)|Ober]] (''svršek'') can be played on any card except a 7 or Ace and its player may then choose a [[card suit|suit]]. The next player then plays as if the Ober was of the chosen suit.
*In some variations, an [[Unter (playing card)|Unter]] (''spodek'') cannot be played on any card (it has no special meaning).
*There is no requirement for a player to announce that they only have one card left. (Though it is accepted to say ''Prší'' as a celebration.)
*In some variation, when {{cards|h10}} is played all other players take a card and the player who played it plays again.
*In some variations, when a player gets rid of their cards, the player may be returned to the game if they would have taken cards because of {{cards|h7}} specifically (or {{cards|h10}} from the variation above). Thus the player truly wins only when they haven't had a card in their hand for one whole additional round. (Saying ''Prší'' is acceptable every time a person loses all their cards)
Some may play with less common modifications:

==== Variation: Quick ====
A player can play multiple cards at once if these requirements apply:
* The Posted power cards have the same rank
* The bottom card can be played according to already known rules

Playing multiple power cards at once is typically treated as playing a single one.
The exception is sevens, where the number of cards for the next player to draw accumulates, so the next player has to draw 2 times the number of played sevens, or play another seven.
(When playing the variation with {{cards|h10}} being a power card, rules differ from group to group.)

With certain combinations of homebrew rules and 5 or more players it is possible that somebody has to draw more cards than are available on the table.
Solutions include adding more decks to the game or decreasing the penalties of power cards.

==== Variation: Blind ====
Players play cards face-down. The card's rank and suit is spoken by the player.
* If the next player believes the first one, the card is accepted as "canon" and game continues.
* If the next player doesn't believe the card is as specified by the first player, the card is revealed.
* If the first player told the truth, the next player is penalized: they must draw one or more cards, miss their turn, and so on (the details vary in different versions of the game).
* If the first player lied, the first player is penalized (they usually return the card to their hand and miss their turn, draw one or more additional cards, or similar)

=== Iran ===
The game known as '''هفت خبیث''' (''Evil Seven'' in [[Persian language|Persian]]) in [[Iran]] is a variation of Mau-Mau, sharing similar mechanics and utilizing Jacks and Sevens in the same manner. However, there are a few notable distinctions:
* When an Ace is played, it results in the subsequent player missing their turn.
* If an Eight is played, another card must be played simultaneously. Failure to do so, whether due to lack of another card or inability to match the suit or number, requires the player to draw a card from the deck. Importantly, if a player's final card happens to be an Eight, they cannot declare victory during that turn.
* Playing a Ten causes a reversal in the direction of play.
* When a player plays a Two, they can choose another player and make them draw a card.
* One card left: say تک‌کارت (''Single Card'' in [[Persian language|Persian]]).

=== Netherlands ===
In the [[Netherlands]] Mau-Mau is mainly known as '''Pesten''' (meaning ''bullying''). It is played with a deck of 54 or 55 cards (52 standard plus two or three jokers); multiple decks may be shuffled together if there are too many players to comfortably play with only one deck. The main differences with Mau-Mau are as follows, though there is typically some variation in the rules depending on the group of players.

* All players receive between five and seven cards.
* 2 forces the next player to draw two cards.
* Joker may be played on any other card and forces the next player to draw 5 cards. It may permit the next player to change suit, even if the following rule is applied.
* Playing a 2s or Jokers in succession shifts the draw to the next player cumulatively. So if the first player plays a Joker and the second player a 2, the third player must draw 5 + 2 = 7 cards (or play a 2 or a Joker).
* A 7 allows the player to play another legal card if able; if this is another 7, the player goes again (announced as ''Zeven: nog even'' or ''Zeven: (blijft) kleven'', meaning approximately "Seven: another go" resp. "Seven: sticky").
* 8 forces the next player to skip the turn (''Acht: wacht'', "Eight: wait").
* Ace reverses the order of play (''Aas: draai'', "Ace: turn").
* A King has the same effect as the 7 (''heer nog 'n keer'', "King, go again")
* Jack changes suit.
* One card left: say ''Laatste kaart'' ("Last card") or knock on the table. (It's a common rule that if people forget to knock or announce their last card before the next player plays or draws that they must draw an entirely new hand, 5 or 7 cards). The final card may not be an effect card, the player must draw if it is.

===Portugal===
In Portugal, a variation on this game is called Puque. The rules are almost the same, with the 2 replacing the 8 as the "skip turn" card. A player must say Puque when playing their next-to-last card, and doesn't have to say anything different from end with a Jack,{{Clarify|date=August 2022}} still getting the double score.

=== Russia ===
Variants are called '''Чешский Дурак''' (''Czech Fool''), '''Фараон''' (''Pharaoh''), '''Крокодил''' (''Crocodile'') or '''101'''. Usually played with 36-card, French pack. The rules are similar to Czech and Slovak rules.
* The players are dealt five cards.
* Ace forces the next player to skip the turn.
* 7 forces the next player to take 1 card (or more).
* 6 forces to take one card (or more) and skip.
* Queen changes suit.
* (optional) 10 changes turn direction.
* (optional) King of spades forces to take multiple cards and skip.

=== Slovakia ===
In Slovakia, the game is called '''Faraón''' (''Pharaoh''). It is the same as in the Czech Republic with the following exceptions:
*Players are dealt 5 cards initially. The loser of a hand starts all subsequent hands with one card fewer. Once a player has lost four hands they start the next with only one card. If they lose a further hand they’re out of the game. The winner of each hand plays first on the following hand.
*A player can play several cards of the same rank in succession, for example if a heart is on top of the discard pile they could play the ace of hearts and the ace of leaves on top of it. The two aces would mean the next two players miss their turns. In some versions it is not possible for players to defend against an ace as they don't have a turn.
*If a 7 (or more together) is played, the next player has to draw three cards (or six or nine or twelve). They can pass this penalty on to the subsequent player by playing a 7 (or more) too. This subsequent player must then draw three cards for each seven played in total (unless they play sevens themself, passing the obligation to the next player and increasing it).
*The [[Unter (playing card)|Unter]] of Leaves cancels out the obligation to draw cards due to sevens and can have other jacks played on top of it by the same player.
*An [[Ober (playing card)|Ober]] can be played on any card. The player who plays it then chooses a [[card suit|suit]]. The next player then plays as if the Ober was of the chosen suit.
*In some variations, when a player is forced to draw three cards (or six or nine or twelve), if they draw a 7 or an [[Unter (playing card)|Unter]] of Leaves in the first 3 cards they may play it and make the subsequent player draw three cards (or cancel drawing cards in the case of the Unter of Leaves), though they have to keep the cards they have already drawn and their turn is skipped.

=== Switzerland ===
A Swiss version of the game called '''Tschau Sepp''', played with 36 cards, has existed at least since the early 1960s.

==See also==
*[[Mao (card game)]]
*[[One Card (card game)]]
*[[Sedma]]
*[[Uno (card game)]]
*[[Whot!]]
*[[Crazy Eights]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book |last1=Parlett |first1=David |author-link=David Parlett |title=The Penguin book of card games |date=2008 |publisher=Penguin |location=London |isbn=978-0-141-03787-5}}

==Further reading==
* Braun, Franz (1966). ''Spielkarten und Kartenspiele''. Hanover: Fackelträger.
* Parlett, David (2008). ''The Penguin Book of Card Games'', Penguin, London. {{ISBN|978-0-141-03787-5}}
*{{Cite book |first=Barry |last=Rigal |chapter=Mau Mau: Staking Out a Stock Pile |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YwNRBhrODQ4C&q=mau |title=Card Games for Dummies |publisher=Wiley |location=Indianapolis |year=2005 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/cardgamesfordumm00riga/page/105 105–7] |isbn=978-0-7645-9910-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/cardgamesfordumm00riga/page/105 }}
*{{Cite book |first=John |last=Scarne |author-link=John Scarne |chapter=Mau-Mau |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=La7J1XQk1bAC&pg=PA336 |title=Scarne's Encyclopedia of Card Games |publisher=Harper & Row |location=San Francisco |year=1994 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/scarnesencyclope00john/page/336 336–7] |isbn=978-0-06-273155-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/scarnesencyclope00john/page/336 }}
* Trumpf, Peter (1958). ''Spielkarten und Kartenspiele''. Keyser.
* Trumpf, Peter (1961). ''Alte und neue Kartenspiele''. Ravensburg: Otto Maier.

{{Children's card games}}
{{Non trick-taking card games}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mau Mau (Card Game)}}
[[Category:Card games introduced in the 1930s]]
[[Category:French deck card games]]
[[Category:Eights group]]
[[Category:Year of introduction missing]]
[[Category:German card games]]
[[Category:Card games for children]]
[[Category:Shedding-type card games]]

Coup (bridge)

2025-10-11T18:26:39Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Deceptive coups */cards template now supports suit first

{{Short description|Special play maneuver in bridge}}
In [[contract bridge]], '''coup''' is a generic name for various techniques in [[contract bridge glossary#P|play]], denoting a specific pattern in the lie and the play of cards; it is a special play maneuver by declarer.<ref>{{OEB|6|91}}</ref>

There are various types of coup which can be effected.

==Pure coups==
There are many coups which the opponents can do little to prevent.

;[[Bath coup]]
The original coup was referred to as the Bath Coup, whereby a player holding the Ace, Jack and small card(s) plays small against the lead of a King-Queen sequence, so as to get two tricks (if the suit is continued) or gain tempo.

;[[Belladonna coup]]
The declarer's act of playing low card below king from Kx-Jxx combination in a suit contract, in order to tangle defender's communications for trumping, ensuring either a trick in the suit or a third-round ruff.

;[[Crocodile coup]]
The crocodile coup is a technique used by the defense. It is executed by second hand, following suit with a higher card than apparently necessary, to keep fourth hand from winning and thereby being endplayed.

;[[Deschapelles coup]]
The act of sacrificing a card that would ordinarily be an eventual winner (such as an offside King) to establish an entry into partner's hand.

;[[Devil's coup]]
The Devil's coup is the act of stopping defenders getting a trump trick from Qx opposite Jxx - surely the work of the Devil?

;[[Coup en passant]]
The act of ruffing through the player who has bigger trump(s), so that the trump is taken either by ruffing or by making it master trump if the other player ruffs.

;[[Galileo coup]]
The Galileo coup is so named because [[Galileo Galilei]] is usually credited with the invention of the [[telescope]]; this coup arises when the contract is in a suit in which the declaring side is missing both the Ace and King; if successful, the defenders end up being forced to play the Ace and King of trumps to the same trick, thus "telescoping" their two trump tricks into one.

;[[Trump coup (bridge)#Grand coup|Grand coup]]
A [[Trump coup (bridge)|trump coup]] where the cards ruffed in order to execute a trump reduction are winners.

;[[Merrimac coup]]
The Merrimac coup is the act of sacrificing an honour (usually a King) in order to remove an entry from an opponent's hand.

;[[Morton's fork coup]]
The forcing of an opponent to choose between establishing one or more extra tricks in the suit led and losing the opportunity to win a trick in the suit led.

;[[Scissors coup]]
The Scissors coup is so named because it cuts communications between defenders, most commonly by discarding a key card from either the declarer's own hand or dummy. This enables declarer to prevent the defenders transferring the lead; usually for a defensive ruff.

;[[Trump coup (bridge)|Trump coup]]
The Trump coup happens in the end-game when declarer needs to finesse in trumps but doesn't have one to lead up. It is often associated with a Trump Reduction.

;[[Vienna coup]]
The Vienna coup is the act of cashing an ace opposite the queen (or, more generically, an immediate winner opposite a menace) in order to enable a [[Squeeze play (bridge)|squeeze]] to work on either opponent.

==Deceptive coups ==
Some coups rely on the opponents making a mistake.

;[[Grosvenor gambit]]
The act of deliberately misplaying a hand in order to induce a mistake by an opponent which results in either the same or a superior result. Even when the gambit does not yield a material gain, it usually induces a big psychological impact on the opponents who were offered a trick for free but couldn't have believed it were possible.

;[[Idiot coup]]
The act of only losing one trick when missing AKx of trumps. Declarer leads through one of the defenders hoping they will play the king from Kx which then falls under their partner's stiff ace. Obviously going up with the king is foolish because if declarer holds the ace, he has a legitimate line whereby he can escape a loser (play the ace and hope for stiff king or take a [[finesse]]), hence the name.

An Idiot coup can also refer to a play that appears to present an alternative (losing) option to an opponent, but upon closer inspection could not possibly be the right one. For example, suppose declarer holds {{cards|sxx}} opposite {{cards|sKT}} in dummy. During the play of another suit LHO, who is holding {{cards|sAJx}}, discards the jack, knowing that he is only entitled to one trick in the suit in any case. Now when declarer leads the small card toward dummy and LHO follows low, he might think he has a "guess" in the suit, when in fact LHO would have no reason to discard the jack if he also had the queen. (That is, unless LHO is trying to [[Grosvenor gambit|Grosvenor]] him.)

==Illegal coups==
There are also a number of illegal coups:

;[[Alcatraz coup]]
The Alcatraz coup is performed by purposely revoking when declarer is uncertain which defender to finesse. After the trick is over, declarer knows which defender to finesse, "notices" and corrects his misplay, and finesses the correct defender.

;Superglue coup
The Superglue Coup is where a defender pulls out two cards together (as if they were superglued together). Declarer sees the cards and assumes they are adjacent in rank in the defender's hand. For example, if declarer is missing K103 and one defender pulls the K and 3 out together declarer can assume that the defender does not have the 10.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.bridgebum.com/grosvenor.php An article describing the Grosvenor Gambit]
* [http://www.poorbridge.com/?cotm=index A list of amusing (and mostly unethical) coups]

{{Coup (bridge)}}

[[Category:Contract bridge coups|*]]

Kaiser (card game)

2025-10-10T06:31:34Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: one template for four cards

{{Short description|Canadian card game}}
{{Infobox card game
| title = Kaiser
| subtitle =
| image_link = Kaisergame.jpg
| image_caption = Typical score sheet from a game of Kaiser.
| alt_names = Three-Spot
| type = [[Trick-taking]]
| players = 4
| play = Clockwise
| card_rank = A K Q J 10 9 8 {{cards|♦7|♣7|♥5|♠3}}
| num_cards = 32
| deck = [[playing card#French|French]]
| origin = Canadian Prairies
| related = [[Euchre]]
| playing_time =
| random_chance = Medium
| skills = [[Memory]], [[tactic (method)|Tactics]], Communication
| footnotes =
}}

'''Kaiser''', or '''three-spot''', is a [[trick-taking game|trick-taking]] [[card game]] popular in the [[prairie provinces]] in [[Canada]], especially [[Saskatchewan]] and parts of its neighbouring provinces. It is played with four players in two partnerships with a 32-card deck.

==Origins==
The origins of this game are a mystery and there seems to be no historical record (spoken or written) that justifies it being a solely Saskatchewan-area game. It is popular among Ukrainian communities.

''[[Kaiser]]'' means "emperor", the ruler of [[Germany]] from 1871 to 1918. During the [[World War II|Second World War]] a game referred to as troika (Russian {{lang|ru-Latn|troĭka}}, from {{lang|ru-Latn|troe}} "three"; akin to Old English {{lang|ang|thrīe}} "three") and the English version, three-spot, was played by war veterans in particular. These games were known for their bidding and trumping and the three in particular. The highest bid in these games was called a kaiser bid (12 notrump). It is because of this that it was referred to as the “kaiser bidding game” and eventually just the "kaiser game".

==Dealing==
[[File:Kaiser dealing.jpg | thumb | alt= Kaiser at the dealing stage played in Bruno, Saskatchewan |
Kaiser at the dealing stage played in [[Bruno, Saskatchewan]] ]]
Kaiser is played by four people: two teams of two players each. Unlike many card games, only 32 cards are used out of a normal 52-card [[playing card#French|deck]]. The deck contains the cards from eight to ace inclusively (8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king, ace) for each suit. The other four cards are the seven of clubs, seven of diamonds, five of hearts and three of spades. All 32 cards are dealt out: eight to each player. The cards may be dealt in any order to any player so long as each player ends up with eight cards.

==Rule variations==
Even though kaiser is a rare game, rules do vary between groups and between regions. Some variations on the popular rules include:
* Varying the minimum bid (usually anywhere from five to eight)
* Including the seven of hearts and seven of spades. When dealing, two cards are dealt into a "kitty" and the winning bidder may pick this kitty up and exchange cards in their hand for cards in the kitty. If the three or five are in the kitty, then the player must include these in their playing hand.
* Allowing passing between players. Players are allowed to pass one or two cards before bidding. This can create an opportunity for communication between players within the rules of the game. This is often accompanied by raising the minimum bid, because the increased level of strategy makes it possible to attain higher scores.
*After winning the bid in no trump, the player has an option of playing the hand high or low. In high the play is normal. In low the strength of the cards are reversed while the five of hearts and the three of spades are neutral (for example in "low" play a seven would take a trick over an eight).

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{pagat|Kaiser|pointtrk/kaiser.html}}

{{List of trick-taking games}}



[[Category:19th-century card games]]
[[Category:Canadian card games]]
[[Category:Four-player card games]]
[[Category:Point-trick games]]
[[Category:Year of introduction unknown]]

Strip squeeze

2025-10-10T06:25:00Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Examples */using cards template. there were a couple cases here that may need to be double checked if formatted correctly

{{Short description|Declarer technique}}
A '''strip squeeze''' is a declarer technique at [[contract bridge]] combining elements of [[Squeeze play (bridge)|squeeze]] and [[endplay]].

This squeeze occurs when declarer has two or more losers remaining.<ref>{{OEB|7|501}}</ref> By cashing winners, declarer forces the squeezed defender to discard cards so that he cannot defeat the contract. Eventually, the defender will be forced to unguard a potential winner, exposing it to capture or be put on lead and forced to lead a suit that will cost his side a trick.

==Examples==
{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label = Example 1a South in 6{{hearts}}
|Lead = Lead: {{cards|cK}}
|A 3 2|A 6 3 2|4 3 2|4 3 2
|K 7 6 5|5 4|6 5|K Q 10 6 5
|J 10 9 8|7|J 10 9 8 7|9 8 7
|Q 4|K Q J 10 9 8|A K Q|A J}}

South is in a 6{{hearts}} contract with 11 top tricks on the {{cards|cK}} lead. To perform a [[simple squeeze]], South would have to lose a trick at some point to rectify the count. This will not work on this hand because the only menaces South has are in clubs and spades. Ducking a trick in clubs would allow East to guard the suit.

South must rely on a strip squeeze to make the hand. The first club trick is won, and the hearts then the diamonds are cashed.
{{clear}}
{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label = Example 1b
|Lead = South on lead
|A 3|—|2|4
|K 7|—|—|Q 10
|J|—|J 10|9
|Q 4|—|K|J}}
South remains with {{cards|sQ|s4|cJ}} and {{cards|sA|s3|c4}} in dummy. West must choose between baring the {{cards|sK}} or {{cards|cQ}}. If West keeps {{cards|sK|x}}, South puts West on lead with a club to lead away from the spade. Otherwise, South plays a spade to the Ace to drop West's King.

An experienced West will try to make things as difficult as possible for South so that the correct route to 12 tricks is not certain. Making the key discard before the final winner is cashed will introduce as much ambiguity as possible. Although in double-dummy it is impossible to go wrong, occasionally South will make the wrong decision in competition.

{{Clear}}
Squeezes often require declarer to know the location of specific high cards or the number of cards a defender holds in a particular suit, in order to know what cards the squeezee will be forced to play. Examples 2a and 2b illustrates:
{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label = Example 2a
|Lead = South to lead
|A J|K|2|—
|K Q|A|7|—
|3 2|—|Q|8
|4|2|3|A}} {{BridgeHandNWES
|Label = Example 2b
|Lead = South to lead
|A J|K|2|—
|K Q|A|7|—
|—|—|Q|3 2 8
|4|2|3|A}}
{{clear}}
Again South needs three of the remaining tricks in a notrump contract. In Example 2a the presence of the diamond loser means that when South cashes the {{cards|cA}}, West is not squeezed. He can safely discard his idle {{cards|d7}}. However, when South next plays the {{cards|d3}}, West is squeezed again. East wins the {{cards|dQ}}, but must lead to dummy's winners.

In Example 2b East's {{cards|s3|s2}} are replaced by the {{cards|c3|c2}} and declarer must know East's club length in order to make the correct play. If South cashes the {{cards|cA}} and then leads the {{cards|d3}}, East wins the {{cards|dQ}} and will take the rest of the tricks. In this case, the correct play is for South to lose the {{cards|dQ}} immediately, before taking the {{cards|cA}}, in order to rectify the count. Now East is forced to lead a club to South's ace, and West is squeezed as before.

But with East's hand as shown in Example 2a, losing the {{cards|dQ}} first does not work. East can return a spade, and declarer will score only the {{cards|sA}}. Not only does the squeeze position disappear, but there is no entry to cash the {{cards|cA}}.

{{Clear}}

==See also==
*[[Bridge Squeezes Complete]] by [[Clyde E. Love]]
*[[Squeeze play (bridge)#Further reading|Squeeze play bibliography.]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strip Squeeze}}
{{WPCBIndex}}
[[Category:Contract bridge squeezes]]

Signal (bridge)

2025-10-10T06:09:49Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Suit preference signal */replaced with cards template

{{Short description|Tactic in bridge card game}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2020}}
{{Main|Contract bridge|Glossary of contract bridge terms}}
A (bridge) '''signal''' is a move in the [[card game]] of [[contract bridge]] in which partners defending against a contract play particular cards in a manner which gives a coded meaning or ''signal'' to guide their subsequent card play. This may also be referred to as ''carding''. Signals are usually given with the cards from the two-spot to the nine-spot. There are three types of signals:
* attitude signals – the most frequently used, to encourage or discourage continuation of the suit led by partner
* count signals – showing either an even or odd number of cards held in the suit led and
* suit preference signals – the least frequently used, indicating partiality for a specific side suit.

The methods used for each type of signal have evolved over time and fall into two broad categories:
* standard signals, where a high card or one followed by a lower card is encouraging when it is an attitude signal or shows an even number of cards when it is a count signal; and
* reverse (upside-down) signals, where the meanings are reversed. A low card or one followed by a higher card is discouraging when it is an attitude signal and shows an odd number of cards when it is a count signal.

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:10px;"
|+Precedence of signal types
|-
! Lead is by
! Following suit
! Discarding
|- valign=top
! Partner
| 1. attitude 2. count
| 1. attitude
|- valign=top
! Declarer
| 1. count 2. suit preference
| 1. attitude 2. suit preference
|}

Partnerships decide on which methods to adopt and must disclose them to their opponents. Use and interpretation is dependent upon their context, such as the contract, the auction, the opening lead or prior play, the cards visible in dummy, the cards visible in one's hand, who has led to the current trick and whether following suit or discarding.

Accordingly, partnerships generally have an order of precedence for the interpretation of signals such as that indicated in the adjacent table. In the vast majority of cases, the third-hand follow-suit signal is an attitude signal, but when the attitude signal does not apply, it is a count signal. Usually, it is relatively easy to recognize a signal correctly when the declarer leads – either a count signal when following suit, or an attitude signal when discarding, and when they do not apply, it is a suit-preference signal.

While signals are a means of permissible communication between defenders, they are considered as providing guiding information to partner and are not absolutely binding; the partner may proceed otherwise as they deem rationally appropriate. Because the declarer is entitled to know the meaning of all partnership agreements, including defenders' signals, they are also privy to the information being exchanged; this may give way to [[#Falsecarding|falsecarding]] tactics by the defenders.

==Attitude signal==
When signaling standard attitude, a high card is encouraging and a low card is discouraging. Attitude is normally signaled when following suit to partner's led suit and when discarding on either partner's or declarer's led suit.

For example, if one's partner leads with the Ace of Spades, one might signal with the nine if the King is held (requesting partner to continue the suit), or with the three if one holds nothing but spade cards with low ranks (notifying the partner that a switch to another suit is likely best).

One can only signal with the cards held. Signaling low is easy, but if one's lowest card is the eight, one's partner might have difficulty "reading" it as low. When signaling high, play the highest card possible. Having easily readable cards to signal relies on luck.

Suppose the declarer draws trumps and one is out on the third round. Discarding should be an attitude signal for one's partner. For example, playing a high diamond card can ask one's partner to lead with diamonds if they gain the lead. Normally, one would have an honor or honors in diamonds in this case. Playing a low diamond card asks one's partner to ''not'' lead with diamonds if they gain the lead.

If declarer plays another round of trump, one may be able to play another diamond: this will make it unambiguous to one's partner whether one is encouraging diamonds (by playing high-low) or discouraging diamonds (by playing low-high).

===Attitude signals at notrump contracts===
With standard attitude signals one generally plays the highest card you can afford for that purpose. Typically attitude signals are made when partner leads an honor (either on the opening lead or later) and requests a continuation. The usual reason for this is that one possesses an honor equal to the honor played or promised by the lead. Against a notrump contract (especially on the opening lead), one's partner will lead an honor from a solid or broken sequence, such as QJ10 or KQ10. With less solid holdings like QJxx(x) or KQxx(x) partner will lead with their fourth best card. The reason to signal is, if partner leads from a broken sequence and there are small cards in dummy, partner may not know whether to continue the suit.

''Examples:''
{{BridgeSuitLeft
|7 4
|K Q 10 6 2
|J 8 3
|A 9 5
}}
Partner leads the king against a notrump contract. With J83, one would play the 8, so that if partner has something like KQ1062 and declarer A95 they can continue the suit without giving up a trick if the declarer lets it hold.{{clear}}

{{BridgeSuitLeft
|7 4
|K Q 10 6 2
|9 8 3
|A J 5
}}
If one plays the 3, one's partner may take this view of the suit, and may switch to another suit hoping to get one in to lead though declarer's probable jack. It is also possible that one have the singleton or doubleton 8, in which case declarer would have 4 or 5 cards in the suit with the bidding revealing that. If the declarer had bid the suit, one's partner would also be less likely to lead from a broken honor sequence or lead the suit.{{clear}}

Some players agree to unblock their highest honor when a King is led against a notrump contract, and with no honor to give a count signal.

===When not to signal===
The general principle is to not signal if doing so will help the declarer more than the defenders.

Example 1: One assumes they hold virtually all of the defensive cards, and their partner will most likely never gain the lead. Signalling is strongly discouraged. One's partner, on the other hand, knowing the situation, should consider signalling honestly.

Example 2: Signalling against a slam is dangerous. Make the declarer work as hard as possible.

==Count signal==
The standard count signal is to play high-low with an even number of cards, and low-high with an odd number. Normally, one "gives count" when following suit to the declarer's led suits. This will help one's partner determine the distribution of the suit. See [[duck (bridge)]] for an example.

Count in the trump suit is normally inverted. Thus, high-low shows an odd number of trumps. Some partnerships (by advance agreement) signal this way only when they have a desire or ability to [[ruff (cards)|ruff]] something.

==Suit preference signal==
This signal is used infrequently. When it is clear that the choice of lead is between two suits, the play of a high card on a previous trick suggests the lead of the higher-ranking suit and a low card suggests the lower-ranking suit. There are four common cases:
*When following suit on one's partner's lead (complement to the attitude signal): In situations where one's partner has made an opening lead and an attitude signal would not be meaningful, such as when dummy displays a singleton or void in the suit being led, a suit preference signal is used to indicate which of the other two suits to lead – excluding trumps and the suit originally led. The signal can also be useful when a switch to a side suit is not desired, since there are hands in which continuing the original suit or switching to a trump is the right thing to do. In this case, a middle card is often used to indicate this situation, but it can be hard to read.
*When leading in a suit one's partner is expected to [[ruff (cards)|ruff]]: The rank of the card led suggests a preference for the suits to be returned by one's partner after the ruff. Letting one's partner know this may allow one to regain the lead for another ruff. For example, in each of the two hands below, partner has led what is likely a singleton club against a 4{{Hearts}} contract. After winning the {{cards|cA}}, the lead of {{cards|c10}} for the first hand and {{cards|c2}} for the second hand indicates which suit partner should return.
**{{BridgeHandInline|A964|104|765|A1062}}
**{{BridgeHandInline|765|104|A964|A1062}}
*When following suit on the declarer/dummy's lead of a long suit (complement to the count signal): When partner has a single honor, a suit preference signal shows which of dummy's side suits is preferred for partner to return after winning a trick. If there is no side entry, the card is a count signal to show one's partner when is best to win or [[duck (bridge)|duck]] a trick.
*When discarding – see below
*Some defenders use the trump suit to show suit preference. When a defender can afford to play either of two trump cards, following suit with the higher card first shows interest in the higher ranking suit while playing the lower card first indicates interest in the lower ranking suit. This is a non-standard agreement – see count signal above.

==Upside down count and attitude==
Some partnerships agree in advance to play Upside Down Count and Attitude (UDCA). With this agreement, the standard count and attitude signals are inverted: when signaling attitude, a low card is encouraging and a high card is discouraging; when signaling count, high-low shows odd count and low-high shows even count.

Many experienced players believe UDCA is superior to standard signaling. Most importantly, it is often easier for one's partner to read one's signals. Also, one does not have to "waste" high cards in suits you like.

UDCA, as the name states, only applies to count and attitude signals. Suit preference signals are played standard. Also, one's leads (as opposed to signals) are unchanged—one still leads high from a doubleton, for example, barring another special agreement to the contrary.

As mentioned above, standard count in the trump suit is already "upside down". Experts recommend that trump signaling be the same in UDCA as standard trump signaling, that is, when playing UDCA, signal the same in all four suits.

==Discarding agreements==
Some partnerships agree in advance to assign special meaning to the first {{gcb|discard}}.

===Lavinthal (McKenney)===
With this agreement, the first discard is suit preference. One does not like the led suit and does not want the suit discarded. One's suit preference signal tells one's partner which of the two remaining suits one prefers: a high card for the higher ranking of the remaining suits and a low card for the lower ranking. This treatment is known as Lavinthal in the United States, or McKenney in the UK. The potential disadvantage of this method is that one always have to give preference for one suit or other when one may not want any switch in particular. This can be overcome at times by signalling for an "impossible" switch, such as a suit in which the dummy has a very strong holding such as AKQ.

There is another slightly different Lavinthal used by ''SAYC OKBridge Style Simplified'': discarding a low card of either remaining suit (excluding trumps and the suit one does not have) asks for the lower suit. For example, if hearts are trumps and one is discarding on clubs, then a low spade ''or'' diamond asks for a diamond. Discarding a high card of either remaining suit asks for the higher suit.

===Revolving discard===
As with Lavinthal, one has the possibility to request suit preference in two ways. A low discard indicates interest in the suit directly below (a low club signaling spades); a high discard signals preference for the suit directly above (a high spade signaling clubs). The lead suit is skipped in reading the signal. This is considered by many to be easier to remember than Lavinthal.

===Odd–even (Roman)===
With this agreement, the first discard shows the following: if it is an odd spot card (three, five, seven or nine) it is encouraging in that suit; if it is a low even spot card (deuce or four), it shows preference for the lower ranking suit of the other two suits; if it is a high even spot card (six or eight), it shows preference for the higher ranking suit. The even card often has a dual function: aside from indicating suit preference, it is also a negative indication for the suit being used for the even card. A high odd card followed by a low odd card may show both preference and count (odd or even number of cards, depending on partnership agreement).

===Surrogate===
A surrogate suit is one played by the declarer in which a defender does not need to signal his attitude or count nor use to give a preference signal; usually the trump suit is a good surrogate suit if a trump echo is not needed.<ref>{{cite book
|last1 = Kantar
|first1 = Nicu
|last2 = Dimitrescu
|first2 = Dan
|title = Bridge Classic and Modern Conventions, Vol. IV
|page = 1926
|year = 2003
|isbn = 91-631-1099-7}}</ref> The suit in which the count will be given is called the target suit.

==Disclosure==
The declarer is entitled to know what signaling agreements one has with one's partner, and one must disclose them if asked. However, one does not have to interpret any particular play (and should not, because it might transmit information to one's partner). For example, if partner plays the 5 of clubs and one is asked what it means, one can say "a high club encourages clubs, a low club discourages clubs" (assuming that is your agreement). If one sees the 4, 3, and 2 in your hand, one knows that the 5 is a low club and therefore discouraging, but one should refrain from saying so. As far as one's partner knows it might equally well be declarer who holds those cards and then you might misread the 5 as encouraging.

Most regulating bodies in bridge also prohibit the use of encrypted signals. These signals convey a message that can only be interpreted by knowing some specifics of the hands of the defenders. For example, the declarer's bidding might promise exactly a certain number of spades. By looking at the dummy, each defender knows how many spades the other has. An agreement applied in such circumstances, such as "if I have an even number of spades at the start of play, then we play standard signals on this deal, otherwise upside-down signals" would be encrypted and therefore widely prohibited.

==Falsecarding==
In general, the partner will gain more from a player's signals than the declarer's, so it is worthwhile to signal honestly most of the time. However, since the declarer can see one's signals as well, a player who gains a reputation for always giving accurate count, for example, may find information given away by their signals used to their disadvantage. It is common practice to throw in a misleading signal now and then.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book
|last = Bird
|first = David
|author-link = David Bird (bridge writer)
|title = Defensive Signaling at Bridge
|publisher = Master Point Press
|location = Toronto
|year = 2010
|isbn = 978-1-897106-63-1}}
* {{cite book
|last = Horton
|first = Mark
|author-link = Mark Horton (bridge)
|title = Step-by-Step Signalling
|year = 1994
}}
* {{cite book
|last = Lavinthal
|first = Hy
|title = Suit Preference Signals in Contract Bridge
|publisher = Faber and Faber
|location = London
|year = 1964
}}
* {{cite book
|last = Lavinthal
|first = Hy
|title = Defensive Strategy in Bridge: Featuring Suit-Preference Signals
|publisher = Dover Publications Inc.
|location = New York
|year = 1974
|isbn = 0-486-23010-4}}
* {{cite book
|last = Magee
|first = Bernard
|title = Practise Your Discarding with Bernard Magee
|publisher = Bridge Plus
|location = Reading, England
|series = The Bridge Plus Practise Series
|year = 1999
|isbn = 1-902123-12-3}}
* {{cite book
|last = Rigal
|first = Barry
|title = Practise Your Signalling with [[Barry Rigal]]
|publisher = Bridge Plus
|location = Reading, England
|series = The Bridge Plus Practise Series
|year = 1999
|isbn = 1-902123-07-7}}
* {{cite book
|last = Smith
|first = Marc
|author-link = Marc Smith (bridge)
|title = Bridge Cardplay - Attack and Defence
|publisher = Finesse Bridge Publications
|year = 2000
|isbn = 0-9538737--2-2}}
* {{cite book
|last = Woolsey
|first = Kit
|author-link = Kit Woolsey
|title = Modern Defensive Signalling in Contract Bridge
|publisher = Barclay Bridge Supplies Inc.
|location = Port Chester, NY
|year = 1981
}}. 1992, Devyn Press Inc., Louisville, KY, {{ISBN|0-910791-40-6}}

{{WPCBIndex}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Signal (Bridge)}}
[[Category:Contract bridge card play]]

Cannibal squeeze

2025-10-10T06:07:39Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Examples */replaced with cards template

{{Short description|Type of card-game squeeze}}
{{no footnotes|date=March 2013}}
'''Cannibal squeeze''' or '''suicide squeeze''' is a type of [[squeeze play (bridge)|squeeze]] in [[contract bridge|bridge]] or [[whist]], in which a defender is squeezed by a card played by his partner. Normally, this occurs with less-than-perfect defense, but there are also legitimate positions where the defense could not have prevailed.

==Examples==
{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label =
|Lead = West to lead
|—|—|A Q|6 2
|—|8|7 3|4
|—|—|K 4|J 10
|—|—|8 5|K 3}} West is on lead. If he cashes the high heart, a club is thrown from the dummy, and East is squeezed. Whichever card East discards, the declarer will take two tricks in that suit. Instead, West must lead a diamond to protect the partner from subsequent [[endplay]] (if he returns a club, the declarer will take the King and put East in with another club, forcing him to lead into {{cards|dAQ}}).{{Clear}}

The most common position for a legitimate suicide squeeze occurs when a side suit is "tangled" (neither side can lead it without giving up a trick), and another suit is protected by the partner of the player on lead, as in the following [[contract bridge diagram|diagram]]:
{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label =
|Lead = West to lead
|—|—|Q 6 2|—
|—|8|J 8|—
|—|—|K 4|7
|—|—|A 10|3}} West is to lead; if he leads a diamond, it will "untangle" the suit for the declarer, who will take two diamond tricks. However, when he leads the high heart, he induces a [[simple squeeze]] on his partner, who must either discard the high {{cards|c7}} or unguard the diamond king. (Dummy has an idle card, and East is to play before the declarer.) Again declarer will take two tricks.
{{clear}}

==References==
* Hugh Kelsey, ''Kelsey on Squeeze Play (Master Bridge)''
{{WPCBIndex}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cannibal Squeeze}}
[[Category:Contract bridge squeezes]]

Safety play

2025-10-10T06:05:30Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Safety play at notrump */cards template now supports suit first

{{Short description|Strategy in Bridge}}
'''Safety play''' in [[contract bridge]] is a generic name for plays in which declarer maximizes the chances for fulfilling the [[Glossary of contract bridge terms#contract|contract]] (or achieving a certain score) by ignoring a chance for a higher score. Declarer uses safety plays to cope with potentially unfavorable layouts of the opponent's cards. In so doing, declarer attempts to ensure the contract even in worst-case scenarios, by giving up the possibility of [[Glossary of contract bridge terms#overtrick|overtricks]].

Safety plays adapt declarer's strategy to the scoring system. In [[duplicate bridge#IMP scoring|IMP-scoring tournaments]] and [[rubber bridge]], the primary scoring reward comes from fulfilling the contract and overtricks are of little marginal value. Therefore, safety plays are an important part of declarer technique at [[Glossary of contract bridge terms#quantitative|quantitative scoring]].

In [[duplicate bridge#Matchpoint scoring|matchpoint]] games, which use [[Glossary of contract bridge terms#comparativescoring|comparative scoring]], overtricks are very important. Therefore, although safety plays have a certain role at matchpoints, they are normally avoided if the odds for making the contract are good and overtricks are likely.

==Definition==
The term ''safety play'' is difficult to define crisply. [[The Bridge World]] glossary<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bridgeworld.com/default.asp?d=bridge_glossary&f=glossa.html |title=The Bridge World glossary |access-date=2006-07-10 |archive-date=2006-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060815131052/http://www.bridgeworld.com/default.asp?d=bridge_glossary&f=glossa.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> defines safety play as "the surest line to make the contract, disregarding extra tricks that might be made in some other way." [[Marshall Miles]]<ref>Miles, Marshall. How to Win at Duplicate Bridge. Collier, 1957.</ref> has defined it as "playing in such a way as to lose a trick with average breaks in order to avoid losing additional tricks with bad breaks."

Conflating discussions from various sources yields the following points, each descriptive of safety play characteristics:

*A safety play is made in a single suit. In the context of that suit, it can often be described using other terms that might or might not pertain to the full deal, such as [[avoidance play]], [[percentage play]], [[coup (bridge)|coup]] or [[duck (bridge)|duck]].
*A safety play, although made in a single suit, is intended to maximize declarer's chances to make the contract.
*A safety play usually gives up the opportunity to win as many tricks as possible in a particular suit in order to gain an advantage on the full deal. It therefore is sometimes compared to an ''insurance premium''.

==Examples==
Safety plays have a role at both [[Contract bridge glossary#comparativescoring|comparative scoring]] and [[Contract bridge glossary#quantitative|quantitative scoring]], although they are used more often at quantitative scoring because they tend to give up on overtricks.

===Safety play at IMPs===

{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label =
|Lead =
|K J|Q 5|A J 7 2|Q 8 7 5 3
|10 9 7 3|10 8 6 4|9|J 9 4 2
|Q 8 5 4 2|9 7 2|K 10 8 5|10
|A 6|A K J 3|Q 6 4 3|A K 6}} The example deal at left<ref>Kelsey, H.W. Test Your Match Play. Faber, 1977.</ref> is from a team of four game.

South plays 6NT against the lead of the {{cards|s10}}. Dummy's {{cards|sK}} wins, and the {{cards|cA}} and {{cards|cK}} are played. East discards a small spade on the second club trick.

This particular hand is one of a relatively small group of (non-trivial) deals in which perfect safety is available after the third trick. Single-dummy, using a safety play in diamonds, it is possible to guarantee the contract against any remaining distribution and play of the E-W cards.

South started by expecting to win five clubs, one or two diamonds, four hearts and two spades, but the 4-1 split in clubs complicates matters. Still, a safety play in diamonds will bring in twelve tricks.

It's just coincidence, but the proper diamond play on this hand is the same as the percentage play with this diamond holding, considering the suit in isolation. The best play for three diamond tricks is to play the {{cards|dA}}, and then lead toward either the {{cards|dQ}} or the {{cards|dJ}}. This play brings in three diamond tricks 73% of the time.
{{clear}}
Using that play on this deal brings in twelve tricks 100% of the time. Cash the {{cards|dA}}, and lead small toward the {{cards|dQ}}. Then:

*If diamonds are 3-2, South will always win three clubs, three diamonds, four hearts and two spades.
*If diamonds are 4-1 and West has the singleton, East cannot play the {{cards|dK}} on the second lead without setting up both the {{cards|dQ}} and the {{cards|dJ}}. If East plays low and West shows out, concede a club and take four clubs, two diamonds, four hearts and two spades. The same play works if East began with five diamonds.
*If diamonds are 4-1 and East has the singleton, West can capture the {{cards|dQ}} with the {{cards|dK}}. But in that case West is known to hold four cards in each minor, and on the run of the major suits will be squeezed out of his guard in either diamonds or clubs. In with the {{cards|dK}}, West can attack dummy's entry in diamonds or in clubs, but not both. The same play works if West began with five diamonds.

Note that South gives up the 14% chance of four diamond tricks (finessing the {{cards|dJ}} and then cashing the {{cards|dA}}, hoping for the {{cards|dK}} onside and doubleton) in exchange for insuring the contract against any diamond break. If South begins the diamonds by finessing the {{cards|dJ}}, the contract fails against king-fourth in the East hand.

===Safety play at matchpoints===
Safety play usually involves giving up the chance of the maximum result in exchange for the best chance of making the contract. So one seldom sees safety plays made at matchpoints or board-a-match. But even at those forms of scoring, there can be good reasons to make safety plays.

Suppose that, at pairs, declarer is in a standard contract, one that the majority of the field will surely reach. However, the defense makes an unorthodox opening lead, presenting declarer with a possible overtrick. There may now be a way, unavailable to other declarers, that will guarantee the contract while retaining good chances for the overtrick.

Or declarer might be in an unusually good contract. [[Hugh Kelsey]]<ref>Kelsey, H.W. Match-Point Bridge. Faber, 1970.</ref> gives this example:

{{BridgeHandNS
|5|7 6 3|A Q 9 7 5 4|J 8 4
|J 10 8 3|A K Q 4|K 6 3|Q 2}} The bidding goes 1{{Hearts}} — 2{{Hearts}}; Pass, and West leads the {{cards|sK}} and continues with the {{cards|h10}}.

South is in an unusually good matchpoint contract. Most players will open the South hand with 1NT rather than 1{{Hearts}}. And it is very difficult to reach a heart contract if South opens 1NT or 1{{Diams}}: either way, North signs off in diamonds.

In any case, 2{{Hearts}} is both an exceptionally good matchpoint contract and difficult to reach. Assuming reasonably competent defense, plus 130 is the limit playing in diamonds, and plus 120 in notrump contracts.

But there's an easy way to score plus 140 in 2{{Hearts}}: take a safety play in hearts by ducking the first round. This gives up the chance of plus 170 (if hearts break 3-3) in exchange for the best chance of plus 140 (if hearts break either 4-2 or 3-3). Note that playing hearts from the top leads to defeat if hearts are 4-2, the most likely split.

{{clear}}

===Safety play at notrump===
Safety plays, of course, are not limited to trump contracts. Here is an example of a safety play at notrump.
{{BridgeHandNS
|A 10 8 7 2|A|A 5 3 2|8 4 3
|K 9|K 10 2|K 9 6 4|A K 6 2}} South declares 3NT and gets the lead of the {{cards|hQ}}. After winning the {{cards|hA}}, declarer leads the {{cards|s2}} and East plays a small spade. The play of the {{cards|s9}} now assures the contract.

If West wins the trick he cannot play another heart without giving the ninth trick to declarer and the tempo to develop more in spades. West therefore switches to a diamond and South wins in hand. South overtakes the {{cards|sK}} with the {{cards|sA}} – the key play on this hand – and the {{cards|dA}} assures an entry to two more spade tricks. If spades are played from top the hand might not make if East holds Q J x x and both [[minor suit]]s fail to break.{{Clear}}

==See also==
*[[Duplicate bridge#Scoring and tactics|Scoring and tactics in duplicate bridge]]
*[[Loser on loser]]
*[[Hold up (bridge)|Hold up]]
*[[Avoidance play]]
*[[Suit combinations]]
*[[Belladonna coup]]

==References==
<references/>
{{WPCBIndex}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Safety Play}}
[[Category:Contract bridge card play]]
[[Category:Contract bridge probabilities]]

Scopa

2025-10-10T04:12:21Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Scoring */passed ranks in as argument for template

{{Short description|Italian card game}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Italics title}}
{{Infobox card game
| title = {{lang|it|Scopa}}
| subtitle =
| image_link = Italian Playing Cards.jpg
| image_caption = [[Italian playing cards]] from a deck of "{{lang|it|Bergamasche}}" by [[Dal Negro]]
| alt_names =
| type = Fishing
| players = 2, 3, 4, or 6
| ages =
| num_cards = 40-card
| deck = Italian
| play = Counter-clockwise
| card_rank = R C F 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
| origin = [[Italy]]
| related = [[Cassino (card game)|Cassino]]{{*}}[[Escoba]]{{*}}[[Skwitz]]{{*}}[[Zwickern]]
| playing_time =
| random_chance =
| skills =
| footnotes =
}}

'''{{lang|it|Scopa}}''' ({{IPA|it|ˈskoːpa|lang}}; {{literally|broom}}) is an Italian [[card game]], and one of the three major national card games in Italy, the others being {{lang|it|[[Briscola]]}} and {{lang|it|[[Tresette]]}}.<ref>{{cite book |title=Oxford Dictionary of Card Games |first=David |last=Parlett |page=251 |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1992 |isbn=0-19-869173-4}}</ref> It is also popular in [[Argentina]] and [[Brazil]], brought in by [[Italian diaspora|Italian immigrants]], mostly in the {{lang|it|[[Scopa#Scopa a Quindici|Scopa a Quindici]]}} variation.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.jogosdecartas.com.br/defaultb.asp?area=61&id=8&nome=Escopa |title=Escopa |work=Jogos de Cartas |language=pt |year=2014 |access-date=30 November 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504180034/http://www.jogosdecartas.com.br/defaultb.asp?area=61&id=8&nome=Escopa|archive-date=4 May 2015}}</ref> {{lang|it|Scopa}} is also played in former [[Italian empire|Italian colonies]] such as [[Libya]] and [[Somalia]] or some other countries like [[Tunisia]] and even [[Morocco]], with changed appearance in the cards. It is played with a standard [[Italian playing cards|Italian 40-card deck]], mostly between two players or four in two partnerships, but it can also be played by three or six players.

The name {{lang|it|scopa}} is an Italian noun meaning 'broom', since taking a {{lang|it|scopa}} means 'to sweep' all the cards from the table. Watching a game of {{lang|it|scopa}} can be a highly entertaining activity, since games traditionally involve lively, colorful, and somewhat strong-worded banter in between hands.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.lifeinitaly.com/potpourri/scopa-italian-card-game |title=Scopa: A Traditional Italian Card Game |work=Life in Italy |year=2014 |access-date=30 November 2014}}</ref> However, skill and chance are more important for the outcome of the game.

==History==
{{lang|it|Scopa}} was particularly popular in the city of Naples during the 18th century, although it was already widespread throughout the rest of Italy.

It is believed to have originated from two Spanish games called [[Primero]] and Scarabucion, widely played in Naples' port area as early as the 15th century. There, pirates and fishermen would stop to gamble away the spoils they had seized during raids on merchant ships.<ref>{{cite web|language=it |title=Storia della scopa |url=https://www.snai.it/giochi/scopa/storia}}</ref>

==Cards==
[[File:Carte napoletane al completo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|A set of 40 "{{lang|it|Napoletane}}" cards. The rows depict the suits {{lang|it|Denari}}, {{lang|it|Coppe}}, {{lang|it|Bastoni}}, and {{lang|it|Spade}}.]]
A deck of [[Italian playing cards|Italian cards]] consist of 40 cards, divided into four suits. Neapolitan, Piacentine, Triestine, and Sicilian cards are divided into {{lang|it|Coppe}} (Cups), {{lang|it|Ori}} or {{lang|it|Denari}} (Golds or Coins), {{lang|it|Spada}} (Swords) and {{lang|it|Bastoni}} (Clubs) or {{lang|it|Mazzi}} (Clubs in Sicilian), while Piemontesi, Milanesi and Toscane cards use the 'French' suits, that is {{lang|it|Cuori}} (Hearts), {{lang|it|Quadri}} (Diamonds, {{literally|Squares}}), {{lang|it|Fiori}} (Flowers) and {{lang|it|Picche}} (Spades, {{literally|Pikes}}).

The values on the cards range numerically from one through seven, plus three face cards in each suit: Knave [{{lang|it|Fante}} in Italian] (worth a value of 8), Knight [{{lang|it|Cavallo}} in Italian] in the Neapolitan-type decks, Queen [{{lang|it|Donna}} in Italian] in the Milanese-type decks (worth 9), and King [{{lang|it|Re}} in Italian] (worth 10). A Knave is a lone male figure standing. The Knight is a male figure riding a horse; the Queen is a female figure. The King is a male figure wearing a crown. To determine the face value of any numeric card, simply count the number of suit icons on the card. Since the Coins/Diamonds are important in winning some points, the cards of that suit are also nicknamed as "{{lang|it|bello}}" (handsome): so, "{{lang|it|il settebello}}" is the Seven of Coins/Diamonds, "{{lang|it|l'asso bello}}" is the ace of Coins/Diamonds.

==Rules==
All players arrange themselves around the playing surface. If playing in teams, team members should be opposite each other. One player is chosen to be the dealer.

[[File:Scopa 01.png|thumb|250px|left|Initial setting of the game]]
Each player receives three cards. The dealer deals them out one card at a time, in a counter-clockwise direction, beginning with the player to their right. During this deal, the dealer will also place four cards face up on the table. A table card may be dealt before the deal begins, immediately after dealing a card to themselves but before dealing to the next player, or after dealing all players all three cards.

As it is impossible to sweep in a game where the initial table cards include three or four kings, such a deal is considered invalid. The cards are re-shuffled, and the dealer deals again.

The player to the dealer's right begins play. This player has two options: either place a card on the table or play a card to capture one or more cards. A capture is made by matching a card in the player's hand to a card of the same value on the table, or if that is not possible, by matching a card in the player's hand to the sum of the values of two or more cards on the table. In both cases, both the card from the player's hand and the captured card(s) are removed and placed face down in a pile in front of the player. These cards are now out of play until scores are calculated at the end of the round. If by capturing, all cards were removed from the table, then this is called a {{lang|it|scopa}}, and an additional point is awarded at the end of the round (unless this happened with the final card played by the last player of the last hand of a round, in which case cards are still captured but no additional point is awarded).
[[File:Scopa 02.png|thumb|250px|right|Opponent is capturing two cards with one card from his hand (1+3=4).]]

:Example: the player's hand contains the 2 of coins, 5 of swords, and 7 of clubs (or batons). On the table are the ace of coins, 5 of cups, and 6 of swords. The player's options are:
# Place the 2 of coins on the table;
# Capture the 5 of cups using the 5 of swords, and place both cards face down in front of themselves;
# Capture the 6 of swords and ace of coins using the 7 of clubs, and place all three cards face down in front of themselves.

Note that it is not legal to place on the table a card that has the ability to capture. For example, if a 2 and a 4 are on the table and a player holds a 6, the player must either take that trick or play a different card from their hand.

In any circumstance in which a played card may capture either a single or multiple cards, the player is forced to capture only the single card. For example, if the cards on the table are 1, 3, 4, and 8 (Knave, or {{lang|it|Fante}} in Italian), and the player plays another Knave, the player is not allowed to capture the 1, 3, and 4, even though their total does add up to 8. Instead, the player is only allowed to capture the Knave.

After all players have played all three cards, the dealer deals out three more cards to each player, again beginning with the player to their right. That player then begins play again. No additional cards are dealt to the table. This process is repeated until no cards remain in the deck.

After the dealer has played the final card of the final hand of the round, the player who most recently captured is awarded any remaining cards on the table, and points are calculated for each player or team. If no team has yet won the game, the deal moves to the right. The new dealer shuffles and deals the cards as described above.

==Scoring==
Points are awarded at the completion of each deal. If playing in teams, the team members combine their captured cards before counting to calculate points. Players get one point for each "{{lang|it|scopa}}".

In addition, there are up to four points available for the following, each worth 1 point apiece:
* captured the greatest number of cards.
* captured the greatest number of cards in the suit of coins.
* captured the seven of coins ("{{lang|it|sette bello}}", "{{lang|it|settore}}" or in English, "beautiful seven" or "lucky seven").
* obtained the highest "prime" ({{literally|{{lang|it|primiera}}}}), erroneously referred to as simply "capturing the majority of sevens".

If two or more teams or players capture the same number of cards, the same number of coin cards, or the same prime value, no point is awarded for that result, e.g. if both team 1 and team 2 capture 20 cards total, neither gets a point for the most cards.

The "prime" for each team is determined by selecting the team's "best" card in each of the four suits, and totaling those four cards' point values. When calculating the prime, a separate point scale is used. The player with the highest number of points using this separate point scale gets one point toward the game score.

The most common version of the separate scale is:
{| class="wikitable"
! Card rank
! Point value
|-
| Seven ({{lang|it|sette}})
| 21
|-
| Six ({{lang|it|sei}})
| 18
|-
| Ace ({{lang|it|asso}})
| 16
|-
| Five ({{lang|it|cinque}})
| 15
|-
| Four ({{lang|it|quattro}})
| 14
|-
| Three ({{lang|it|tre}})
| 13
|-
| Two ({{lang|it|due}})
| 12
|-
| Face cards
| 10
|}

If one team captures the seven of cups and coins, the six of clubs and the ace of swords, that team's prime is (21 + 21 + 18 + 16) = 76.

Other versions of the prime's point scale exist. Most use the same ranking of cards but have variant scores, e.g. 0 points for face cards instead of 10. A variant that is popular in America but disliked by purists is to award the prime to the person with the most sevens, or the person with the most sixes if there is a tie, down to aces, and so on.

Obviously, the seven of coins is the most valuable card in the deck, as it alone contributes to all the four points. A player or team can win the "prime" even with only one seven but other useful cards. If one player has three sevens (3x21) and no cards of the fourth suit (sum=63), their opponent can win the "prime" with one seven (21) and three aces (3x16), for their sum would be 69. Therefore, it is a common tactic, while playing the game, to capture aces and sixes whenever possible.

Likewise, if a player is holding a six and there are an ace, a two, a four, and a five on the table, they should choose the five plus the ace, unless they have already taken the seven or the six of the suit of the ace and unless one of the two remaining cards is of the coins suit and they have not made the point of coins yet.

In addition to the four standard points (called "{{lang|it|punti di mazzo}}", {{literally|deck's points}}), teams are awarded additional points for every "{{lang|it|scopa}}" they took during game play. A {{lang|it|scopa}} is awarded when a team manages to sweep the table of all cards. That is, if the table contains only a 2 and a 4, and player A plays a 6, player A is awarded a {{lang|it|scopa}}. Clearing the table on the last play of the last hand of a round does not count as a {{lang|it|scopa}}.

The game is played until one team has at least 11 points and has a greater total than any other team. No points, including {{lang|it|scopa}} points, are awarded mid-round; they are all calculated upon completion of the round. For that reason, if the current score is 10 to 9, and the team with 10 points captures the seven of coins or a {{lang|it|scopa}}, the team cannot immediately claim victory. It is still possible that the opposing team could end up with a tied or higher score once all points are calculated.

In some Italian cities, before the game the players can agree to play with the {{lang|it|cappotto}} variant. In that scenario, if a player is winning 7 points to 0 then the game can be considered over and the player does not have to reach the total of 11 points.

It is also possible to agree on a different score, usually with increments of five or ten, e.g., 16, 21 or 31 points.

==Idioms==
Traditionally, one card from a sweep is turned face up in the captured cards, to remind players while calculating points that a {{lang|it|scopa}} was won, and to taunt them. Many players deal the initial table cards in a 2x2 square.

==Variants==
There are many variants and minor variations of {{lang|it|scopa}}. Since there are no formal rules, it is good manners to agree with the other players on the rules that are to be used before starting a game.

Many of the variations here can be combined. For example, a common variant in the Milan area combines "{{lang|it|Scopone scientifico}}", "{{lang|it|Scopa d'Assi}}" and "{{lang|it|Napola}}".

===Playing with French-suited cards===
When playing with a standard 52-card pack with [[Playing cards#French|French]] suits, 12 cards need to be removed from the deck. Easiest for most new players is to remove the face cards, and therefore play with cards ranging numerically from one through ten. More traditional is to remove the eights, nines, and tens from the deck, which yields the 40-card "{{lang|it|Milanese}}" deck. With the Milanese deck the Jack is 8, the Queen is 9, and the King is 10 (note that in some Neapolitan decks, the Jack is called "Lady" and is worth 8). Regardless of which cards are removed, the diamonds suit is used for the Italian coin suit, making capturing the most diamonds and the seven of diamonds each worth a point.

Alternatively, it is possible to play an 8 player game of scopa using all 52 cards. 4 cards are placed face-up on the table, and 3 cards are dealt to each player for 2 rounds (52 = 4 + 3 * 8 * 2). Jacks are treated as value 11, Queens as 12, and Kings as 13. It is recommended to play multiple games so that each player has the opportunity to deal and to mitigate first-player advantage. Points can be rewarded for ties, and the player with the most points after all the games is the winner.

==={{lang|it|Scopa d'Assi (Asso piglia tutto)}}===
In this variation of the game, playing an Ace captures all cards currently on the table (and does not count as a {{lang|it|scopa}}).

Depending on the variant chosen, it can happen that an ace is already on the table when one draws an ace. Rules vary as to whether or not the player will take all the cards, but usually, the player takes only the ace already on the table. This event, that every player will try to avoid, is called "burning an ace".

===Scopone===
The game of '''{{lang|it|Scopone}}''' (sometimes referred to as {{lang|it|Scopone scientifico}}) is based on {{lang|it|Scopa}}. In this game, which must be played in two teams of two, players are dealt all nine of their cards at the start of each round. Play proceeds around the table until all players have played all of their cards.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Saracino |first=Giovanni |title=Lo scopone scientifico : con le regole di Chitarella, Mursia |year=2011 |oclc=955418181 |language=Italian}}</ref>

In another form of the game, '''{{lang|it|Scopone a 10 carte}}''', the players are dealt ten cards each so that none are left.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bonanni |first=Sergio |title=Lo scopone a 10 carte |date=2004 |publisher=Ugo Mursia Editore |isbn=978-8842533214}}</ref>

{{lang|it|Scopa d'Assi}} is mostly played in the latter variant.

===Napola===
In this variation (also known as {{lang|it|Scopone trentino}}), a team capturing the ace, two, and three of coins achieves the {{lang|it|Napola}} (aka {{lang|it|Napula}}) and is awarded additional points equal to the highest consecutive coin they obtain, e.g. if a team captures the ace, two, three, four, and five, and eight of coins, that team is awarded 6 additional points. 3 points for the {{lang|it|Napola}}, 1 point for each other {{lang|it|carta di denari}} (card in the suit of coins). {{lang|it|Settebello}} ([[File:Seme denari carte napoletane.svg|15px]] 7) is then worth 2 points (one for the card and one for being in the sequence) as is {{lang|it|Re Bello}} ([[File:Seme denari carte napoletane.svg|15px]] K), if the variation below is played.

Because of the higher number of points awarded per game, the game is played until one team has 21 points, rather than 11. Sometimes a team that manages to capture all 10 coins in a single round wins the game immediately.

===Additional points===
In the {{lang|it|Re Bello}} ({{literally|Beautiful King}}) version, the King of coins also counts as a point, just as does the seven of coins.

In some regions of Calabria (especially near Cosenza), a point is awarded for the seven of cups in addition to the seven of coins.

In Napoli, if a player gets all four sevens in a hand, as well as scoring a point for the primiera they get an additional point {{lang|it|Le palle del cane}} ({{literally|The dog's bollocks}}).

==={{lang|it|Scopa a Quindici}}===
In this variation, the played card does not take a card or set of cards that sum to the value of the card played. Rather, it takes any set of cards including itself that add to 15. If the table is A, 3, 5, 7, playing a 2 would take itself plus the A, 5 and 7 (A + 2 + 5 + 7 = 15).

==={{lang|it|Cirulla}}===
The game of '''{{lang|it|Cirulla}}''' (in [[Ligurian language|Ligurian]] {{lang|lij-IT|cirolla}} {{IPA|lij|tʃiˈɾulːa|}} or {{lang|lij-IT|ciammachinze}} {{IPA|lij|ˌtʃamaˈkiŋze|}}) is the variant most commonly found in [[Liguria]] and bordering areas such as [[Piedmont|Lower Piedmont]], and is usually played with the 40-card [[French-suited playing cards#Belgian-Genoese and Piedmontese patterns|Genoese deck]] by 2, 3 or 4 players.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lottomatica.it/skill/tutto-sui-giochi-di-carte/regole-cirulla |title=Regole Cirulla: il regolamento, le carte e il punteggio |work=Lottomatica |access-date=2021-11-14}}</ref> This variant combines elements of traditional {{lang|it|Scopa}}, {{lang|it|Scopa a quindici}}, {{lang|it|Scopa d'assi}} and {{lang|it|Napola}}, and awards additional points for special combinations held in the hand or captured.

Each player is dealt three cards, and four cards are dealt to the table. If two or more aces are dealt to the table, the cards are collected, re-shuffled, and dealt again by the next dealer.

====Capture====
Cards in {{lang|it|Cirulla}} can be captured in one of three ways:
* 'Simple capture'. Like in {{lang|it|Scopa}}, a card in one's hand can capture a card on the table of the same rank; or multiple cards whose ranks add up to its value. When a single card can capture different combinations of cards, players may choose whichever combination suits them best. They are not forced to take the least amount of cards possible. Thus, with 'J 5 3' on the table, a player holding a 'J' would be free to either capture the 'J', or the '5' and '3' (and not be forced to take the first option, like in {{lang|it|Scopa}}).
* 'Fifteen-capture'. Similarly to {{lang|it|Scopa a quindici}}, a card in one's hand can capture one or more cards on the table when the total sum of their values adds up to 15. Similarly to above, when multiple captures are available with a single card, players may choose the one they prefer. For example: with 'A 6 7' on the table, a player holding a 'J' could choose to either capture the '7' (since {{math|8 + 7 {{=}} 15}}) or the 'A' and the '6' ({{math|8 + 6 + 1 {{=}} 15}}).
* 'Ace-capture'. Playing an ace allows a player to capture all cards on the table, and counts as a {{lang|it|scopa}} (worth one point). This type of capture is always possible, unless an ace is already on the table – in which case playing the ace can only capture the ace already on the table (or be used to perform a 'fifteen-capture', if applicable).

When multiple types of captures are possible, players are always free to choose the one that suits them best, with the exception of the ace-capture which is unavailable when an ace is already on the table.

====Bonuses====
There are two hand bonuses available which award points for certain combinations of the three cards held in the hand:
* A 'three-point bonus' (in [[Ligurian language|Ligurian]] {{lang|lij-IT|barsega}} {{IPA|lij|ˈbaːrsega|}} or {{lang|lij-IT|boña da trei}} {{IPA|lij|ˈbuŋˑa da ˈtrej|}}) is awarded to players who hold three cards whose values add up to strictly less than 10 (e.g. '7 A A', 'A 3 4', etc.). Normally, the player scoring this bonus keeps tracks of the extra points by marking three {{lang|it|scope}}.
* A 'ten-point bonus' (in Ligurian {{lang|lij-IT|boña da dexe}} {{IPA|lij|ˈbuŋˑa da ˈdeːʒe|}}) is awarded to players that hold three cards of the same rank.
Such bonuses must be declared before the player holding them has played their first card (typically this is done by knocking on the table) and the player making the announcement must reveal their hand and leave it turned up. For the rare cases in which a hand qualifies for both bonuses (e.g. when a player holds three threes), only the ten-point bonus is normally awarded, although variations to this rule exist.

Two more bonuses are available to the dealer, as a way of balancing the fact that players in this role are generally at a disadvantage:
* 'One-scopa {{lang|it|bonus}}'. If the four cards dealt by the dealer to the table at the start of a round add up to 15, the dealer captures them and marks a {{lang|it|scopa}}.
* 'Two-{{lang|it|scopa}} bonus'. If the four cards dealt to the table at the start add up to 30, the dealer captures them and scores two {{lang|it|scope}}.

For the purposes of the two hand bonuses and the two dealer bonuses, the {{Hearts|7}} counts as a wildcard (in Ligurian {{lang|lij-IT|poncin}} {{IPA|lij|puŋˈtʃiŋ|}}, in [[Italian language|Italian]] {{lang|IT-IT|matta}}) and can play the role of any other card that the player chooses, but only as long as doing so allows them to score one of these four bonuses. For instance, a player holding {{cards|Qd|Qc|7h}} may declare that the {{Hearts|7}} is a queen, thus qualifying them for the ten-point bonus. The {{Hearts|7}} will then keep its declared rank (in this example a queen, which has a value of nine) for the rest of the hand for the purposes of card capturing (and could therefore capture a '6' since {{math|9 + 6 {{=}} 15}}), but will then revert to being the {{Hearts|7}}. On the other hand, a player holding {{cards|Qd|Kc|7h}} is not allowed to take advantage of the {{Hearts|7}} as a wildcard since, no matter what value it might be declared to have, this will not allow the player to score a bonus.

====Scoring====
Scoring works similarly to standard {{lang|it|Scopa}}, with points being awarded for having captured the most cards, the most diamonds, the {{Diams|7}}, holding the best 'prime', and an extra point for each {{lang|it|scopa}} ({{lang|lij-IT|sgobba}} {{IPA|lij|ˈsgubˑa|}}). Additionally:
* Three points are awarded for capturing {{Diams|A23}}, known in [[Ligurian language|Ligurian]] as {{lang|lij-IT|a bassa}} {{IPA|lij|a ˈbasˑa|}} and in [[Italian language|Italian]] as {{lang|IT-IT|la piccola}}. This bonus can be extended by having captured further cards in the sequence, so that {{Diams|A234}} is worth four points, all the way up to {{Diams|A23456}} which is worth six points.
* Five points are awarded for capturing {{Diams|JQK}}, known in Ligurian as {{lang|lij-IT|l'erta}} {{IPA|lij|l ˈɛːrta|}} and in Italian as {{lang|IT-IT|la grande}}.

With such a high degree of point-awarding combinations and the possibility of scoring dozens of points in a single hand, {{lang|it|Cirulla}} games are tense affairs, where seemingly desperate situations can be reversed in a matter of minutes. As a result, the game is typically played until a player (or team, if playing the 4-player partnership variant) reaches 51 points. However, if a player or team manages to capture all diamonds in one round, they win the game immediately.

===Libyan Scopa===
Scopa is very popular in [[Libya]] and is usually played as mentioned above, but some local variations are often added, such as:
* a sweep of Diamonds (sometimes eight are enough) will reset the opponent to zero,
* players count Scopas based on the value of the winning card (if the 'winning card' is worth 7, the scopa is worth 7),
* players count Scopa values based on the total number of cards involved (if a scopa numbers 5 cards, the number of points awarded for that scopa equals 5; if a scopa is but 2 cards, only 2 points are awarded).

===Scoring the prime===
A number of variant point systems are used for calculating the prime, most of which produce the same order of hands. One notable variant that does not produce the same order is to count 0 points for each [[face card]].

===Final score===
Some play to 16 or 21 points, or even to an arbitrary score agreed to at the beginning of the game.

==Computer versions==
There is a playable version of {{lang|it|scopa}} within the [[Nancy Drew]] game {{lang|it|[[The Phantom of Venice]]}}.

There are [[application software|apps]] for Android smartphones and the [[Nokia internet tablet]] running the [[Maemo]] operating system, as well as for iOS iPads and iPhones.

==See also==
Card games related to scopa include:
* [[Briscola]]
* [[Cassino (card game)|Cassino]]
* {{ill|Chkobba|fr}}
* [[Escoba]]
* [[Koi-Koi]]
* [[Pasur (card game)|Pasur]]
* [[Zwickern|Zwicker]]

Scopa features prominently in {{lang|it|[[The Scientific Cardplayer]]}}, a 1972 Italian film.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Literature==
* {{cite book|first1=Andrea |last1=Angiolino |author-link=Andrea Angiolino |first2=Beniamino |last2=Sidoti |title=Dizionario dei Giochi |publisher=Zanichelli |year=2010 |location=Bologna |isbn=978-88-08-19349-0 }}

==External links==
* {{pagat|Scopone and Scopa|fishing/scopone.html}}

[[Category:Italian card games]]
[[Category:Fishing card games]]
[[Category:18th-century card games]]

Skitgubbe

2025-10-10T04:03:15Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Phase 2 */using cards template

{{Short description|Card game}}
{{Infobox card game
| title = Skitgubbe
| subtitle =
| image_link = File:Swedish pattern cards-Top Spades-IMG 7482.jpg
| image_caption = The highest spades in a modern Swedish pattern pack
| alt_names = Mjölnarmatte, Mjölis, Mas, Flurst
| type =
| players = 2-4 (3 best)<ref name=pagat>{{cite web|url=https://www.pagat.com/beating/skitgubbe.html|title=Skitgubbe|website=[[pagat.com]]|access-date=28 January 2023}}</ref>
| ages =
| num_cards = 52
| deck = Modern Swedish pattern, [[French-suited pack]]
| play = Clockwise
| card_rank = A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
| origin =[[Sweden]]
| related =
| playing_time =
| random_chance =
| skills =
| footnotes =
}}

'''''Skitgubbe''''',{{efn|Translated by [[David Parlett]] as "dirty old man", where "dirty" is used in the sense of "grubby" rather than "lewd".<ref>{{cite book | title=The Penguin Encyclopedia of Card Games | author=Parlett, David | year=2000 | pages=476}}</ref>}} ({{IPA|sv|ˈɧîːtˌgɵbːɛ}}) and also called '''Mas''', '''Mjölis''', '''Mjölnarmatte''', or '''Flurst''' (in the United States),<ref name=hughes>{{cite web|url=https://cs.brown.edu/people/jhughes/trivia/skitgubbe.html|title=Skitgubbe (a.k.a. Flurst)|first=John|last=Hughes|access-date=2023-02-04}}</ref> is a popular Swedish [[card game]] that is rated as one of the best for three players.<ref name=pagat/> It has two phases: in the first, players accumulate cards; in the second players aim to discard the accumulated hand. The last player to go out is the ''skitgubbe''. Sometimes, the ''skitgubbe'' must make a [[goat]] noise.

The first phase is unusual for a [[trick-taking game]], in that there is [[wikt:asynchronous|asynchronous]] [[sloughing (cards)|sloughing]] of cards that match played cards, while play goes around the table.

== History ==
Skitgubbe's predecessor is probably the Finnish game of ''Myllymatti'', which is first mentioned in 1808.<ref name=Helmfrid/> The Finnish word is a combination of ''mylly'', which means mill, and ''Matti'', which is the Finnish form of the name Mats. The miller Mylly Matti is part of Finnish folklore and is described by Zacharias Topelius as a good-hearted, easily deceived fellow who often walks around with a sack. The Finnish name of the game was translated to ''Mjölnarmatte'' in Swedish and was first mentioned under this name in 1875. Mjölnarmatte was soon simplified to ''Mjölis'' (known since 1890) and ''mas'' (known since 1905). Mas can be understood both as a lazy and tardy person and as a transformation of the name Mats. The name Skitgubbe for the game has been known since 1953,<ref name=Helmfrid/> but did not begin to be used in gaming literature until the 1980s.<ref name=Holmström/>

The first Swedish rules were published in Kortoxen in 1949 under the name Mas.<ref name=Werner/> Today the game is usually called Skitgubbe or Mas. The name Mas occurs especially in parts of the country where Skitgubbe is used for the game of [[Vändtia]]. According to the games expert [[Dan Glimne]], today's Skitgubbe is one of the most played card games in Sweden.<ref name=Glimne/> In Finland the game is now called ''Koira'', which means dog, and in Norway a similar game is played called ''Mattis ''.

It is unclear how the rules of the game have evolved over time. Closely related games were formerly played in German-speaking circles in the Baltics under the name [[Müller Matz]] (a direct translation of Myllymatti into German) and in Russia under the name ''Melniki'' ("miller"). The rules of the Russian game are very similar to a variant described in Kortoxen and called Mas with upturned trump. It is possible that this corresponds to an original or early variant of the game.<ref name=Helmfrid/>

== Rules ==
Skitgubbe is a game for three or more players using a [[regular fifty-two card pack]] without jokers. There are a large number of rule variations, and some of the most common are given below. The denominations have the usual [[ranking (cards)|ranking]] with [[Ace]]s at the top and [[Deuce (playing card)|Deuces]] at the bottom.

The game has two different phases. In the first phase, the players try to take cards that give as favourable a starting position as possible before the second phase, where you must get rid of the cards again as quickly as possible. The game is about avoiding being the last person sitting with cards in hand. Whoever does that has lost and become a "skitgubbe". So there is no winner, only a loser.

=== Deal ===
The [[dealer (card player)|dealer]] [[deals (cards)|deals]] three cards each, clockwise, starting with [[forehand (card player)|forehand]], the player on the left. The cards are normally dealt singly. The remaining cards are placed face down in the middle of the table and form the [[talon (cards)|talon]].

=== Phase 1 ===
Phase 1 is a [[trick-taking]] round where the winner of a [[trick (cards)|trick]] captures all the cards in it. In some variants of Skitgubbe only two players play for each trick in this phase,<ref name=Holmström/><ref name=Werner/><ref name=Glimne/><ref name=Schenkmanis/> in other variants everyone plays for each trick.<ref name=Helmfrid2/> The latter is probably the most common way to play these days.<ref name=Helmfrid/>

The suit normally doesn't matter in the first phase, but there is an older variation where you play with the [[trump (cards)|trump]] [[upcard]] and where the trick can only be won by the highest trump or the highest card of the [[led suit]] if no trumps are played. This variant is now rare.<ref name=Glimne2/>

==== Two-player tricks ====
Forehand leads to the first trick, and the player next in clockwise order also plays a card. Whoever plays the highest [[rank (cards)|rank]] wins the trick; suit doesn't matter. If both play the same rank or [[denomination (cards)|denomination]], it is called "countering" or "bouncing" or a "counterplay". The players then play one more card each. If both play the same denomination again, they play another card again and so on. After each card played, the player immediately draws a new card from the talon, so that players always have three cards in their hands. A player with poor cards in hand may play the top card from the talon to the trick. This is called 'taking a chance' or 'daring'.

Trick play continues in the same way as in the first trick. Only two players play to each trick. The winner of a trick leads to the next, and the player immediately to the left plays as the second (and last) person to the trick.

The player who draws the last card from the talon may neither look at this card nor play it to a trick, but leaves it face down next to self. Players continue to play with the cards in their hands. If the person who should lead to a trick is out of cards, the turn to lead continues clockwise. The same principle applies if the player who plays last to the trick has no cards. The trick taking continues until there are no longer at least two players with enough cards to complete a trick.<ref name=Holmström/>

If the last trick cannot be decided because there has been a counterplay and either player has no cards left, the players take back the cards they played to the trick and add up their tricks taken.<ref name=Glimne/>{{efn|The sources are unclear as to what happens if a counterplay cannot be completed, but enough players have cards left for the game to continue.}}

==== All-player tricks ====
Forehand leads one or more equally ranked cards to the first trick. Other players in clockwise order then take turns playing one or more equally ranked cards. Suit is irrelevant. A player who has played to the trick draws an equal number of new cards from the talon, so that players have three cards in their hands at all times.

The trick is won by the player who played the card or cards of the highest rank. If more than one player has played cards of the highest rank, those players play to the trick once more in the same turn order. Whoever plays the highest card(s) wins. If the trick is still undecided, the players who played the highest card(s) the second time continue to play to the trick once more, and so on if it happens again. Players constantly replenishing their hands from the talon so that they have three cards. Playing card(s) of the same rank as the highest cards that have already been played to the trick is called making a "counterplay".

When the trick, including any counterplays, is decided and players have replenished their hands to three cards, those players who so wish may add additional cards to the trick pile of denominations that are already there. This is called "[[sloughing]]" or "[[Sluffing (cards)|sluffing]]" and does not affect who wins the trick. The players then draw an equal number of new cards from the talon to bring their hands back up to three cards. A player may [[slough (cards)|slough]] cards of more than one denomination, but after the player has drawn new cards from the talon to replace those sloughed, no additional cards may be sloughed.

''Variation:'' players may only slough cards of the same denomination as they themselves played. This may be done at any time after the player has played to the trick. A player who draws more cards of the same denomination that he has played or sloughed may also slough these cards and draw new ones from the talon, and so on if it happens again. If there is a counterplay, the players who re-play to the trick get to slough more cards of the denomination they are re-playing. However, they may not throw in any more cards of the denomination they played before.

''Variation:'' Any player may slough cards at any time after the first play and before the trick has been turned over. The cards are placed at the top of the trick pile and do not affect who wins the trick. A player who sloughs cards must always draw an equal number of new cards from the talon. The cards may be thrown in even after you have started to settle for the victory in the trick after a counterplay, and it is allowed to throw in additional cards after you have already thrown in cards and drawn new cards from the talon. A player who sloughs cards directly before or after they play cards to the trick should of course clarify which cards are being played and which are being sloughed.

''Optional rule:'' If two or more players play cards of the same denomination to the trick, those cards beat all cards of denominations played by only one player. A player thus makes a counterplay, even if the cards of the same rank are lower than the highest rank in the trick up to that point. If a counterplay is made in several denominations, the counterplay of the highest denomination beats the others. Players who tie for the lead in the trick resolve it in the usual way by playing again to the trick. Also when players play the second time to a trick, a counterplay beats all other cards and a higher-ranked counterplay beats a lower-ranked counterplay. When playing with this optional rule, it is also convenient to use the variantion above that the players may only slough cards of the denomination they themselves played.

''Optional rule:'' A player who can make a counterplay must do so. If you play as usual – that is, without the optional rule above – this means that a player who has one or more cards of the highest rank in the trick up to that point must play one or more of these cards. If playing with the optional rule above, the following applies: a player who can play one or more cards of a rank that has already been played to the trick must do so, unless a counterplay of another, higher rank has already been made. In such a case, the player cannot tie the trick and may play any card. A player who can counterplay in several different denominations must counterplay in the highest one.

A player who doesn't like his cards may play the top card from the talon to the trick. This is called ''taking a chance'' or ''daring''.

The winner of a trick leads to the next.

The player who draws the last card from the talon may neither look at this card nor play it to a trick, but leaves it face down next to self. Players continue to play from their hands, until any player whose turn it is to play a trick has no cards left. If at this point the last trick is not completed, all players take back the cards they played to that trick.

''Variation:'' When a player has taken the bottom card from the talon, the current trick is completed if possible and phase 1 is then over. If the last trick cannot be completed, all players take back the cards they played to that trick.

=== Between phases ===
When phase 1 is over, the player who drew the last card from the talon turns the card over so it is visible. The suit of the card indicates trumps in phase 2.

Players pick up all the cards they have won in tricks and combine them with any cards left in the hand or taken back from the last trick. The player who drew the last card from the talon also picks up this card.

''Optional rule:'' If at this point one or more players have fewer than 5 cards in their hand, these players may share all so-called rubbish cards, i.e. all those from the 2s to the 5s. If applicable, all the players – even those who will receive low cards – sort out all the 2s, 3s, 4sand 5s from their hands. Note that the low trumps must also be sorted out. The low cards are shuffled by one of the other players and dealt out one by one to the players concerned. This is a standard rule in the United States.<ref name=hughes/> ''Variation:'' The minimum number of cards required to avoid the low cards may also be six, seven or ten.

''Variation:'' Players who have too few cards are dealt the low cards according to the optional rule above, but the minimum number of cards required to avoid this is specified by the face value of the trump upcard. Aces count in this context as 14, Kings as 13, Queens as 12 and Jacks 11.

=== Phase 2 ===
The player who drew the last card from the pack goes first in phase 2. A player who plays to a trick in this phase may play any card or sequence from his own hand. A sequence is an unbroken succession of cards of a suit, for example {{cards|h9|h10|hJ}}.

Play proceeds clockwise. A player playing to the trick must play a card or sequence of the same suit and of higher rank than the top card or play a card or sequence in trump. If the trump is at the top of the pile, of course the only option left is to [[overtrump]]. Leading a card or a sequence to a trick or playing a card or sequence to a trick is called making a 'lay' (''läggning'').

If a player is unable or unwilling to play cards to a trick, he must take the top card from the trick pile and all cards in sequence from this card. Note that this applies even if the sequence has been played in several lays. For example, if A plays the {{cards|c3}}, B plays the {{cards|c6}} and {{cards|c7}}, C plays the {{cards|c8}}, {{cards|c9}} and {{cards|c10}} and D cannot overtake, then D must pick up the entire sequence from 6 to 10 (but not the three, as it does not sit in an unbroken sequence with the others). Picking up cards is usually called 'plucking' (''plocka'') or 'tanking up' (''supa'').

''Variation:'' A player picking up must pick up the bottom sequence of the trick pile. This is the standard rule in the United States.<ref name=hughes/>

''Variation:'' A player who picks up must not take the top (or bottom, if you play with that variant) sequence in the stack, but the top (bottom) lay. In the example above, D should only pick up {{cards|c8}}, {{cards|c9}} and {{cards|c10}} (provided that it is the top lay to be picked up).

''Variation:'' It is not allowed to play sequences. Players may only play one card at a time. When playing with this variant, a player who pick up must always only take the top (or bottom) card.

If someone picks up, the turn to play to the trick rotates clockwise. The player whose turn it is must, in the same way as before, either overtake the top card of the pile or draw a card. If this player also picks up, he or she must take the top card and all cards in sequence from that and the turn to play to the trick proceeds clockwise. If a player picks up the last card(s) in the trick pile, the next player in clockwise order leads to a new trick.

A trick is complete when there are cards from as many lays in the trick pile as there were active players left when the lead to the trick was made. Playing last to a trick and thus ending it is called completing a trick. For example, suppose four people still have cards left in their hand. A leads, B and C both overtake, and D chooses to pick up. Assume further that the cards from B and C form an unbroken sequence. D must then pick up both B's and C's cards, and only the cards from A's play remain in the trick pile. A is again on lead and must overtake the cards played before. If then B and C both overtake, there are cards from four lays in the trick: A's play, A's second play to the trick, and B's and C's second play to the trick. The trick is thus complete. The player completing the trick discards the cards from the trick pile face up into a separate pile and leads to the next trick. The discarded cards are no longer in the game.

A player who no longer has any cards left has gone out and is no longer at risk of becoming the ''skitgubbe''. If a player goes out at the same time as he is completing a trick, the next lead is made by the next player in clockwise order. As soon as the second last player has disposed of their last card, the game is over, and the remaining player is the ''skitgubbe''.

== Related games ==
'''''Melniki:''''' The Russian game of Melniki was played like Mas with a trump turnup, but with the difference that a player who could follow suit was not allowed to draw, but had to play a card. A player who could not follow a suit, but had a trump, however, could choose to draw or trump. The Mas rules that a player with three trumps may draw new cards and that the player with the two trumps may steal the turnup are not mentioned in the Russian source.<ref name=melniki/>

== Footnotes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
<references>
<ref name=Helmfrid>{{cite journal|date=2021|first=Sten|journal=[[Kartofilen]]|last=Helmfrid|location=Limmared|number=1|pages=3–11|title=Skitgubbe – ett svenskt spel med finska rötter|volume=31}}</ref>
<ref name=Werner>{{cite book|date=1949|edition=1|first=Einar|last=Werner|location=Stockholm|last2=Sandgren|first2=Tore|pages=70–72|publisher=Forum|title=Kortoxen}}</ref>
<ref name=Glimne>{{cite book|date=2016|edition=3:e utök. uppl.|first=Dan|isbn=978-91-7663-115-7|last=Glimne|location=Stockholm|pages=301–304|publisher=Känguru|title=Kortspelshandboken}}</ref>
<ref name=Schenkmanis>{{cite book|date=1988|first=Ulf|isbn=91-534-1178-1|last=Schenkmanis|location=Västerås|pages=187–188|publisher=ICA|title=Kortspel & patienser}}</ref>
<ref name=Holmström>{{cite book|date=1981|first=Björn|isbn=91-518-1446-3|last=Holmström|location=Stockholm|pages=179–180|publisher=Prisma|title=Stora kortspelsboken}}</ref>
<ref name=Helmfrid2>{{cite journal|date=2021|first=Sten|journal=[[Kartofilen]]|last=Helmfrid|location=Limmared|number=1|pages=12–18|title=Skitgubbe: Och här kommer reglerna|volume=31}}</ref>
<ref name=Glimne2>{{cite book|date=1996|edition=1|first=Dan|isbn=91-32-32121-X|last=Glimne|location=Stockholm|pages=203–204|publisher=Wahlströms|title=Kortspelshandboken}}</ref>
<ref name=melniki>[http://www.cardgames.net.ru/melniki.html Melniki]</ref>
</references>

== External links ==
* [http://www.pagat.com/beating/mattis.html Rules of Skitgubbe] at [[pagat.com]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070626043321/http://www.mbinde.com/games/skitgubbe.html Rules + lore of Skitgubbe]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170216002422/http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/skitgubbe-rules-2002-04-19 Wizards of the Coast version of Skitgubbe] (archived)
* [https://www.saob.se/artikel/?unik=M_1037-0218.v42o Mjölis, Swedish Academy Dictionary]
* [https://www.catsatcards.com/Games/Skitgubbe.html ''Skitgubbe''] rules.
* [https://cs.brown.edu/people/jhughes/trivia/skitgubbe.html Rules for Skitgubbe/Flurst]
* [https://www.keepandshare.com/doc/174767/skitgubbe-the-swedish-goat-game ''The Swedish Goat Game''] – Flurst rules
* [http://lyckans-talisman.home.stosn.com/Spelbeskrivningar/Skitgubbe%20(generell)%20R1.pdf ''Skitgubbe''] rules (Swedish).

[[Category:Swedish card games]]
[[Category:War group]]
[[Category:Matching games]]
[[Category:Beating games]]
[[Category:Three-player card games]]

Marjapussi

2025-10-10T03:57:17Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Play */replaced template

{{Infobox CardGame
| title = Marjapussi
| subtitle =
| image_link = {{double image|align=center|width1=100|width2=100|image1=Król Karo z Wzoru Berlińskiego.png|image2=Dama Karo z Wzoru Berlińskiego.png}}
| image_caption = A 'marriage'
| alt_names =
| type = [[Trick-taking]]
| players = 4
| ages =
| num_cards = 36 (24-36 in variants)
| deck = [[French playing cards|French]]
| play = Clockwise
| card_rank = A 10 K Q J 9 8 7 6
| origin = [[Finland]]
| related = [[Mariage (card game)|Mariage]]{{*}}[[Bondtolva]]{{*}}Huutopussi
| playing_time =
| random_chance =
| skills =
| footnotes =
}}

'''Marjapussi''' is a traditional [[Finland|Finnish]] [[trick taking game]] for 4 players playing in 2 partnerships and is one of the [[Mariage (card game)|Mariage]] family, its key feature being that the [[trump suit]] is determined in the middle of the play by declaring a marriage (a king and a queen of a same [[suit (cards)|suit]]). There are variants of marjapussi for two and three players.

== Origin ==
''Marjapussi'' is Finnish for 'bag of berries', but is derived from the French ''mariage'' which is the name of [[Mariage (card game)|the game ancestral to it]] in which a 'marriage' is a king/queen combination held by one of the players. According to Kokko, the game was originally Spanish,<ref>Kokko (1994).</ref> although Mariage itself, despite its French name, appears to be a 17th-century German game.

Later, marjapussi evolved into '''huutopussi''' ("auction bag"), which involves bidding and contracts. The exact winning condition was dropped, but the trump determining process remained. In fact, in huutopussi the trump suit may even change in the middle of the play if players declare further marriages.

== Rules ==
Marjapussi is a [[trick taking game]] for four players in fixed partnerships with the partners sitting opposite one another.<ref name=pagat/>

=== Cards ===
Marjapussi is played with a pack of 36 [[French-suited]] Finnish pattern cards. This may be replicated by removing the 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s from a [[standard 52-card pack]]. Cards rank in the usual [[ace–ten order]]: A > 10 > K > Q > J > 9 > 8 > 7 > 6. The aces and tens are called 'checkmaters' (''mateiksi'') and play a key role in scoring points.

=== Deal ===
The first [[dealer (card player)|dealer]] may be chosen by any method.<ref name=pagat>[https://www.pagat.com/marriage/marjapussi.html ''Marjapussi''] at [[pagat.com]]. Retrieved 2 July 2022.</ref> After the first deal, the player who was [[forehand (card player)|forehand]] in the previous hand deals. The dealer gives an equal number of cards to each player.

=== Play ===
In the first deal, forehand, the player who leads to the first trick, is either the one who has the {{cards|cA}}<ref name=finwiki>[[:fi:Marjapussi|''Marjapussi'']] at fi.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 2 July 2022.</ref> or is the player to the left of the dealer.<ref name=pagat/>

Forehand leads to the first [[trick (cards)|trick]] and then, clockwise and in turn, each player plays a card to the table. A trick is formed when each player has played one card on the table. Players must [[follow suit]] if possible. Once a trump is determined, players who cannot follow, must play a trump if able. Players must always [[head the trick]] if possible, even if their partner has played the best card so far. The trick is taken by the person who played the highest trump or by the highest card of the [[led suit]] if no trumps are played and that person leads to the next trick. The tricks are collected face down in front of the player separately from the cards in the hand. The game continues until everyone runs out of cards and points are counted. After this, a new deal is started.

=== Marriages and trumps ===
A deal always starts as a no trump game, but a suit can be declared trumps during a hand. A player who has won a trick may declare trumps if a 'marriage', i.e. [[king (playing card)|king]] and a [[queen (playing card)|queen ]] of the same suit, is held. There are three options:<ref name=pagat/>

* A player with a marriage in hand may declare that suit as trumps.
* A player may ask if the partner has a 'whole' i.e. a marriage in hand by saying e.g. "do you have a whole marriage?" If yes, that suit becomes trumps. The asker may not nominate a suit when asking.
* A player with a king or a queen in hand may ask if the partner has "a half" of that suit, that is the other card of the pair in his hand by saying e.g. "do you have a half-marriage in spades?" If yes, that suit becomes trumps. The asker specifies the suit, but not the [[denomination (cards)|denomination]].<ref name=pagat/>

After each trick, the winner of the trick is entitled to one of the actions mentioned above. Once trumps have been declared:

* The trump suit may not be changed by further marriage declarations.
* The declaring team may subsequently ask for half-marriages but not whole ones.
* Players may declare 'little ones' or 'little trumps', i.e. other marriages in a similar fashion, but they only affect scoring and do not change the trump suit.

Each suit can be declared only once during a hand.

===Scoring===
{| class="wikitable" align="right"
|+ Counting pips in tricks
|-
! Rank || A || 10 || K || Q || J || 9 || 8 || 7 || 6
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" | '''Pips''' || 11 || 10 || 4 || 3 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|}
Game points are scored as follows:<ref name=finwiki/><ref name=pagat/>
* '''Trump''' (''Valtti''): 2 points for declaring trumps.
* '''Litte Trump''' (''Pikkuvaltti'') 1 point for each 'little marriage'
* '''Last''' (''Viimeinen''): 1 point for winning the last trick
* '''Victory''' (''Voitto''): 1 point for the team that has more [[card point]]s in tricks (see table)

The card points are counted after all cards have been played. Game is 10<ref name=pagat/> or 12 game points.<ref name=finwiki/> To win, a team must score exactly 12. If they get more, they go back down to 7 game points. If a team takes no tricks in a deal, they lose all their points so far.<ref name=pagat/><ref name=finwiki/> This is sometimes called 'going to [[Porvoo]]'.

== Avomarjapussi ==
This two-handed variant of marjapussi is known as '''avomarjapussi''' ("open marjapussi"). Each player is dealt four hand cards, followed by a row of seven [[downcard]]s on the table and a row of seven [[upcard]]s on the top of the downcards. To declare marriages and play cards to tricks, the players can use both their own upcards and hand cards. When a player plays an upcard to a trick and there is a downcard beneath it, the latter is turned face up.<ref name=finwikiAvo>[[:fi:Avomarjapussi|''Avomarjapussi'']] at fi.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 3 July 2022.</ref>

Other rules are the same as the four-handed game, except that there are no partnerships, and consequently the rules on asking a partner for a whole or a half do not apply.<ref name=finwikiAvo/>

== Related games ==
A very similar game evidently related to [[Sixty-six (card game)|Sixty-six]], but with a curious resonance of [[All Fours (game)|All Fours]] is played in [[Sweden]] under the name [[Bondtolva]] ("Farmer's Dozen").<ref>Parlett (1996), p. 25.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Literature ==
* Kokko, Petri (1999). ''Pelien parhaat'', WSOY (rules of avomarjapussi).
* Kurki-Suonio, Ilmo (1962). ''MMM Korttipelikirja'', Otava.
* [[Parlett, David]] (1996). ''Oxford Dictionary of Card Games'', Oxford: Oxford University Press.{{ISBN|0-19-869173-4}}
* [[Parlett, David]] (2008). ''Penguin Book of Card Games'', Oxford: Oxford University Press. (mention only)
* Ranta, Pekka (1993). ''Marjapussissa Porvooseen''. Porvoo: WSOY.
* Sandgren, Tore (2003). ''Pelataan korttia''. WS Bookwell OY.

==External links==
* {{pagat|Marjapussi|marriage/marjapus.html}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060511205751/http://www.lautapelaaja.net/saannot/huutopussi.html Huutopussi at lautapelaaja.net] (in Finnish)

{{Trick-taking card games}}

[[Category:Finnish card games]]
[[Category:Year of introduction missing]]
[[Category:King–queen games]]

Brag (card game)

2025-10-10T03:55:51Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Classic Brag */piped card

{{Short description|British card game}}
{{Infobox card game
| title = Brag
| subtitle =
| image_link = [[File:3 prial.jpg|240px]]
| image_caption = The highest hand in Three-Card Brag: a ''prial'' of 3s
| Family =
| alt_names = Brag
| type = [[Gambling]]
| players = 2 upwards
| play = Clockwise
| num_cards = 52 cards
| deck = Anglo-American
| origin = [[England|English]]
| related = [[Stop the Bus]]
| playing_time = 5–10 min.
| random_chance = Medium
| skills = Counting
| footnotes =
}}
'''Brag''' is an 18th century [[United Kingdom|British]] [[card game]], and the British national representative of the vying or "bluffing" family of gambling games.<ref>Oxford Dictionary of Card games, p. 31, David Parlett {{ISBN|0-19-869173-4}}</ref> It is a descendant of the Elizabethan game of [[Primero]]{{sfn|Dawson|p=207|1923}} and one of the several ancestors to [[poker]], the modern version just varying in [[gambling|betting]] style and hand rankings. It has been described as the "longest-standing British representative of the Poker family."{{sfn|Parlett|1991|p=102}}

== History ==
The rules of Brag first appear in 1721 in ''[[The Compleat Gamester]]'' where it is referred to as ''"The Ingenious and Pleasant Game of Bragg"'',{{sfn|Seymour|1721|p=58}} but in fact, it originates in an almost identical game called [[Post and Pair]] which is recorded as far back as 1528 (as ''Post'') and which, in turn, was descended from Primero.{{sfn|Parlett|1991|p=102}} However, Brag introduced a key innovation over Post and Pair: the concept of [[wild card (cards)|wild cards]] known as 'braggers'. Initially there was just one, the [[Jack (playing card)|Knave of Clubs]]; later the Nine of Diamonds was added.{{sfn|Seymour|1721|p=58}} In parallel with this early three-stake game, in 1751 Hoyle describes a version of Brag with a [[shortened pack]] that only had a single phase – the vying or 'bragging' round – with special powers for certain Jacks and Nines, thus anticipating the modern single-stake game.{{sfn|Hoyle|1751|p=}} In 1825, an early American account of Brag describes a much more elaborate single-stake game with a complex vying procedure.{{sfn|_|1825|pp=161-164}} Not until 1860 are rules for both variants published in one compendium, whereby "Three Stake Brag" is virtually unchanged from the earliest rules and the version of "Single Brag" described is less complicated than its American cousin.{{sfn|Hardie|1860|pp=75-77}}

In a 1981 survey by [[Waddingtons]], Brag was the fourth most popular card game in Britain.{{sfn|Parlett|1991|p=3}} In 1992, Parlett stated that the classic three-stake variant (see [[#Classic Brag|Classic Brag]] below) was defunct; nevertheless, its rules were still being published in 2001.{{sfn|Parlett|1992|p=}}{{sfn|_|2001|pp=164-165}}

== Classic Brag ==
The earliest published rules for any form of Brag appear in Richard Seymour's 1721 revision of [[Charles Cotton]]'s ''The Compleat Gamester''. They are less than complete, but with the aid of later descriptions, can be reconstructed.{{efn|The rules are silent, for example, on the number of players, number of cards, direction of play and details of the vying procedure}} The following is based on Seymour, supplemented by ''The New Pocket Hoyle'' (1810).{{sfn|Seymour|1721|p=58}}{{sfn|Hoyle|1810|pp=70-72}}

Classic Brag is a three-stake game and players ante 3 stakes, one for each phase of the game. Eldest hand deals 3 cards to each player in turn, turning the last card dealt to each player face up. The game phases are:
;Best Card: In the first phase the player with the highest face-up card won the stakes, cards ranking in their natural order from Ace downwards, except that the {{Diamonds|A}} outranked the other Aces.
;Bragging: In the second phase, players passed or vied. The procedure is not detailed, but based on the 1810 Hoyle, beginning with elder hand, players would pass or say "I brag" and place a stake. If a player bragged, he could be challenged by another player matching or raising the stake. If two players wished to challenge, the elder took precedence. Vying continued between the two players until one passed or said "I'll see you" or the equivalent whereupon both revealed their hands. A ''[[prial]]'' (or ''[[pair royal]])'' beat a ''[[Pair (cards)|pair]]'' which beat a single card. Two ''pair royals'' were decided by their ranking; likewise two ''pairs'' and so on. The {{Clubs|J}} was a wild card, which could represent any other card, but a natural hand beat a 'wild' hand i.e. one with the Knave{{efn|Jacks were then referred to as Knaves.}} of Clubs. Some circles also admitted the {{Diamonds|9}} as a wild card.
;Thirty One: In the third phase, players scored their hands and the first player to reach exactly 31 or, if no-one did, was closest to 31, won the stakes. To that end, courts and Aces scored 10 and pips their face value. Players could improve their hand by drawing a card from the stock, but if they 'drew out', i.e. exceeded 31, they lost. If two or more scored the same, they drew again until a winner was established.{{efn|Presumably if two or more drew 30 or 31, it was either a draw or positional priority applied.}}

== American Brag ==
In 1825, the first American account of Brag appeared in a New York edition of ''Hoyle's Games Improved''. This was a far more elaborate variant based solely on the bragging phase of classic Brag.{{sfn|_|1825|pp=161-164}}

== Modern Brag ==
Modern Brag, often called Three-Card Brag to distinguish it from its variants,<ref>"Three Card Brag" in {{cite book|date=2018|title=50 Card Games: 50 Popular Card Games for Hours of Fun|publisher=Igloo Books|page=27|isbn=9781784409852}}</ref> is a single-stake game. Everyone [[Betting (poker)#Ante|ante]]s, and players are each dealt three cards face down. There is a single round of betting, with action starting to the left of the dealer. Each player has the option of betting or [[Betting (poker)#Fold|folding]]. If there was a previous bet, the player must contribute at least that much more to the pot. (Unlike usual poker betting, a player's previous money contributed to the pot is ignored.) This betting continues until there are only two players left, at which point either player may double the previous bet to [[see (cards)|see]] his opponent. At this point, the two hands are revealed, and the player with the better hand takes the entire pot. If there is a tie, the player who is seeing loses.

For example, with four players A, B, C and D, this situation could occur: Player A bets 2 chips, B folds, C bets 2 chips and D bets 2 chips. In order to stay in, A would have to bet another 2 chips (at least).

===Hand ranks===

Hands generally follow the same sequence as the five-card hands of [[poker]] with some variation created by the differing odds of a three-card hand. By convention a prial (three of a kind) ranks first, above a straight flush, despite a prial being marginally more likely than a straight flush. As there are only three cards, four of a kind and a full house are not possible. Note that unlike poker a straight beats a flush, as three-card flushes are more likely than three-card straights, while the reverse is true of five-card poker hands. Special conventions also usually apply that three 3s is the highest-ranking prial, and Ace-2-3 the highest-ranking straight flush. The full probabilities are as follows:

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=5 | Hand ranks
|-
! Rank
! Description
! Example
! Frequency
! Probability
|-
| [[Prial]]
| Three cards of same rank
| {{card|club|6|60px}}{{card|diamond|6|60px}}{{card|heart|6|60px}}
| align=right | 52
| align=right | 0.24%
|-
| Straight Flush
| Three suited cards in sequence
| {{card|club|J|60px}}{{card|club|10|60px}}{{card|club|9|60px}}
| align=right | 48
| align=right | 0.22%
|-
| Straight
| Three cards in sequence
| {{card|spade|9|60px}}{{card|diamond|8|60px}}{{card|club|7|60px}}
| align=right | 720
| align=right | 3.26%
|-
| Flush
| Three suited cards
| {{card|spade|Q|60px}}{{card|spade|10|60px}}{{card|spade|6|60px}}
| align=right | 1,096
| align=right | 4.96%
|-
| Pair
| Two cards of same rank
| {{card|diamond|2|60px}}{{card|heart|2|60px}}{{card|heart|Q|60px}}
| align=right | 3,744
| align=right | 16.94%
|-
| High card
| None of the above
| {{card|heart|A|60px}}{{card|club|J|60px}}{{card|heart|10|60px}}
| align=right | 16,440
| align=right | 74.39%
|-
| Total hands
| -
| -
| align=right | 22,100
| align=right | -
|}

=== Prial ===
In Brag, three-of-a-kind is known as a ''[[prial]]'', a word derived from "pair royal". As such, three sevens would be described as "a prial (of) sevens".

In most versions of Brag the highest prial depends on the variant being played, for instance, in three card Brag the highest prial would be a prial of threes, in seven card Brag it would be a prial of sevens and so on. The only exception to this is in four card brag, where the game is played as a three card game, so the highest prial in this instance would be a prial of threes.

=== Straight ===
In Brag a straight is more commonly called a "run", and a straight flush is referred to as a "run on the bounce".

== Variants ==
;Four-card Brag: Players are dealt four cards, and must then choose which card to throw away (place at the bottom of the deck) in order to create the best combination. The game is then played in the same way as three-card brag.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
;Five-card Brag. Five cards are dealt, players discarding two.{{sfn|Parlett|2008|p=579}}
;Seven-card Brag: Seven cards are dealt, players must choose three cards to play from their hands, or make two hands, with only a successful win if both hands win the pot.{{sfn|Parlett|2008|p=579}}
;Nine-card Brag: Nine cards are dealt, players sort these into three sets. Four antes are played, one for each set, and a main pot. Each set is then played out, usually without further betting. The winner of each set takes one lot of antes; if a player wins all three sets they receive the main pot as well, otherwise it remains for the next hand. Players must always play the next best available set they have made. Often a player may be able to make two good sets and a poor third (e.g. [[prial]], straight, ten-high), so players that do not think they will be able to win all three will order their hands to leave themselves with a strong third set to protect the main pot.{{sfn|Parlett|2008|p=579}}
;Thirteen-card Brag: Thirteen cards are dealt, from which players must choose three cards to play. Another variation involves making four hands (or the most possible over a certain standard) from the thirteen cards. Four of a kind can also be played, and is usually rewarded by an additional fee to be paid by the other players, apart from any original stake. Players then show their respective best hands, then second best hands, etc., with each winning hand scoring that player a point, or points. Score is kept on a [[cribbage|cribbage board]], and is usually either a sprint of 10 or so holes, with one point scored for each winning hand, or played over the full length, or street, of the board, with 4 points awarded to the best highest hand, 3 points to the best second-highest hand, etc. Players not on the board by the time someone wins may have to pay double. Winnings are either a pre-arranged fixed amount from each loser to the winner, or paid proportionate to how far behind the winner they finish. Any player winning all four hands in any round is said to have crashed, and automatically wins the entire game. In some regions the game is known as [[Crash (card game)|Crash]].{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
;Fifteen card Brag: A normally non-gambling related variant, played as a family game. Each player is dealt fifteen cards, from which they make five three-card tricks. Each player must then lay their tricks down in order, highest first. The winner is the one who wins the most tricks. This variant has a much higher likelihood of more powerful tricks, due to the extra cards. This version can also be played with 10 cards and one card is discarded.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
;[[Stop the Bus]]: Three cards are dealt to each player, and three face-up communal cards are dealt. Players take turns at exchanging one or all (but not two) of their cards for any or all of the communal cards. Play continues until one player 'sticks', or 'knocks', meaning that they are happy with their hand. All the remaining players then exchange one last time before hands are compared. The player with the lowest hand is out, or loses a life.
;Faras: Also known as {{lang|hi|[[teen patti]]}} (literally 'three cards' in Hindi). A variant of the game very popular in [[Trinidad]], [[India]], [[Bangladesh]] and [[Nepal]], and played with numerous local variations.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

Some of these rules can also lead to games, especially heads-up, becoming tactical, with players avoiding making their best hand until their hand is forced into that last exchange by another player sticking, risking that the card that completes their hand isn't taken by another player in the meantime.

==Betting blind==
Players also have the option of playing blind (betting without looking at their cards). A blind player's costs are all half as much as an open (non-blind) player's. However, an open player may not raise or see a blind player. If all other players fold to a blind player, at least two variations exist - either the blind player takes the pot and the next round continues as normal; or alternatively, the pot remains, everyone re-antes, and the blind player gets to keep his hand for the next round (in addition to the new one he is dealt). At any time, a player with two blind hands may look at one of them and decide whether to keep it or throw it away. If he keeps it, he throws away the other hand and is considered open. If he throws it away, he keeps the other hand and is still blind. If everyone folds to a blind player with two hands, he must throw away one without looking. As with many rules in card games, regional differences apply to this rule.

==Shuffling==
Another unusual custom of Brag is that the deck is rarely [[shuffle]]d. Unless a hand is seen and won by a [[prial]], the cards from the hand are just placed on the bottom of the deck, and the next hand is dealt without shuffling.

== See also ==
*[[Gilet (card game)|Gilet]]
*[[Primero]]
*[[Put (card game)]]
*[[Post and Pair]]
*[[Bouillotte]]
*''[[Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels]]'', which features three-card brag.

== Footnotes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Literature ==
* {{cite book |title=Hoyle's Games Improved |date=1825 |location=New York |publisher=G. Long |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2XNUAAAAYAAJ |language=en |ref={{harvid|_|1825}}}}
* {{cite book |title=The complete book of card games. |date=2001 |publisher=Hamlyn |location=London |isbn=978-0-600-60413-6 |ref={{harvid|_|2001}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Dawson |first=Lawrence Hawkins |title=Hoyle's Card Games |date=1923 |location=London |publisher=Routledge |isbn=1-85326-316-8}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hardie |first1=Robert |title=Hoyle Made Familiar |date=1860 |publisher=Ward and Lock |location=London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jxhdAAAAcAAJ |language=en}} Robert Hardie was a pseudonym of Eidrah Trebor
* {{cite book |last=Hoyle |first=Edmund |author-link=Edmund Hoyle |title=A Treatise on Brag |date=1751 |location=London |publisher=Joliffe}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hoyle |first1=Edmond |title=The New Pocket Hoyle |date=1810 |publisher=Smith |location=London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mfNdAAAAcAAJ&q=new+pocket+hoyle |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Parlett |first1=David |author-link=David Parlett |title=A History of Card Games |date=1991 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford, England |isbn=0-19-282905-X}}
* {{cite book |last1=Parlett |first1=David |author-link=David Parlett |title=Oxford A-Z of Card Games |date=1992 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford, England}}
* {{cite book |last1=Parlett |first1=David |author-link=David Parlett |title=The Penguin book of card games |date=2008 |publisher=Penguin |location=London |isbn=978-0-141-03787-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Seymour |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Seymour (18th-century writer) |title=The Compleat Gamester | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ECZhAAAAcAAJ&dq=%22the+compleat+gamester%22&pg=PA78 | date=1721 |location=London |publisher=Curll}}

== External links ==
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Brag}}
* [http://www.pagat.com/vying/brag.html Detailed Rules for Brag] by John McLeod
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=blEEAAAAYAAJ&dq=brag+card+game&pg=PA330 The hand-book of games by H.G. Bohn] at Google Books

{{Non trick-taking card games}}
{{Poker footer}}

[[Category:18th-century card games]]
[[Category:Vying games]]
[[Category:Partition games]]

Old maid (card game)

2025-10-10T03:54:14Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Regional variants */replaced the templates

{{short description|Card game}}
{{about|the American game|the German game of "Old Maid"|Alte Jungfer|other uses|Old maid (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox CardGame
| title = Old Maid
| subtitle =
| image_link = Old Maid 2.jpg
| image_caption = 19th-century pack
| alt_names =
| type = [[Shedding game]]
| players = 2-12<ref name=USPC/>
| ages = 4-10<ref name=USPC>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070605000022/http://www.usplayingcard.com/gamerules/childrenscardgames.html ''Children's Card Games''] by USPC Co. Retrieved 22 Apr 2019</ref>
| num_cards = Typically 31, 51 or 53
| play = Clockwise
| card_rank =
| origin = [[United States]]
| related = [[Black Peter (card game)|Black Peter]], [[Vieux Garçon]]
| playing_time =
| random_chance = High<ref name=USPC/>
| skills = Matching and pairing<ref name=USPC/>
| footnotes = Easy to play<ref name=USPC/>
}}
'''Old Maid''' is a 19th-century American [[card game]] for two or more players, presumed to have derived from an ancient European gambling game in which the loser pays for the drinks.<ref>[https://www.wopc.co.uk/uk/chad-valley/old-maid-2 ''The Game of 'Old Maid''] at wopc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2023.</ref>

== History ==
The rules of the game are first recorded in a book for girls by [[Eliza Leslie]], who published them in America in 1831<ref name=Leslie1831>Leslie (1831). pp. 138–140 & 144–146</ref> and England in 1835<ref name=Leslie1835>Leslie (1835), pp. 141–143.</ref> under the names '''Old Maid''' (when played by girls) or '''Old Bachelor''' (when played by boys). However, it may well be older and derived the German game of [[Black Peter (card game)|Black Peter]], whose rules are recorded as early as 1821.<ref>_ (1821), p. 298.</ref> Meanwhile the rules of the French game, [[Vieux Garçon]], first appear in 1853.<ref>Lasserre (1853), pp. 307–308.</ref> All these games are probably ancient and derived from simple [[gambling game]]s in which the aim was to determine a loser who had to pay for the next round of drinks (cf. [[drinking game]]).<ref>Parlett (1992/96).</ref>

These games originally employed a pack of 32 or 52 [[French playing cards|French cards]], the [[queen (playing card)|queen]] of [[diamonds (suit)|diamonds]] or [[jack (playing card)|jack]] of [[spades (suit)|spades]] typically being the odd card and the player who is last in and left holding a single queen or jack becoming the "old maid", "{{lang|fr|vieux garçon}}", or "Black Peter" depending on the game. The term "old maid" predates the game and referred to a childless or unmarried woman.<ref>Roya (2021), p. 31.</ref> In its day it was seen as the equivalent of "old bachelor".<ref name=Leslie1831/>

Apart from reprints of Leslie, the game largely disappeared from the literature during the mid-19th century but experienced something of a revival in the 1880s.{{efn|For example in England in 1882<ref name=Cassell>''Cassell's Book of Sports and Pastimes.'' (1882), p. 885.</ref> and in America in 1884<ref>Green (1884), p. 336.</ref>}}. This was boosted in England when proprietary cards emerged with nursery rhyme figures in 1883 under the name '''Merry Matches''' which, according to ''[[Bazaar, Exchange and Mart]]'' was a "newly invented game", despite its obvious derivation from Old Maid.<ref name=BEM>_ (1883), p. 336.</ref><ref>''The Furniture Gazette'' (1884), p. 330.</ref>

== Rules ==
=== Earliest rules (1831) ===
The following is a summary of the rules by Leslie (1831):<ref name=Leslie1831/>

Old Maid is a card game and any number may play. Three queens are removed from a [[standard pack of 52 cards]], leaving the fourth queen representing the "Old Maid". Players may [[cut (cards)|cut]] for deal, the one cutting the highest card dealing first. Aces are high. The cards are [[dealt (cards)|dealt]] equally all round and face down. The player to the left of the [[dealer (card player)|dealer]] begins by throwing down a [[pair (cards)|pair]] of cards held in her hand e.g. two [[King (playing card)|kings]] or two threes. The [[discard (cards)|discards]] are placed face up in the middle of the table. If she is unable to discard a pair, she must draw a card from the player to her left who, for this purpose, lays her cards face down on the table. If the card drawn by the player whose turn it is pairs with one in her hand, she discards the pair; otherwise she keeps it and misses the opportunity to discard a pair. The turn then passes clockwise and players have the same options. The first player to shed all her cards wins the game. The rest continue to see who will be left with the Old Maid.

If the game is played by boys, it is called Old Bachelor and three [[knave (playing card)|knaves]] are discarded instead of three queens.

=== Modern rules (2011) ===
There are commercial card packs specifically designed for playing Old Maid, but the game can just as easily be played with a standard 52-card pack. The following rules are based on Arnold (2011), supplemented by other sources where indicated:<ref name=Arnold>Arnold (2011), p. 216–217.</ref>

A standard pack is used (or two if more than six play) from which a single queen is removed. The cards are [[shuffled]] and all 51 are [[deal (cards)|dealt]] out singly; it being irrelevant if some players have an extra card. Players discard any pairs dealt at the outset. If a [[triplet (cards)|triplet]] is held, two are discarded and one kept; if a [[quartet (cards)|quartet]] is held, two pairs are discarded. [[Play (cards)|Play]] starts with the player to the dealer's left offering a fan of face-down cards to the next player on the left. That player selects a card and discards it by pairing or adds it to the hand. Play continues clockwise in this manner, players dropping out when they have no hand cards left. The player left holding the single queen is the 'old maid' and loses.

== Variations ==
* A specific card is removed, typically any [[Queen (playing card)|Queen card]], e.g. Queen of Hearts.<ref>Dawson (1923), p. 234. "The Queen of Hearts is taken out of a full pack of cards, which is then dealt..."</ref>
* A [[Joker (playing card)|joker]] is added to the pack. This card acts as the Old Maid.<ref>Mulac (1946), p. 140.</ref>
* A card is removed from the pack at random. The resulting unmatchable card, the Old Maid, cannot be identified as easily.<ref>Champlin & Bostwick (1890), p. 510.</ref>
* The suit colours of a discarded pair must match: {{Spades}} with {{Clubs}}; {{Diamonds}} with {{Hearts}}.{{cn|date=June 2020}}
* Players discard only after the dealer has taken a card.{{cn|date=June 2020}}
* Players take a new card before giving one up. This can result in a player being stuck in "old maid purgatory", i.e. with one card and no way to get rid of it.{{cn|date=June 2020}}

=== Merry Matches ===
"Merry Matches", a proprietary card game by Wyman & Sons of London, appeared in 1883. It was originally published as a black-and-white game, but a coloured version appeared in 1884. There were 31 cards, the pairs "to be wed" including: [[Little Tommy Tucker|Tommy Tucker]] and [[Goody Two-Shoes]], [[Little Jack Horner]] and [[Miss Muffet]], [[Father Christmas]] and Mrs Bond, [[Jack and Jill]], [[Little Boy Blue]] and [[Little Bo Peep]], the Prince and [[Cinderella]], [[Dr. Faustus (play)|Dr Faustus]] and Dame Darden, [[This Is the House That Jack Built|The Man all tattered and torn]] and [[This Is the House That Jack Built|The Maiden all forlorn]], [[Simple Simon (nursery rhyme)|Simple Simon]] and [[Lucy Locket]], [[Father William]] and [[Old Mother Hubbard]], [[Little Red Riding Hood]] and [[Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son]]. The odd card was [[Mistress Mary]]. The aims were threefold: to wed as many couples as possible, to make a match between Father Christmas and Mrs Bond, and to avoid being left with Mistress Mary, the penalty for which was to give every other player 2 counters. The player who weds Father Christmas with Mrs Bond sweeps the pool and those making matches during the game receive "wedding presents" of 1 counter from each other player.<ref name=BEM/>

=== Scabby Queen ===
Scabby queen is a modern variation of Old Maid played with a standard pack of cards from which the Queen of Clubs has been removed. The player left with the "scabby queen" ({{cards|sQ}}) is the loser and receives a number of raps on the knuckles with the edge of the pack. The number of raps is decided by reshuffling the pack and getting the loser to draw a card. He or she get the number of raps based on the face value of the card or, if it is a jack or king, 10 raps; if it is a queen, 21 raps. If the loser draws a red card, he or she receives soft raps; if a black card, hard raps.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McAlpine |first1=Fraser |title=5 British Card Games You Should Learn |url=http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2015/02/5-british-card-games-learn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025054826/https://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2015/02/5-british-card-games-learn |archive-date=25 October 2020 |access-date= |website=BBC America}}</ref> Scabby Queen is recorded in 2002 as a game played in [[Perthshire]], Scotland, but also known as Raps in [[Derbyshire]], Raps or Chase the Bitch in [[Staffordshire]], and Executioner in [[Hampshire]]. It some parts of Britain it is called Chase the Ace, but that is also the name of a [[Ranter-Go-Round|different game]].<ref>[https://h2g2.com/entry/A907823 ''Scabby Queen - Card Game''] at h2g2.com. Retrieved 29 September 2023.</ref>

=== Black Peter ===
{{main article|Black Peter (card game)}}
The equivalent game in many European countries is known (in each country's own language) as "Peter" or "[[Black Peter (card game)|Black Peter]]", and is often played with special cards, typically 31 or 37, in which the odd one out is typically a chimney sweep or a black cat. The game can also be played with a standard 32-card pack from which a black jack is removed. The loser often gets a smudge on his or her face with a piece of soot or piece of burnt cork.<ref>[https://www.pagat.com/passing/oldmaid.html ''Schwarzer Peter''] at pagat.com. Retrieved 18 Jun 2020.</ref>

=== Regional variants===
* [[Trinidad]]: ''Jackass''. The {{cards|dJ}} is removed leaving the {{cards|hJ}} as the odd card. The player left holding it is the "jackass".<ref>Golick (1986), p. 92.</ref>
* [[Turkey]]: {{lang|TR|Papaz kaçtı}} ("Priest eloped"). As Old Maid, but [[King (playing card)|king]] is removed instead of [[Queen (playing card)|queen]] or [[Jack (playing card)|knave]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/aile/papaz-kacti-nasil-oynanir-oyunun-kurallari-nelerdir-papaz-kimde-kac-kagitla-oynanir-41900733 | title=Papaz kaçtı nasıl oynanır, oyunun kuralları nelerdir? Papaz kimde kaç kağıtla oynanır? | date=22 September 2021 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Donkey (card game)|Donkey]]
*[[Happy Families]]
*[[Hearts (card game)|Hearts]]

== Footnotes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Literature ==
* _ (1821). ''Das neue Königliche l'Hombre''. Lüneburg: Herold & Wahlstab.
* _ (1882). [https://books.google.com/books?id=dOoIAAAAQAAJ&q=maid&pg=PA869 ''Cassell's Book of Sports and Pastimes.''] London, Paris and New York: Cassell, Petter, Galpin.
* _ (1883). "Merry Matches" in ''[[The Bazaar, The Exchange and Mart]]'', 26 September 1883, p. 336.
* _ (1884). [https://books.google.com/books?id=zGQN4sFKXHAC&dq=%22merry+matches%22&pg=PA330 ''The Furniture Gazette''], Vol. 22. 25 October 1884.
* [[John Denison Champlin Jr.|Champlin, John Denison]] and [[Arthur Elmore Bostwick]] (1890). [https://books.google.com/books?id=h4QCAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22old+maid%22+card+game&pg=PA510 ''The Young Folk's Cyclopædia of Games and Sports''.] New York: Henry Holt.
* Dawson, L. (1923) [reprinted 1980]. [https://books.google.com/books?id=CRHi5En2ZIAC&q=Old+maid+card+game&pg=PA234 ''Hoyle's Card Games''.] Routledge. {{isbn|0-415-00880-8}}
* Golick, Margie (1986). ''Reading, Writing, and Rummy''. Markham, Ontario: Pembroke.
* Green, Charles M. (1884). [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101079830129&view=1up&seq=7 ''The Friend of All'']. W. Greens's Son.
* Lasserre, Lebrun and Leroy (1853). ''Nouveau Manuel Complet des Jeux de Calcul et de Hasard''. Paris: Roret.
* [[Leslie, Eliza]] (1831). [https://books.google.com/books?id=WO0XAAAAYAAJ&q=old+maid ''The American Girl's Book.''] Boston: Munroe & Francis; NY: C.S. Francis.
* [[Leslie, Eliza]] (1835). [https://digital.nls.uk/antiquarian-books-of-scotland/archive/113593318#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=139&xywh=-525%2C-1214%2C2340%2C4088 ''The Girl's Book of Diversions.''] London, Dublin, Glasgow, Sydney: Tegg.
* Mulac, Margaret Elizabeth (1946). [https://archive.org/details/gamebook0000marg ''The Game Book'']. New York and London: Harper & Bros.
* [[Parlett, David]] (1992/96) ''Oxford Dictionary of Card Games.'' Oxford / New York: Oxford University Press.
* Roya, Will (2021). ''Card Night: Classic Games, Classic Decks, and the History Behind Them'' Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. {{isbn|9780762473519}}
* [[Sackson, Sid]] (1994). ''Card Games Around the World''. Dover Publications. {{isbn|0-486-28100-0}}

==External links==
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Old Maid}}
*{{Commonscat-inline}}
* [http://www.pagat.com/passing/oldmaid.html Rules of Card Games: Old Maid] on [[Pagat.com]]

{{Children's card games}}
[[Category:English card games]]
[[Category:Card passing games]]
[[Category:Card games introduced in the 1880s]]
[[Category:Gambling games]]
[[Category:Card games for children]]
[[Category:Dedicated deck card games]]

Simple squeeze

2025-10-10T03:34:53Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* The Vienna coup */replaced templates with cards

{{Short description|Most basic form of a squeeze in contract bridge}}
The '''simple squeeze''' is the most basic form of a [[squeeze play (bridge)|squeeze]] in [[contract bridge]]. When declarer plays a winner in one suit (the ''[[Contract bridge glossary#squeezecard|squeeze card]]''), an opponent is forced to discard a stopper in one of declarer's two threat suits.

The simple squeeze takes place against one opponent only and gains one trick only. That opponent must hold the defense's only stoppers in declarer's two threat suits. The simple squeeze requires that declarer has [[Contract bridge glossary#rectifythecount|rectified the count]]: declarer must have already lost as many tricks as he can afford, and can win all but one of the remaining tricks with top cards.<ref>{{OEB|7|496}}</ref> Positional squeezes, described next, also require that the defense's stoppers be located favorably for declarer. Other requirements are also discussed in this article.

==Positional squeezes==
{{BridgeHandNWS
|Label = Example 1
|Lead = South to lead
|A J|K|—|—
|K Q|A|—|—
|4|2|—|A}}
{{BridgeHandNES
|Label =Example 2
|Lead = South to lead
|A J|K|—|—
|K Q|A|—|—
|4|2|—|A}} In Example 1, when the {{cards|cA}} is cashed, West is squeezed in the [[major suit]]s. West must discard before North plays. If West discards a spade, dummy discards the {{cards|hK}} and declarer then wins the {{cards|sAJ}}. If West discards the {{cards|hA}}, dummy discards the {{cards|sJ}} and declarer then wins the {{cards|sA}} and the {{cards|hK}}.

The squeeze will not work if East's and West's cards are swapped as shown in Example 2. Here East can wait to see which threat card is played on the {{cards|cA}} and discard accordingly; if declarer throws the {{cards|sJ}}, East discards a spade, and if declarer throws the {{cards|hK}}, East discards the {{cards|hA}}. (This example assumes that West holds at least one heart after following to the {{cards|cA}}; else, South's {{cards|h2}} becomes a legitimate threat and the squeeze is automatic—see the next examples.)

The ''[[Contract bridge glossary#positionalsqueeze|positional squeeze]]'', is so called because its success depends on the position of the threats {{cards|hK}} and {{cards|sJ}} relative to the defense's stoppers, the {{cards|sKQ}} and the {{cards|hA}}. Either the {{cards|hK}} or {{cards|sJ}}, or both, must be in the upper hand: the hand that plays after the squeezed defender.
{{Clear}}

==Automatic squeezes==
{{BridgeHandNWS
|Label = Example 3
|Lead = South to lead
|A J|2|—|—
|K Q|A|—|—
|4|K|—|A}}
{{BridgeHandNES
|Label = Example 4
|Lead = South to lead
|A J|2|—|—
|K Q|A|—|—
|4|K|—|A}} The positional squeeze which works against one defender only can be distinguished from the ''[[Contract bridge glossary#automaticsqueeze|automatic squeeze]]'', which works against either defender.

Consider the layout in Example 3, where the {{cards|sJ}} and the {{cards|hK}} are ''divided between declarer and dummy''. When South leads the squeeze card, the {{cards|cA}}, West is squeezed. If West discards a spade, dummy throws the {{cards|h2}} and declarer then wins dummy's {{cards|sAJ}}. If West discards the {{cards|hA}}, dummy throws the {{cards|sJ}} and declarer then wins the {{cards|hK}} and dummy's {{cards|sA}}.

If the defense's stoppers are in the East hand instead of the West hand and the North-South hands are unchanged as in Example 4, then when declarer leads the {{cards|cA}} and dummy discards the {{cards|h2}}, East is squeezed. If East discards a spade, declarer then wins dummy's {{cards|sAJ}}. If East discards the {{cards|hA}}, declarer then wins the {{cards|hK}} and dummy's {{cards|sA}}.

This is still a simple squeeze, but it is termed an ''automatic squeeze'' to distinguish it from a ''positional squeeze''. The fact that declarer's two threats are in different hands means that no matter which defender holds both stoppers, at least one of the threats lies in the upper hand (the {{cards|sJ}} if West is to be squeezed, the {{cards|hK}} if East is to be squeezed).
{{clear}}

==Entries==
A successful simple squeeze poses several requirements. The count must be rectified, the defense's stoppers in the threat suits must be held by one opponent only, at least one threat card must lie over the squeezed defender, and at least one threat must lie opposite the squeeze card. In addition to these requirements, one of three general types of entry positions must be present.

===The threat opposite the squeeze card has an entry in its own suit===
{{BridgeHandNWS
|Label = Example 1
|Lead = South to lead
|A J|K|—|—
|K Q|A|—|—
|4|2|—|A}}
{{BridgeHandNES
|Label = Example 4
|Lead = South to lead
|A J|2|—|—
|K Q|A|—|—
|4|K|—|A}} Earlier, Examples 1 and 4, illustrated positional and automatic squeezes; here, they also illustrate one way to satisfy a simple squeeze's entry requirement.

One of the threat cards is the {{cards|sJ}}. It lies opposite the squeeze card (the {{cards|cA}}), and it is accompanied by an entry (the {{cards|sA}}) in its own suit. The hand containing the squeeze card must of course have another card (here, the {{cards|s4}}) that can be used to cross to the {{cards|sA}} after the squeeze has taken place.
{{clear}}

===Split two-card threat and twin-entry threat===
Another entry position in the simple squeeze gives dummy, for example, an immediate winner and a small card in declarer's threat suit. This position is termed a ''split two-card threat'' or ''split two-card menace''. The split two-card threat "splits" the threat between declarer's hand and dummy.
{{BridgeHandNWS
|Label = Example 5
|Lead = South to lead
|A 3|K|—|—
|K Q|A|—|—
|J 2|—|—|A}}
{{BridgeHandNES
|Label = Example 6
|Lead = South to lead
|A 3|K|—|—
|K Q|A|—|—
|J 2|—|—|A}} In Example 5, the spade threat is the {{cards|sJ}}. The split two-card threat splits the spade threat's immediate winner, the {{cards|sA}}, from the threat itself. Dummy holds an immediate winner in the suit where declarer holds the threat.

When the squeeze card, the {{cards|cA}}, is played, West might discard the {{cards|hA}}. Then dummy throws the {{cards|s3}} and cashes the {{cards|sA}} and the {{cards|hK}}. If West discards the {{cards|sQ}} instead, dummy throws the {{cards|hK}}. South plays the {{cards|s2}} to the {{cards|sA}}, removing West's remaining {{cards|sK}}, and takes the last trick with the {{cards|sJ}}.

Notice that the simple squeeze with a split two-card menace is a positional squeeze. It will not operate against East if West's cards in Example 5 are transferred to East, as in Example 6. In Example 6, the split two-card menace is still present but if dummy discards the {{cards|s3}} on the {{cards|cA}}, East discards the {{cards|sQ}} and declarer must still lose to the {{cards|hA}}. If dummy instead discards the {{cards|hK}}, East throws the {{cards|hA}} and declarer must still lose to the {{cards|sK}}.
{{clear}}
{{BridgeHandNES
|Label = Example 7
|Lead = South to lead
|A 3|K|—|2
|Q J 10|A|—|—
|K 9 2|—|—|A}} The problem in Example 6 is that declarer does not hold an entry to the {{cards|sJ}} threat after playing the squeeze card. The ''twin-entry threat'' converts the positional split-threat squeeze to an automatic squeeze. See Example 7.

Dummy holds winner-and-small in declarer's threat suit, as with the split two-card menace in Examples 5 and 6, but now declarer also has a winner (the {{cards|sK}}) in that threat suit. This is a twin-entry squeeze and is automatic: with these cards in North and South, either West or East could be squeezed.

In Example 7, declarer leads {{cards|cA}} and dummy follows suit. If East discards a spade, declarer wins the {{cards|sA}}, the {{cards|sK}} and the {{cards|s9}}. If East discards the {{cards|hA}}, declarer wins the {{cards|sK}}, the {{cards|sA}} and the {{cards|hK}}. The same sequence occurs if West instead of East holds the guards in spades and hearts.
{{clear}}

===The criss-cross squeeze===

The third general type of entry position in the simple squeeze occurs when declarer has an entry in dummy's threat suit and dummy has an entry in declarer's threat suit. This situation is termed a ''[[criss-cross squeeze]]''. It is regarded as a comparatively rare position.<ref>{{cite book | last = Bird | first = David | title = Bridge squeezes for everyone : yes, even you | publisher = Master Point Press | location = Toronto | year = 2002 | isbn = 9781894154420 }}</ref>
{{BridgeHandNES
|Label =Example 8
|Lead = South to lead
|A|Q 2|—|2
|K 3| K 3|—|—
|Q 2 |A|—|A}}
{{BridgeHandNES
|Label =Example 9
|Lead = South to lead
|A|Q 2|—|2
|K| K 4 3|—|—
|Q 2 |A|—|A}} Example 8 illustrates the criss-cross squeeze. Dummy's threat card is the {{cards|hQ}} and declarer has an entry, the {{cards|hA}}, in that suit. Declarer's threat card is the {{cards|sQ}} and dummy has an entry, the {{cards|sA}}, in that suit. When declarer cashes the {{cards|cA}}, East is squeezed. South cashes the A in whichever suit East discards from, crosses to the other A, and cashes the remaining Q.

This is an automatic squeeze: it works regardless of which opponent guards the two threats. However, the position is usually ambiguous. After the squeeze has taken place, declarer is often uncertain which guard (in Example 8, the {{cards|sK}} and the {{cards|hK}}) is now a singleton.

For example, if East unguarded the {{cards|sK}} earlier in the play, the situation might actually be as shown in Example 9. In this case, declarer cashes the {{cards|cA}} and East throws a small heart. If declarer now judges that East has bared the {{cards|hK}}, he will cash the {{cards|hA}}. When the {{cards|hK}} does not fall, declarer will subsequently be stuck in dummy, losing the final trick to the {{cards|hK}}. A similar outcome can result if East bares the {{cards|hK}} early in the play.

The possibility of this sort of ambiguity is inherent in the blocked entry position that characterizes criss-cross squeezes. A defender who can see what's coming can discard deceptively, putting declarer to a guess after the squeeze has matured.
{{clear}}

==The Vienna coup==
{{BridgeHandNES
|Label =Example 10
|Lead = South to lead
|A J|A|2|—
|K Q|K 3|—|—
|2|Q 2|A|—}}
{{BridgeHandNES
|Label =Example 11
|Lead = North to lead
|A J|—|2|—
|K Q|K|—|—
|2|Q|A|—}} One particular entry configuration may require special handling. In the layout shown in Example 10, the threats ({{cards|sJ}} and {{cards|hQ}}) are divided between the North and South hands and East holds the guards in the threat suits. Furthermore, North holds a winner in each threat suit and South holds no winner in either threat suit.

Suppose that South leads the squeeze card, the {{cards|dA}}, in the position shown. East simply discards either heart, because the South hand can neither retain nor regain the lead, and the North hand must eventually lose the {{cards|sJ}} to the {{cards|sK}}.

The solution is to unblock the {{cards|hA}} before leading to the {{cards|dA}}. After the unblock, the position is as shown in Example 11. The unblock of the {{cards|hA}} transposes Example 10 into Example 11, a simple automatic squeeze with the {{cards|hQ}} positioned to exert pressure against East. Compare Example 11 with Example 4, which shows the same basic position.

The unblocking solution remains the same even if the East and West hands were interchanged.

The play, prior to the squeeze card, of the winner that blocks South's threat is called the ''Vienna coup''. The term has long been regarded as unduly connoting brilliance: "In short, the aura of glamor which has always seemed to surround this play is wholly fictitious."<ref>Clyde E. Love, ''Bridge Squeezes Complete'', Dover Publications, 1968, {{ISBN|0-486-21968-2}}, Chapter 1.</ref>
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{WPCBIndex}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simple Squeeze}}
[[Category:Contract bridge squeezes]]

Simultaneous double squeeze

2025-10-10T03:02:08Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: replaced template

{{Short description|Contract bridge squeeze}}
In [[contract bridge]], a '''simultaneous double squeeze''' is a [[double squeeze]] in which both opponents are [[squeeze play (bridge)|squeeze]]d by the same card, as opposed to [[non-simultaneous double squeeze]] where the two opponents are squeezed in different tricks.

There are three basic matrices. In each of those, the double menace (the suit guarded by both opponents) must be accompanied by an entry, and the other two (single) menaces need not have one.
{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label =
|Lead =
|A 2|K|—|—
|Q 6|A|—|—
|K 9|—|Q|—
|3|—|J|2}}

'''1)''' In the first matrix, the double menace (spades) is in one hand (dummy in the example), accompanied by an entry, and the other two are split between two declarer's hands. When the club deuce is played West has to shed a spade, dummy sheds the now useless king of hearts and East is squeezed in the [[pointed suit]]s. This is a positional squeeze (it would not work with E-W hands reversed).
{{Clear}}
{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label =
|Lead =
|A 2|K|J|—
|Q J 9|A|—|—
|10 8 5|—|Q|—
|K 6 4|—|—|2}}

'''2)''' The double menace (spades) is in one hand (declarer's) with entries in both hands, and two single menaces are in the other hand. The two of clubs is cashed and again West has to give up the guard in the double menace suit (spades). The now useless king of hearts is played from dummy and East is squeezed in the [[pointed suit]]s. This is an automatic squeeze (working with hands interchanged), but the declarer has to know which defender guards which suit.
{{Clear}}
{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label =
|Lead =
|A K 2|—|2|—
|Q J 9|A|—|—
|10 8 5|—|K|—
|4|Q|Q|3}}

'''3)''' This is the most comfortable end position of the three simultaneous double squeeze matrices, because this squeeze is automatic with no guessing game involved. There, the double menace is a 3-card menace with two winners (including an entry) sits opposite the hand with two single menaces. The declarer discards the two of diamonds on the squeeze card ({{cards|c3}}) regardless of West's discard. As long as the squeeze worked, all spades in the North hand must be winners, unless one of our two queens became a master. It's not possible with one spade less in the layout: there would be no room in South's hand to keep the squeeze card, two red menaces, and an entry card (small spade) in only 3 cards. It is possible, though, (but rare) with a four-card double menace:
{{Clear}}
{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label =
|Lead =
|A K Q 2|—|2|—
|J 9 7 5|A|—|—
|10 8 6 4|—|K|—
|3|Q 2|Q|3}}{{Clear}}

==References==
* Clyde E. Love, ''Bridge Squeezes Complete'', Dover Publications, 1968, {{ISBN|0-486-21968-2}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061009033016/http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/dbl_sqz.htm Double Squeezes by David Stevenson]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simultaneous Double Squeeze}}
[[Category:Contract bridge squeezes]]

Double squeeze

2025-10-10T03:01:11Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Example */cards template now supports suit first

{{Short description|Type of squeeze play in the card game of bridge}}
The '''double squeeze''' is a type of [[Squeeze play (bridge)|squeeze play]] in the [[card game]] of [[contract bridge|bridge]].

Double squeezes are a combination of two [[simple squeeze]]s carried out against both opponents. If both squeezes are executed by the same trick, that is the same squeeze card, the double squeeze is called simultaneous.
If both opponents are squeezed on different tricks (the squeeze card is then a card in the suit that was menacing the opponent squeezed first) the double squeeze is called non-simultaneous.<ref>{{OEB|7|478}}</ref>

As there are only four suits in contract bridge the two simple squeezes can only be combined by using a menace for both opponents, the squeeze card being in the fourth suit.

==Example==
The following demonstrates the basics of a double squeeze; south requires the three remaining tricks.
{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label =
|Lead = South to play
|A 2|K|—|—
|Q 3|A|—|—
|K 9|—|Q|—
|6|—|J|2}} When the South leads the {{cards|c2}} (the squeeze card), West must keep his {{cards|hA}} (menaced by dummy's king) and gives up his spade guard (spades being the double menace). In the same trick (this is therefore a simultaneous double squeeze), East must keep his {{cards|dQ}} (menaced by declarer's jack), and is forced to discard his low spade. Consequently, the {{cards|s2}} in North is established.

South completes the play by leading the {{cards|s6}} to the {{cards|sA}} and wins the last trick with the {{cards|s2}}.
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Double Squeeze}}
[[Category:Contract bridge squeezes]]
{{WPCBIndex}}

Criss-cross squeeze

2025-10-10T02:58:33Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Examples */template update

{{Short description|Bridge (card game) tactic}}
{{Refimprove|date=March 2015}}

In [[contract bridge]], the '''criss-cross squeeze''' is a variant of the [[simple squeeze]] in which both menaces are blocked.<ref>{{cite book
|title=The Bridge Players' Encyclopedia – International Edition |year=1967 |publisher= [[Hamlyn (publishers)|Paul Hamlyn Ltd.]] |page=459
}}</ref> However, the blocking cards provide the necessary communication between [[Card game#Hands, rounds and games|hand]]s after the squeeze has been effected. Unblocking in the correct order allows the squeezing player to cash the newly created winner; but this requires an exact count of the hand{{snd}}or a correct guess.

==Examples==
{{BridgeHandNWS
|Label = Example 1
|Lead =
|Q 5|A|—|2
|K 3|K 3|—|—
|A|Q 5|—|A}} The menaces are the major-suit queens, blocked by the corresponding aces. One of those aces will serve as entry or re-entry to whichever queen is established by the squeeze. When South cashes the {{cards|cA}} as [[Squeeze play (bridge)#Terminology|squeeze card]], West must blank (unguard) one of his kings. The declarer can then cash the ace of the suit in which West has bared his king, and cross to the other ace, which serves as entry to the now-established queen.{{Clear}}

{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label = Example 2
|Lead =
|Q 5|A|—|2
|4 2|4 2|—|—
|K 3|K 3|—|—
|A|Q 5|—|A}} A criss-cross squeeze is technically an [[Squeeze play (bridge)#Classification|automatic squeeze]], i.e. it works against either opponent{{snd}}although a guess as to which opponent (if either) has been squeezed may be required in the end position after playing the squeeze card (here, {{cards|cA}}). If the complete hand is as shown here, then East is squeezed; but if declarer cannot be certain from the previous bidding and play who holds both kings, he will have to guess which suit to play first if the defenders discard in different suits (as they should).

If the kings are in different hands, there is no squeeze: both defenders will have idle cards to discard in the suit in which they do not hold a king.{{clear}}

== See also ==
* [[Glossary of contract bridge terms]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{WPCBIndex}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Criss-Cross Squeeze}}
[[Category:Contract bridge squeezes]]

Squeeze play (bridge)

2025-10-10T02:54:58Z

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{{Short description|Contract bridge technique}}
A '''squeeze play''' (or '''squeeze''') is a technique used in [[contract bridge]] and other [[trick-taking game]]s in which the play of a card (the ''[[Contract bridge glossary#squeezecard|squeeze card]]'') forces an opponent to discard a winner or the guard of a potential winner. The situation typically occurs in the end game, with only a few cards remaining. Although numerous types of squeezes have been analyzed and catalogued in contract bridge, they were first discovered and described in [[whist]].

Most squeezes operate on the principle that declarer's and dummy's hands can, between them, hold more cards with the potential to take extra tricks than a single defender's hand can protect or ''guard''. Infrequently, due to the difficulty of coordinating their holdings, two defenders can cooperate to squeeze declarer or dummy on the same principle.

==Context==

===Complexity===
Squeeze plays are considered by many "to be the domain of the experts but many of the positions are straightforward once the basic principles are understood."<ref>Moon (2010), Preface.</ref> And according to [[Terence Reese]], the squeeze play "in its practical aspects is not particularly difficult. It takes time, admittedly...and has...to be learned – it cannot be 'picked up'".<ref name="ReeseJourdain">Reese and Jourdain (1980), Preface.</ref>

===Significance and prevalence===
Squeeze plays are important in difficult-to-make high-level contracts and in [[Duplicate bridge#Scoring|matchpoint]] play where the taking of one more trick than generally achieved by the field is a real difference-maker likely to result in a top {{gcb|board}}. The opportunity to employ a squeeze play arises sufficiently frequently that it is essential to learn if one aspires to become an advanced player.<ref>Reese and Jourdain (1980), Preface. Reese states that "squeeze possibilities – not always fulfilled, of course – arose on about one hand in every six or seven."</ref>, <ref>Moon (2010), p. 23 states "about one deal in 12 contains the possibility of a squeeze."</ref>

===Terminology===
* {{gcb|busy|Busy cards}}: Cards held by defenders which are winners or protecting winners.
* {{gcb|cardreading|Card reading}}: Determining or assuming the location of the opponents' cards.
* The {{gcb|count}}: The number of tricks that must be lost before the squeeze can function.
* {{gcb|rectifythecount|Rectify the count}}: To lose the necessary number of tricks.
* [[Entry (cards)|Entry]]: A high card or trump that enables declarer to place the lead in the hand that holds, or that will hold, another card that the squeeze has established.
* {{gcb|idle|Idle cards}}: Cards that can safely be discarded by defenders (i.e., are not busy). Rectifying the count removes idle cards from the defenders' hands.
* {{gcb|menace|Menace or threat cards}}: Cards held by declarer or dummy which start out as [[Contract bridge glossary#loser|losers]], but which may be promoted to winning rank when the squeeze forces the defense to discard its stoppers.
* Squeeze card: The card which (when led) forces the defense to discard a busy card or cards. Before the squeeze card can bring the squeeze about, several conditions described below must be met.<ref>According to the ''[[Official Encyclopedia of Bridge]]'', the concept of a squeeze card was developed by [[Sidney Lenz]]. Although ''squeeze card'' may be useful as a pedagogical device, the Encyclopedia suggests that the concept of a ''squeezed position'' is more useful at the table as a means of arriving at the position necessary for a squeeze to occur.</ref>

==Conditions==

The most basic forms of squeeze require all the following conditions to be in place before the squeeze can operate:<ref>Clyde Love, in ''[[Bridge Squeezes Complete]]'', uses terminology that results in the acronym BLUE to summarize these conditions: a defender must be ''busy'' in two suits, the ''loser'' count must be right, at least one threat must be in the ''upper'' hand, and there must be an ''entry'' to the threat card.</ref>
* The defense's guards in the threat suits must be held by one defender only.
* The count has been rectified which ensures that:
**Declarer has enough winners to take all the remaining tricks but one, which is to be gained from the squeeze; and
**The defender being squeezed has no idle cards.
* Between them, declarer and dummy have threat cards in two suits that the squeeze may establish as winners:
** At least one of the threat cards must be in the hand opposite the squeeze card; and
** At least one of the threat cards must lie in the hand that plays after the squeezed defender.
* There is an entry to the threat card opposite the squeeze card.

==Examples==
{|
|
{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label =Example 1
|Lead = South to lead
|A J|K|—|—
|K Q|A|—|—
||Q J 10||—
|4|2|—|A}}
|
South needs all three remaining tricks in a notrump contract. South leads the squeeze card, the {{cards|cA}}, and West is squeezed in hearts and spades. If West discards the {{cards|hA}}, North's {{cards|hK}} becomes a winner. If West discards either spade, North's {{cards|sJ}} becomes a winner.

Note the following features of this position:
# One defender, West, holds the defense's only guards in declarer's two threat suits, spades and hearts.
# The count is rectified. Three cards remain, and declarer has two immediate winners (the {{cards|cA}} and {{cards|sA}}). Another winner will be established by the squeeze (either the {{cards|hK}} or the {{cards|sJ}}).
# The {{cards|hK}} and the {{cards|sJ}} are the threat cards. At least one threat card (in this case, both the {{cards|hK}} and the {{cards|sJ}}) lies opposite the squeeze card (the {{cards|cA}}).
# At least one threat card (in this case, both the {{cards|hK}} and the {{cards|sJ}}) is in the hand that plays after the squeezed defender.
# The {{cards|sA}} is an entry to either threat card.

This is an example of a ''positional'' squeeze, because both threat cards are in the same hand, North's. No threat card lies over East and therefore the squeeze can take effect only if West is to be squeezed.
|-
|
{{BridgeHandNWES
|Label =Example 2
|Lead = South to lead
|A J|K|—|—
||Q J 10||—
|K Q|A|—|—
|4|2|—|A}}
|If West's cards are transferred to East, as shown in Example 2, the squeeze fails because the fourth condition above is not satisfied. In that case, one of the menaces must be discarded before it is East's turn to play. If the {{cards|hK}} is discarded, East can safely discard the {{cards|hA}}. If the {{cards|sJ}} is discarded, East can safely discard a spade.
|}
{{clear}}

==Classification==

There are several ways to classify squeezes:

* According to which opponent can be squeezed:
**In a ''positional'' squeeze, only one opponent can be squeezed.
**In an ''automatic'' squeeze, either opponent can be squeezed.
* According to number of opponents squeezed:
**In a ''single'' squeeze, only one opponent is squeezed.
**In a ''double'' squeeze, both opponents are squeezed.
* According to number of suits involved:
**In a ''two-suit'' squeeze, there are menaces in two suits.
**In a ''three-suit'' squeeze, there are menaces in three suits.
**In a ''compound'' squeeze, there are menaces in three suits (against one); then, menaces in three suits (against both opponents). It could be named a ''six-suit'' squeeze.<ref>Clyde Love in ''[[Bridge Squeezes Complete]]'' proposes the term ''quintuple squeeze'' as it is a triple squeeze followed by a double squeeze</ref>
**The peculiar and rare ''[[single-suit squeeze]]'' is actually a type of [[endplay]] rather than a real squeeze.
* According to what is gained:
**In a ''material'' squeeze, the opponents are forced to give up a trick directly.
**In a ''non-material'' squeeze, the opponents are forced to give up strategic position. For example, an opponent can be squeezed out of an exit card or a card that disturbs declarer's entries. An extra trick, however, may materialize later.
* According to the count rectification:
**In a squeeze ''with the count'', the count is rectified before the squeeze card is played, and declarer will lose no more tricks. These are typically material squeezes.
**In a squeeze ''without the count'', the count is not yet rectified. These are typically non-material squeezes, often with a throw-in in the end position.

Most of the common types of squeezes (and some of the rare ones) have names:
{|class="wikitable collapsible uncollapsed sortable"
!Type of Squeeze||Positional or Automatic||Opponents||Suits||Material or Non-material||Count Rectified
|-
|[[Simple squeeze]]||Either||Single||2||Yes||Yes
|-
|[[Criss-cross squeeze]]||Automatic||Single||2||Yes||Yes
|-
|[[Trump squeeze]]||Either||Single||2||Yes||Yes
|-
|[[Progressive squeeze]] ({{aka}} [[Triple squeeze]])||valign=top|Positional||valign=top|Single||valign=top|3||valign=top|Yes||valign=top|Yes
|-
|[[Double squeeze]] (also: [[Simultaneous double squeeze]] [[Non-simultaneous double squeeze]])||valign=top|Either||valign=top|Double||valign=top|3||valign=top|Yes||valign=top|Yes
|-
|[[Compound squeeze]]||Positional||Double||3||Yes||Yes
|-
|[[Entry-shifting squeeze]]||Positional||Single||2||Yes||Yes
|-
|[[Single-suit squeeze]]||Positional||Single||1||Yes||No
|-
|[[Strip squeeze]]||Positional||Single||2–3||Yes||No
|-
|[[Backwash squeeze]]||Positional||Single||2||Yes||Yes
|-
|[[Cannibal squeeze]] (a.k.a. Suicide squeeze)||valign=top|Positional||valign=top|Single||valign=top|2||valign=top|Yes||valign=top|Yes*
|-
|[[Stepping-stone squeeze]]||Positional||Either||2||No||No
|-
|[[Guard squeeze]]||Positional||Either||2–3||Yes||Yes
|-
|[[Vice squeeze]]||Positional||Single||2–3||Yes||No
|-
|[[Winkle squeeze]]||Positional||Single||3||No||No
|-
|[[Clash squeeze]]||Positional||Either||3||Yes||Yes
|-
|[[Saturated squeeze]]||Positional||Double||4||Yes||Yes
|-
|[[Pseudo-squeeze]]||N/A||N/A||N/A||No||N/A
|-
|[[Entry squeeze]]||Either||Either||3||No||No
|-
|[[Knockout squeeze]]||Either||Single||3||No||No
|}

==See also==
*[[Bridge Squeezes Complete]] by [[Clyde E. Love]]
*[[List of play techniques (bridge)]]
*[[Vienna coup]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book
|last1 = Bird
|first1 = David
|author-link1 = David Bird (bridge writer)
|last2 = Smith
|first2 = Marc
|author-link2 = Marc Smith (bridge)
|title = Squeezes Made Simple
|publisher = Master Point Press
|location = Toronto
|pages = 61
|year = 2001
|oclc = 46620681
|isbn = 978-1-894154-32-1}}
* {{cite book
|last = Bird
|first = David
|author-link = David Bird (bridge writer)
|title = Bridge Squeezes for Everyone
|publisher = Master Point Press
|location = Toronto
|pages = 221
|year = 2002
|oclc = 48533829
|isbn = 978-1-894154-42-0}}
* {{cite book
|last = Coffin
|first = George
|author-link = George Coffin
|title = Endplays in Bridge: Eliminations, Squeezes and Coups
|lccn = 81069898
}}
* {{cite book
|last = Eng
|first = Fook H.
|title = Bridge Squeezes Illustrated
|publisher = Eng
|location = Los Angeles
|pages = 185
|year = 1973
|oclc = 2556958
}}
* {{cite book
|last = Freehill
|first = H.G.
|title = The Squeeze at Bridge
|publisher = Faber and Faber
|location = London
|pages = 126
|year = 1949
|oclc = 2813446
}}
* {{cite book
|last = French
|first = Marvin L.
|title = Squeeze Refresher (For Good Bridge Players)
|publisher = Self Published
|location = San Diego
|pages = 90
|year = 2013
|url = http://lajollabridge.com/French/misc/Squeeze-Refresher.pdf
}}
* {{cite book
|last = Kelsey
|first = Hugh
|title = Simple Squeezes
|publisher = Victor Gollancz Ltd. in association with Peter Crawley (London), 120p
|series = Master Bridge Series
|year = 1985
|isbn = 0-575-03607-9}}
* {{cite book
|last = Kelsey
|first = Hugh
|title = Strip-Squeezes
|publisher = Victor Gollancz Ltd. in association with Peter Crawley (London), 120p
|series = Master Bridge Series
|year = 1986
|isbn = 0-575-03896-9}}
* {{cite book
|last = Kelsey
|first = Hugh
|title = Double Squeezes
|publisher = Victor Gollancz Ltd. in association with Peter Crawley (London), 125p
|series = Master Bridge Series
|year = 1997
|isbn = 0-575-04115-3}}
* {{cite book
|last = Kelsey
|first = Hugh
|title = Triple Squeezes
|publisher = Victor Gollancz Ltd. in association with Peter Crawley (London), 120p
|series = Master Bridge Series
|year = 1990
|isbn = 0-575-04718-6}}
* {{cite book
|last = Laderman
|first = Julian
|title = A Bridge to Simple Squeezes
|publisher = Master Point Press
|location = Toronto
|pages = 151
|edition = 2nd
|year = 2007
|oclc = 154712413
|isbn = 978-1-897106-26-6}}
* {{cite book
|last = Love
|first = Clyde E.
|author-link = Clyde E. Love
|title = Squeeze Play in Bridge
|publisher = Richard R. Smith Publisher Inc
|location = New York
|pages = 183
|year = 1951
|oclc = 2556862
}}
* {{cite book
|last = Love
|first = Clyde E.
|title = [[Bridge Squeezes Complete]] or Winning End Play Strategy
|publisher = Barclay Bridge Supplies, Sterling Publishing Company Inc
|location = Long Island, NY
|edition = 1st
|pages = 260
|year = 1959
|lccn = 59014249
}}
* {{cite book
|last = Love
|first = Clyde E.
|editor1-last = Lee
|editor1-first = Linda
|editor1-link = Linda Lee (bridge)
|editor2-last = Pottage
|editor2-first = Julian
|editor2-link = Julian Pottage
|title = Bridge Squeezes Complete: Winning Endgame Strategy
|publisher = Master Point Press
|location = Toronto
|edition = Revised
|pages = 384
|year = 2010
|isbn = 978-1-897106-58-7}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Mollo |first1 = Victor |author-link1 = Victor Mollo |last2 = Gardener |first2 = Nico |author-link2 = Nico Gardener |title = Card Play Technique or the Art of Being Lucky |edition = 1st |publisher = George Newnes Limited |location = London |year = 1955 }}
* {{cite book
|last = Moon
|first = Anthony
|title = Simple Squeezes
|edition = 2nd
|publisher = Pressure Point Press
|year = 2010
|isbn = 978-0-9561532-5-8}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Ottlik |first1 = Géza |author-link1 = Géza Ottlik |last2 = Kelsey |first2 = Hugh |author-link2 = Hugh Kelsey |title = Adventures in Card Play |publisher = Victor Gallancz Ltd. in association with Peter Crawley |location = London |year = 1979 }} Also, {{cite book |title = Adventures in Card Play |publisher = (2005) London: Cassell in association with Peter Crawley, 7th Impression |isbn = 0-304-36807-5}}
* {{cite book
|last1 = Reese
|first1 = Terence
|author-link1 = Terence Reese
|last2 = Jourdain
|first2 = Patrick
|title = Squeeze Play is Easy
|year = 1980
|publisher = George Allen & Unwin LTD |location=London |isbn = 0-04-793047-0 |postscript=, 145 pages}} / {{cite book |title = Squeeze Play Made Easy |date = 1980 |publisher = Sterling Publishing Co. Inc. |location=New York |isbn = 0-8069-4940-6 |postscript=, 145 pages}}
* Reese, Terence. ''Master Play in Contract Bridge''
* {{cite book |last = Schuld |first = Frank |title = The Simple Squeeze in Bridge |edition = New and Revised |publisher = Drake Publishers Inc |location = New York |year = 1977 |isbn = 0-8473-1453-7}}
* {{cite book
|last = Squire
|first = Norman
|title = Squeeze Play Simplified
|publisher = Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd.
|location = London
|year = 1979
|isbn = 0-7156-1292-1}}
* Thoma, Peter. ''The Art of Bridge Squeezes''
* {{cite book
|last = Wang
|first = Chien-Hwa
|title = The Squeeze at Bridge
|publisher = Cadogan Books
|location = London
|pages = 203
|series = Cadogan bridge series
|year = 1993
|lccn = 93007343
|isbn = 1-85744-507-4}}

{{WPCBIndex}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Squeeze Play (Bridge)}}
[[Category:Contract bridge squeezes|*]]

[[fr:Squeeze#Bridge]]

Five-card stud

2025-10-10T02:47:56Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: changed symbol to template call

{{short description |Early poker game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{redirect|Mexican Stud|the journal with the ISO 4 abbreviation 'Mexican Stud.'|Mexican Studies}}
{{for|the 1968 Western|5 Card Stud}}
[[File:5 card stud 002.JPG|thumb|A five-card stud hand. If the face-down card is '''{{♠|8}}''' (or a [[Wild card (cards)|wild card]]) the player has a [[List_of_poker_hands#Straight_flush|straight flush]]; a different {{♠}} will give a [[List_of_poker_hands#Flush|flush]]; an 8 of another [[suit (cards)|suit]] will give a [[List_of_poker_hands#Straight|straight]]; a 6, 7, 9 or 10 of another suit will give a [[List_of_poker_hands#Pair|pair]]; any other card will give the player nothing except "[[List_of_poker_hands#High card|high card]]."]]
'''Five-card stud''' is the earliest form of the card game [[stud poker]], originating during the [[American Civil War]],<ref name="i526">{{cite web | website=World Casino Directory | title=A brief history into the origins of the game | url=https://www.worldcasinodirectory.com/articles/poker-history | access-date=2024-12-02}}</ref> but is less commonly played today than many other more popular poker games. It is still a popular game in parts of the world, especially in [[Finland]] where a specific variant of five-card stud called {{lang|fi|Sökö}} (also known as Canadian stud or Scandinavian stud) is played.<ref name="reviewed-soko">{{Cite web |url=http://www.reviewed-online-poker.com/game/soko |title=Soko: Poker game review |access-date=August 10, 2006 |archive-date=December 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220232940/http://www.reviewed-online-poker.com/game/soko |url-status=usurped }}</ref> The word {{lang|fi|sökö}} is also used for checking in Finland ("I check" = {{lang|fi|minä sökötän}}).

The description below assumes that one is familiar with the general [[Poker game play|game play]] of [[poker]], and with [[Poker hand|hand value]]s (both high and low variations). The description also makes no assumptions about what [[Poker betting structure|betting structure]] is used. Five-card stud is sometimes played [[Betting in poker#No limit|no limit]] and [[pot limit]], though [[Fixed limit (poker)|fixed limit]] and [[spread limit]] games are common (with higher limits in the later betting rounds). It is typical to use a small [[Betting in poker#Ante|ante]] and a [[Bring-in (poker)|bring-in]].

==Description of play==
Play begins with each player being dealt one card face down, followed by one card face up (beginning, as usual, with the player to the dealer's left). If played with a bring-in, the player with the lowest-ranking upcard must pay the bring-in, and betting proceeds after that. If two players have equally ranked low cards, [[High card by suit|suit rankings]] may be used to break the tie. If there is no bring-in, then the first betting round begins with the player showing the highest-ranking upcard, who may check. In this case, suit should not be used to break ties; if two players have the same high upcard, the one first in clockwise rotation from the dealer acts first.

After the first betting round is complete, another face-up card is dealt to each player (after a [[burn card]], starting with the player to the dealer's left, as with all subsequent rounds). Betting now begins with the player whose upcards make the best poker hand (since fewer than five cards are face up, this means no straights, flushes, or full houses). On this and subsequent betting rounds, the player to act first may check or bet up to the game's limit. The second betting round is followed by a third upcard to each player and a third betting round, again starting with the player with the best poker hand showing (thus, the first player to act on each round may change). A fourth face-up card and fourth betting round is followed by a [[showdown (poker)|showdown]], if necessary (it usually won't be – most deals of five-card stud end early when a player bets and gets no calls).

===Example===
Assume that a game is being played by four players: Alice, who is dealing; Bob, who is sitting to her left; Carol to his left; David to Carol's left. Alice deals one card face down to each player, followed by one card face up to each player, beginning with Bob and ending with herself. Bob is dealt the '''{{♠|4}}''', Carol the '''{{♦|Q}}''', David the '''{{♦|4}}''', and Alice the '''{{♣|9}}'''. Because they had earlier agreed to play with a $1 bring-in, David is required to start the betting with a $1 bring-in (his '''{{♦|4}}''' is lower than Bob's '''{{♠|4}}''' by suit). He has the option to open the betting for more, but he chooses to bet only the required $1. The bring-in sets the current bet amount to $1, so Alice cannot check. She decides to call. Bob folds, indicating this by turning his upcard face down and discarding his cards. Carol raises to $3. David folds (forfeiting his bring-in), and Alice calls.

====Third street====
Alice now deals a second face-up card to each remaining player: Carol is dealt the '''{{♣|J}}''', and Alice the '''{{♥|Q}}'''. Alice's two face-up cards make a poker hand of no pair, Q-9 high, and Carol has Q-J high, so it is Carol's turn to bet. She checks, as does Alice, ending the betting round.

====Fourth street====
Another face-up card is dealt: Carol gets the '''{{♥|3}}''', and Alice gets the '''{{♣|Q}}'''. Alice now has a pair of queens showing, and Carol still has no pair, so Alice bets first. She bets $5, and Carol calls.

====Fifth street====
The final card is dealt face up: Carol gets the '''{{♦|A}}''' and Alice gets the '''{{♥|4}}'''. Carol still only has no pair showing, thus resulting in Alice, with her pair of queens showing, set to start the betting. Alice bets $5 and is raised to $10 by Carol. Alice calls and the two must now enter into a showdown - where both players compare their best five-card poker hand. Since Carol was the last player to take aggressive action, she shows first - flipping over her hole card, the '''{{♣|A}}''' - thus giving her a pair of aces. Since she is the last to act, Alice is allowed to [[Muck (gambling)|muck]] her cards and does so. Therefore, the pot of $37 goes to Carol.

==Popularity==
Since its popularity during the [[American Civil War]], five-card stud has seen a gradual decline in its popularity. Despite this drop in status, it is still enjoyed by many players.

===Major tournaments===
Five-card stud was one of the preliminary events in the [[World Series of Poker]] in [[1971 World Series of Poker|1971]], [[1972 World Series of Poker|1972]], [[1973 World Series of Poker|1973]] and [[1974 World Series of Poker|1974]]. All four of these events were won by [[Bill Boyd (poker player)|Bill Boyd]] (he won a total of $80,000 from these four events) – the only WSOP bracelets he won.<ref>[http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=27637 Hendon Mob Database: Bill Boyd]</ref> Due to the declining popularity of five-card stud, it was left out of the [[1975 World Series of Poker]] and has been absent from all subsequent [[World Series of Poker]] schedules. Although five-card stud has not been featured in major tournaments since the 70s, it was occasionally still offered in the 1990s in both Europe<ref>[http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=22770 Hendon Mob Database: $500 Five card stud - Ottoman Championship Event]</ref> and North America.<ref>[http://www.pokerpages.com/tournament/schedule2455.htm Hendon Mob Database: 1992 L.A. Poker Classic Schedule] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927005743/http://www.pokerpages.com/tournament/schedule2455.htm |date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>

===Cash games===
Five-card stud was limited to small home games and small casino games until becoming available at some [[online poker]] cardrooms.<ref>[http://www.paradisepoker.com/games_offered/5card_stud.html Paradise Poker: 5 card stud poker]</ref>

==Variants==
Traditional five-card stud involves one hole card with four cards face-up, making it simple for even a novice to read the possible hand strength of an opponent effectively. The transparency of a player's hand cuts out much of the element of uncertainty found in more popular games like [[Texas hold 'em]], [[Omaha hold 'em]] and [[Seven-card stud]]. In order to enlarge that element of uncertainty variants increase the number of hole cards, add a [[high-low split]], play with a [[stripped deck]], introduce a [[twist (poker)|twist]] round, enable the player to do a '[[roll your own (poker)|roll your own]]' game or even create new and interesting hand rankings.

===High-Low===
The game can be played with low hand values, in which case the best low hand showing starts each betting round instead of the best high hand showing. Also, the highest-ranking card must pay the bring-in if it is played with a bring-in. At the end of all betting rounds, the total pot is split into two - one for low-ranking hands, the other for high-ranking hands - and the hands are evaluated based on both low-ranking criteria (for the low pot) and high-ranking criteria (for the high pot). When playing High-Low it is common to use the [[Ace-to-five low]] hand ranking to evaluate the low hands and use the standard hand ranking when evaluating high hands. In the United Kingdom, however, the use of [[Ace-to-six low]] hand ranking is common when evaluating low hands.<ref name="chilcoot-5stud">{{Cite web |url=http://www.mtaonline.net/~chilcoot/poker/5stud.htm |title=Chilcoot's Poker Page: Five Card Stud |access-date=August 10, 2006 |archive-date=October 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081023075134/http://www.mtaonline.net/~chilcoot/poker/5stud.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Canadian Stud/Scandinavian Stud/Sökö===
This variant of five-card stud is almost identical to the traditional format, the only difference being the introduction of two new hands into the hand ranking. Due to the sparse nature of flushes and straights in five-card stud, this variant counts four-card straights and four-card flushes as poker hands. A four-card straight is ranked higher than a pair, a four-card flush is ranked higher than a four-card straight, and a two-pair is ranked higher than a four-card flush.<ref name="reviewed-soko"/>

===Two Down, Three up/2-3===
Instead of dealing the players one hole card and one upcard, in this variant the players are dealt two hole cards. All subsequent cards are dealt face up, resulting in the fairly self-explanatory name.<ref name="poker.com">[http://www.poker.com/game/stud-poker-games/basic-five-card-stud.htm Poker.com: Basic Five Card Stud]</ref>

===Three Down, Two Up/3-2===
Instead of dealing the players one hole card and one upcard, in this variant players are dealt three cards face down. The next two cards are dealt face up. As a result of the high number of cards dealt initially, this variant only has 3 rounds of betting and is thus best played with [[Betting (poker)#No limit|no limit]] or [[pot limit]] betting structure. The name is again fairly self-explanatory.<ref name="poker.com"/>

===One Down, Three Up, One Down/1-3-1===
This variant differs from traditional five-card stud only in the way the final card is dealt. Rather than being face up, in this variant the river is dealt face down—as a hole card. The name, yet again, derives from how a hand looks after all betting rounds are done.<ref name="poker.com"/> This is also a common variant in Finland, where the action of players looking to their hole river card secretly from the others is called "pihistäminen", (Engl. "petty theft").

===Mexican stud/Stud Loco/Mexican poker===
Mexican stud is a [[roll your own (poker)|roll your own]] game where the player receives five face-down cards, and has to reveal four of them. The player is dealt two cards (as in traditional five-card stud), and that he/she must expose one of them. The player then receives a third card, and must immediately expose another card in his/her hand. The player exposes another one after receiving a fourth card, and again after a fifth card. Sometimes a stripped deck is used. Mexican stud is also a variant of Seven-card stud, employing the same roll your own rules.[https://web.archive.org/web/20120928003205/http://www.xenomind.com/pokervar/Stud/cards05/st05011.html]

====Shifting sands====
This game's only difference in relation to Mexican stud is that the player's hole card, and all cards of that rank, are considered [[Wild card (poker)|wild cards]] for that player only.<ref name="chilcoot-5stud"/>

===Telesina/Teresina===
Telesina,<ref>[http://www.pokerjunkie.com/poker-rules-rules-of-telesina Rules of Telesina]</ref> with origins in [[Sanremo]], is often described as a variant of five-card stud. The initial four rounds are identical to five-card stud, the players receiving two cards (one face down) and then 3 more face-up cards interspersed with betting rounds. However, a final round is added where all the players are dealt a single community card. The other main difference is the use of a [[stripped deck]] - with all cards of rank 2 to 6 inclusive taken out of the deck. As a result, this variant is often played shorthanded - usually with 6 players per table. As with most stripped deck games, in Telesina flushes are ranked above full-houses.<ref name="reviewed-pokertime">{{Cite web |url=http://www.reviewed-online-poker.com/game/telesina |title=Telesina Review :: Poker - by Reviewed Online Poker |access-date=August 10, 2006 |archive-date=February 19, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219235308/http://www.reviewed-online-poker.com/game/telesina |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.compatiblepoker.com/telesina.cms.htm |title=Compatible Poker: Telesina Rules - 5-Stud Variation |access-date=December 2, 2006 |archive-date=October 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003013853/http://www.compatiblepoker.com/telesina.cms.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> In addition, unlike in traditional poker, suits are used to break ties. If players have an identical straight flush or straight, the high suit wins. If both players have the same pair or two pair, the suit of the highest kicker determines the winner. The order of suits, strongest to weakest, is hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades.<ref>[http://www.pokerjunkie.com/poker-rules-rules-of-telesina Poker Rules - Rules of Telesina]</ref> Another unique rule states if two players have a flush the highest-ranking card is not used to determine a winner; instead, the Telesina suit order is used to resolve the situation. The final Telesina-specific rule states if there are only two players left in the pot, the highest straight flush (A, K, Q, J, T in hearts) is beaten by the lowest straight flush (T, 9, 8, 7, A in spades).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.reviewed-online-poker.com/telesina-hand-ranking.php |title=Telesina Hand Ranking |access-date=December 27, 2012 |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019071300/http://www.reviewed-online-poker.com/telesina-hand-ranking.php |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Note that these rules are as the game has been played on several online poker sites, but Telesina may generically refer to any stripped deck five-card stud variation.<ref>[http://www.pagat.com/poker/variants/telesina.html Rules of Card Games: Telesina]</ref>

===Asian five-card stud / Americana===
Regular five-card stud played with a [[stripped deck]] - with all cards of rank 2 to 6 inclusive removed from the deck.<ref>[http://www.pokernews.com/pokerterms/asian-five-card-stud.html Pokernews.com: Definition of Asian five-card stud]</ref> This variant has been played in a tournament format in California.<ref>[http://www.pokerpages.com/tournament/schedule2455.htm PokerPages: 1992 LA Poker Classic] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927005743/http://www.pokerpages.com/tournament/schedule2455.htm |date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref> Called Americana, the game has been available on online poker sites.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.compatiblepoker.com/articles/americana-poker/ |title=Americana Poker Rules – Poker Rooms with Americana |access-date=December 27, 2012 |archive-date=July 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728123206/https://www.compatiblepoker.com/articles/americana-poker/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> As with other stripped deck games, a flush is ranked higher than a full house. This is different from the game [[Asian stud]] which is played against the house.

==Notes==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Poker footer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Five-Card Stud}}
[[Category:Card games introduced in the 1860s]]
[[Category:Stud poker]]

Stayman convention

2025-10-10T02:16:39Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Four card major non promissory relay Stayman */placed clubs in templates

{{Short description|Bidding convention in contract bridge}}
{{Redirect|Stayman|the bridge player who initiated the convention|Sam Stayman|the apple cultivar|Stayman (apple)}}
{{Main|Contract bridge|Bidding system|Bridge convention|Glossary of contract bridge terms}}

'''Stayman''' is a [[bidding convention]] in the card game [[contract bridge]]. It is used by a partnership to find a 4-4 or 5-3 trump fit in a {{gcb|major}} suit after making a one {{gcb|notrump}} (1NT) opening bid and it has been adapted for use after a 2NT opening, a 1NT [[overcall]], and many other natural notrump bids.

The convention is named for [[Sam Stayman]], who wrote the first published description in 1945,<ref name="Stayman">"A New Notrump Convention", Samuel Stayman, ''[[The Bridge World]]'', June 1945.</ref> but its inventors were two other players: the [[Great Britain|British]] expert [[Jack Marx (bridge)|Jack Marx]] in 1939, who published it only in 1946,<ref>"What? Another Convention?", J.C.H. Marx, ''Contract Bridge Journal'', September 1946.</ref> and Stayman's regular partner [[George Rapée]] in 1944.<ref name="Truscott">[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E3DA1039F930A35757C0A965948260 "The Roots of Stayman"], [[Alan Truscott]], ''[[The New York Times]]'', April 3, 1983.</ref>

==Rationale==
A {{gcb|game|game contract}} bid and made in a major suit (i.e. 4{{hearts}} or 4 {{spades}}) [[Bridge scoring|scores]] better than a game contract bid and made in a minor suit (i.e. 5{{clubs}} or 5 {{diamonds}}) or in notrump (i.e. 3NT). Also, the success rate for a game contract in a major suit when a partnership has a combined holding of 26 points<ref>Based on standard [[hand evaluation]] methods</ref> and eight cards in the major is about 80%, whereas a game contract in 3NT with 26 {{gcb|high card points}} (HCP) has a success rate of only 60%, or 50% with 25 HCP; the success rate for a minor suit game contract when holding 26 points is about 30%.<ref>{{cite book |last1 = Klinger |first1 = Ron |last2 = Husband |first2 = Pat |last3 = Kambites |first3 = Andrew |title = Basic Bridge – The Guide to Good Acol Bidding and Play |publisher = Victor Gollancz in association with Peter Crawley |location = London |pages = 28–29 |series = Master Bridge Series |year = 1994 |isbn = 0-575-05690-8}}</ref>

Accordingly, partnership priority is to find an eight card or better major suit fit when jointly holding sufficient values for a game contract. 5-3 and 6-2 fits are easy to find in basic methods as responder can bid 3{{hearts}} or 3{{spades}} over 1NT, and opener will not normally have a 5 card major to bid 1NT. However, finding 4-4 fits presents a problem. The 2{{hearts}} and 2{{spades}} bids cannot be used for this as they are weak takeouts, a sign-off bid.

==Standard Stayman==
After an opening bid or an overcall of 1NT (2NT), {{gcb|responder}} or {{gcb|advancer}} bids an artificial 2{{Clubs}} (3{{Clubs}}) to ask opener or overcaller if he holds a four- or five-card major suit; some partnership agreements may require the major to be headed by an honor of at least a specified rank, such as the queen. The artificial club bid typically promises four cards in at least one of the major suits (promissory Stayman) and, ''in standard form'', enough strength to continue bidding after partner's response (8 HCP for an invitational bid opposite a standard strong 1NT opening or overcall showing 15-17 HCP, 11 HCP opposite a weak notrump of 12-14 HCP, or 5 HCP to go to game opposite a standard 2NT showing 20-21 points). It also promises distribution that is not 4333. By invoking the Stayman convention, the responder takes control of the bidding since strength and distribution of the opener's hand is already known within a limited range. The opener responds with the following rebids.
* 2{{Diams}} (3{{Diams}}) denies four or more cards in either major suit.
* 2{{Hearts}} (3{{Hearts}}) shows at least four hearts (also meeting the criteria for an honor holding as may be set by partnership agreement).
* 2{{Spades}} (3{{Spades}}) shows at least four spades (also meeting the criteria for an honor holding as may be set by partnership agreement).
A notrump opener should have neither a suit longer than five cards nor more than one 5-card suit since an opening notrump bid shows a balanced hand. A notrump bidder who has at least four cards in each major suit normally responds in hearts, as this can still allow a spade fit to be found. Variant methods are to bid the longer or stronger major, with a preference given to spades, or to use 2NT to show both majors.

In the standard form of Stayman over 1NT, the responder has a number of options depending on his partner's answer:
* If the notrump opener names a major suit and the responder has four cards in that suit, the responder bids three of the notrump bidder's suit (invitational) with 8-9 HCP or four of the notrump bidder's major suit (game) with 10 or more HCP.
* If the notrump bidder bids a major suit in which the responder does not have at least four cards, the responder may bid 2NT (invitational) with 8-9 HCP or 3NT (game) with 10 or more HCP. However, if responder has 5 cards in the unnamed major, he may bid it at a convenient level in an attempt to find a 5-3 fit.
* If the notrump bidder bids 2{{Diams}}, the opener denies a four-card major. With 4-5 distribution in the majors, the responder may bid this five-card suit with a call of 2 with 8-9 HCP, or with a call of 3 with 10 HCP. This allows notrump bidder to find game in a major with a 5-3 split. Without a 4-5 distribution in the majors, responder bids the appropriate notrump contract.
Over these bids, the notrump bidder (1) with a maximum hand (17 HCP), goes to game over an invitational bid and (2) with four (or more) cards in each major suit, corrects to the previously unbid major suit.

In the standard form of Stayman over 2NT, the responder has only two normal rebids.
* If the notrump bidder names a major suit and the responder has four cards in that suit, the responder bids four of the notrump bidder's suit (game).
* If the notrump bidder names a major suit in which the responder does not have at least four cards or bids diamonds to deny a major suit, the responder bids 3NT (game). If the notrump bidder has four cards in each major suit, the notrump bidder corrects to the previously unbid major suit.

In either case, a responder who rebids notrump over a response in a major suit promises four cards of the other major suit. Thus, a notrump opener who holds at least four cards in each major suit should "correct" by bidding the other major suit at the lowest level.

Of course, once a fit is found, responder who has sufficient strength also may bid 4{{Clubs}} ([[Gerber convention|Gerber]]) or 4NT ([[Blackwood convention|Blackwood]]), or cue bid aces, depending upon partnership agreement, to explore slam in any of the above sequences. Some partnerships also admit responder's rebids of a major suit that the notrump bidder did not name.

A bid of 4{{Clubs}} over an opening bid of 3NT may be either Stayman or Gerber, depending upon the partnership agreement.

If an adverse suit bid is inserted immediately after a 1NT opening, Stayman may be employed via a double (by partnership agreement) or a cue bid, depending on the strength of his hand. The cue bid, which is conventional, is completely artificial and means nothing other than invoking Stayman. For example, if South opens 1NT, and West overcalls 2{{diamonds}}, North, if he has adequate values, may call 3{{diamonds}}, invoking Stayman. South would then show his major or bid game in notrump. Alternatively, North, if his hand lacks the values for game in notrump, may double, which by partnership agreement employs Stayman. This keeps the Stayman bidding at second level.

Partnerships who have not yet learned Stayman but choose to adopt Stayman (without having yet learned or having chosen not to use Jacoby Transfers) will need to adjust their use of normal two-level responses after a 1NT opening, because the availability of this convention changes the nature of what had been normal 1NT responses. When the notrump bidder's partner does not invoke Stayman but instead calls 2{{hearts}} or 2{{spades}}, it is a sign of relative weakness (since if responder held 8 HCP or more, he would have invoked Stayman). These bids are commonly referred to as "drop dead bids", as the opening notrump bidder is requested to withdraw from the auction. If opener has maximum values, a fit, and strong support, he may raise to the 3-level, but under no circumstances may he take any other action. This provides the partnership with an advantage that the non-Stayman partnership doesn't enjoy. For example, a responder may have no honors at all; that is, a total of zero HCP. His partner is likely to be set if he passes. A non-Stayman responder would have to pass, because to bid would provoke a rebid. But a Stayman responder can respond to his partner's 1NT opening at level 2 if he has a 6-card non-club suit. The responder with 3 HCP and a singleton can make a similar call with a 5-card non-club suit. This gives the partnership a better than even chance of success in making the contract, whereas without a response (and without Stayman), the contract would likely be set.

Similarly, a response of 2{{diamonds}} indicates less than 8 HCP and should usually be passed. In rare cases, when the opener has maximum values and a fit in diamonds with at least two of the top three honors, he may raise diamonds, and responder may see a chance for game in notrump.

There are many variations on this basic theme, and partnership agreement may alter the details of its use. It is one of the most widely used conventions in bridge.

===Non-promissory Stayman and 2{{Spades}} checkback by responder===

Some partnerships play that 2{{Clubs}} Stayman does not absolutely promise a four-card major (non promissory Stayman). For example, if responder has a short suit and wishes to know if opener has four-card cover in it, so as to play in no-trumps. If opener shows hearts initially, 2{{Spades}} can be used to find a fit in spades when the 2{{Clubs}} does not promise a four-card major.

1NT - 2{{Clubs}}, 2{{Hearts}} -
*2{{Spades}} = four spades, not four hearts, invitational
*2NT = no four spades, invitational
*3NT = four spades and game values
Alternatively 2{{Spades}} can be used for all hands with four spades and not four hearts, either invitational or game values, while 3NT denies four spades.

==Using Jacoby transfers with Stayman==
Today, most players use Stayman in conjunction with [[Jacoby transfers]]. With Stayman in effect, the responder practically denies having a five-card major, as otherwise he would transfer to the major immediately. The only exception is when responder has 5-4 in the majors; in that case, he could use Stayman, and in the case of a 2{{diamonds}} response, bid the five-card major at the two level (weakness take-out / Garbage Stayman) or at the three level (forcing to game). However, the latter hand can also be bid by first using a transfer and then showing the second suit naturally. The [[Stayman convention#Smolen convention|Smolen convention]] provides an alternative method to show a five-card major and game-going values. A minor drawback of Jacoby transfers is that a 2{{diamonds}} contract is not possible.

==Smolen convention==
The Smolen convention<ref>[http://web2.acbl.org/documentLibrary/play/Commonly_Used_Conventions/smolen.pdf "The Bidding Toolkit: Smolen"]. ACBL (acbl.org). Originally published in ''[[Bridge Bulletin]]'', date unknown, p. 44.</ref> is an adjunct to Stayman for situations in which the notrump opener has denied holding a four-card major and responder has a five-card major and a four-card major with game-going values.

If the notrump opener responds to the Stayman 2{{Clubs}} asking bid with 2{{Diams}}, denying a four-card major, responder initiates the Smolen Transfer with a jump shift to three of his four-card major. The jump shift shows which is the four-card major and promises five in the other major. The notrump opener then bids four of the other major with three cards in the suit or 3NT with fewer than three.

Smolen may also be used when responder has a six-card major and a four-card major with game-going values; after the 2{{diams}} negative response by opener, responder double jump shifts to four in the suit just below his six-card major and the notrump opener transfers to four of his partner's six-card major.

This convention allows a partnership to find either a 5-3 fit, 6-3 and 6-2 fit while ensuring that the notrump opener, who has the stronger hand, will be declarer.

==Garbage Stayman and crawling Stayman==
"Garbage" Stayman (or "Weak Stayman" or "Rescue Stayman") and "Crawling" Stayman are adaptations of Stayman frequently used for damage control when holding a weak hand opposite a 1NT opening bid. For example, on the following hand.
:{{BridgeHandInline|5432|5432|65432|–}}

Partner opens 1NT (15-17), and right hand opponent passes. Opponents have 23-25 HCP. Thus, 1NT is virtually certain to go down by at least three or four tricks. Indeed, in No-trumps, this dummy will be completely worthless.

In "Garbage Stayman", you bid 2{{Clubs}} Stayman with this "garbage" hand<ref>[[Marty Bergen (bridge)|Marty Bergen]], ''Points, Schmoints!'', Magnus Books (Stamford, CT), 1995, {{ISBN|0-9637533-2-0}}, pp. 13–14.</ref> rather than passing on the first round, and then ''pass opener's response''. If opener rebids a major suit you have found a 4-4 fit and ability to trump club losers. Likewise, a response of 2{{Diams}} guarantees no worse than a 5-2 fit in diamonds and, with a fifth trump, a potential additional ruff. Declarer can also reach dummy with ruffs and may then be able to take finesses or execute a squeeze that otherwise would not be possible. The result is a contract that will go down fewer tricks or may even make, rather than a contract that is virtually certain to go down at least three or four tricks. However the hand must be able to tolerate any rebid from opener.

"Crawling Stayman" is an optional extension of "Garbage Stayman" for situations in which the responder's diamond suit is short. In "Crawling Stayman", the responder rebids 2{{Hearts}} over the Notrump bidder's 2{{Diams}} reply. This conventional bid shows a weak hand with at least four cards in each major suit, asking the Notrump bidder to choose between the major suits at the cheapest level by either passing the 2{{Hearts}} bid or correcting to 2{{Spades}}. The name "Crawling Stayman" comes from the fact that the bidding "crawls" at the slowest possible pace: (pass) – 1NT – (pass) – 2{{Clubs}}; (pass) – 2{{Diams}} – (pass) – 2{{Hearts}}; (pass) – 2{{Spades}}; (pass) – pass – (pass).

Alternatively, responder's 2{{Hearts}} and 2{{Spades}} bids after the 2{{Diams}} rebid can be weak sign-offs. This allows responder to effectively bid hands which are 5-4 in the majors, by looking first for a 4-4 fit and, if none is found, signing off in his 5 card suit.

"Garbage Stayman" is even more useful opposite a weak NT opening (12-14) as it occurs more frequently and can mitigate very expensive penalties if responder is weak. It is in frequent use in [[Acol]].

"Garbage Stayman" and "Crawling Stayman" bids over a 2NT bid work the same way, but occur at the "three" level.

Disadvantage is that it tells the opponents the opener’s distribution.

Don’t apply 2NT as showing both majors. Instead use 2{{Hearts}}.

==Forcing and non-forcing Stayman==
If Jacoby transfers are not played, there are two approaches to resolve the situation when responder has a 5-card major but only invitational values. In one, more common, referred to as ''non-forcing Stayman'', in the sequence:
:1NT – 2{{Clubs}}; 2{{Diams}} – 2{{Spades}}
responder's simple rebid of a major suit is invitational, showing 8-9 points and a 5-card spade suit. In the ''forcing Stayman'' variant, the bid is one-round forcing.

In the original [[Precision Club]] system, forcing and non-forcing Stayman are differentiated in the start: 2{{Clubs}} by responder shows only invitational values (and the continuation is the same as in basic Stayman), while 2{{Diams}} is forcing to game (responder bids 2NT without majors).

==Non promissory game forcing Stayman==

This allows responder to find exact shape of 1NT opener. Developed for use with weak 1 NT opening. Relay bids over opener's rebids of 2{{Diams}}, 2{{Hearts}}, 2{{Spades}}, 2NT, 3{{Clubs}} allow shape to be defined further if attempting to find 5-3 major fits. Advantages are responder's shape, which may be any distribution, is undisclosed, and responder is able to locate suit shortage holdings not suitable for no trumps.

1NT – 2{{♣}}
* 2{{Diams}} 5,3,3,2 shape with 5 diamonds
* 2{{Hearts}} 4,4,3,2 shape with 4 hearts
* 2{{Spades}} 4,4,3,2 shape with 4 spades (denies 4 hearts)
* 2NT 4,4,3,2 shape with both 4 card minors
* 3{{♣}} 5,3,3,2 shape with 5 clubs
* 3{{Diams}} 4,3,3,3 shape with 4 diamonds
* 3{{Hearts}} 4,3,3,3 shape with 4 hearts
* 3{{Spades}} 4,3,3,3 shape with 4 spades
* 3NT 4,3,3,3 shape with 4 clubs

Developed to be used in combination with following other responses to 1NT: 2{{Diams}}, 2{{Hearts}} Jacoby transfers to majors; 2{{Spades}} range finder/transfer to minors (opener's rebids: 2NT 12-13 HCP, 3{{Clubs}} 14 HCP. Responder passes or corrects to 3{{Clubs}} or 3{{Diams}} sign off if weak. After opener's 3{{Clubs}} rebid responder bids 3{{Hearts}} to show 4 hearts or 3{{Spades}} to show 4 spades both game forcing. Responder's rebid of 3NT denies 4 card major); 2NT invitational hand with both 4 card majors (opener's rebids: no bid no 4 card major 12-13 HCP, 3{{Clubs}} 4 hearts 12-13 HCP, 3{{Diams}} 4 spades 12-13 HCP, 3{{Hearts}} 4 hearts 14 HCP, 3{{Spades}} 4 spades 14 HCP, 3NT 14 HCP no 4 card major).

Disadvantage is that it tells the opponents the opener’s distribution.

==Four card major non promissory relay Stayman==

This allows responder to find exact shape of 1NT opener that may only contain a four-card major. Developed for use with weak 1 NT opening. Relay bids over opener's rebids of 2{{Diams}}, 2{{Hearts}}, 2{{Spades}} allow shape to be defined further if attempting to find 5-3 major fits. Advantages are responder's shape, which may be any distribution, is undisclosed, and responder is able to locate suit shortage holdings not suitable for notrumps. May be also used as a damage control bid, and for both invitational, and game forcing hands.

1NT – 2{{♣}}
* 2{{Diams}} All 5,3,3,2, 4,4,3,2, and 4,3,3,3 shapes without a four-card major.
** 2{{Hearts}} game force relay (opener's rebid 2{{Spades}} 4,4,3,2 shape, 2NT 5,3,3,2 shape with five diamonds, 3{{Clubs}} 5,3,3,2 shape with five clubs, 3{{Diams}} 4,3,3,3 shape with four diamonds 3{{Hearts}} 4,3,3,3 shape with four clubs). Further relays used over 2{{Spades}}, 2NT and 3{{Clubs}} if attempting to find 5-3 major fits.
** 2{{Spades}} weak sign off bid with five or more spades, four hearts.
** 2NT invitational
* 2{{Hearts}} 4,4,3,2 or 4,3,3,3 shape with four hearts
** 2{{Spades}} game force relay (opener's rebid 2NT 4,3,3,3 shape, 3{{Clubs}} 4,4,3,2 shape with four clubs, 3{{Diams}} 4,4,3,2 shape with four diamonds 3{{Spades}} 4,4,3,2 shape with four spades). Further relays used over 3{{Clubs}} and 3{{Diams}} to find 5-3 major fits.
** 2NT invitational.
** 3{{Diams}} weak sign off.
** raise to 3{{Hearts}} invitational.
* 2{{Spades}} 4,4,3,2 or 4,3,3,3 shape with four spades (denies four hearts).
** 2NT invitational.
** 3{{Clubs}} game force relay (opener's rebid 3{{Diams}} 4,4,3,2 shape with four diamonds, 3{{Hearts}} 4,4,3,2 shape with four clubs, 3{{Spades}} 4,3,3,3 shape). Further relays used over 3{{Diams}} and 3{{Hearts}} to find 5-3 major fits.
** raise to 3{{Spades}} invitational.
** 3{{Diams}} weak sign off

1NT – 3{{♣}} weak sign off.

Opener's rebids of 2{{Diams}}, 2{{Hearts}}, 2{{Spades}} may all be passed if responder is weak.

Developed to be used in combination with following other responses to 1NT: 2{{Diams}}, 2{{Hearts}} Jacoby transfers to majors; 2{{Spades}} five spades four hearts 10-11 HCP; 2NT invitational hand with 5,5 minors 10-11 HCP.

==Five card major non promissory relay Stayman==

This allows responder to find exact shape of 1NT opener that may contain a 5 card major. Developed for use with weak 1NT opening. Relay bids over opener's rebids of 2D, 2H, 2S allow shape to be defined further if attempting to find 5-3 major fits. Advantages are responder's shape, which may be any distribution, is undisclosed, and responder is able to locate suit shortage holdings not suitable for no trumps. May be also used as a damage control bid, and for both invitational, and game forcing hands.

1NT – 2C
* 2D All 5,3,3,2, 4,4,3,2, and 4,3,3,3 shapes without 4 or 5 card major.
** 2H game force relay (opener's rebid: 2S 4,4,3,2 or 4,3,3,3 shape, 2NT 5,3,3,2 shape with 5 diamonds, 3C 5,3,3,2 shape with 5 clubs). Further relays used over 2S, 2NT and 3C if attempting to find 5-3 major fits. After 2NT relay over 2S rebid: 3C 4C,3,3,3 shape, 3D 4D,3,3,3 shape, 3H 4,4,3H,2 shape, 3S 4,4,3S,2 shape.
** 2S weak sign off bid 5+ spades, 4 hearts.
** 2NT invitational (opener's rebid maximum: 3C 5C,3,3,2 shape, 3D 5D,3,3,2 shape, 3H 4,4,3H,2 shape, 3S 4,4,3S,2 shape, 3NT 4,3,3,3 shape)
* 2H 4,4,3,2 or 4,3,3,3, or 5,3,3,2 shape with 4 or 5 hearts
** 2S game force relay (opener's rebid: 2NT 4H,3,3,3 shape, 3C 4H,4C,3,2 shape, 3D 4H,4D,3,2 shape, 3H 5H332 shape, 3S 4H,4S,3,2 shape min HCP, 3NT 4H,4S,3,2 shape max HCP). Further relays used over 3C , 3D, and 3H to find 5-3 major fits.
** 2NT invitational (opener's rebid maximum: 3C 4H,4C,3,2 shape, 3D 4H,4D,3,2 shape, 3H 5H,3,3,2 shape, 3S 4H,4S,3,2 shape, 3NT 4H,3,3,3 shape)
** raise to 3H invitational.
* 2S 4,4,3,2 or 4,3,3,3 or 5,3,3,2 shape with 4 or 5 spades (denies 4 hearts).
** 2NT invitational (opener's rebid maximum: 3C 4S,4C,3,2 shape, 3D 4S,4D,3,2 shape, 3H 5S,3H,3,3 shape, 3S 5S,2H,3,2 shape, 3NT 4S,3,3,3 shape)
** 3C game force relay (opener's rebid 3D 4S,4D,3,2, shape, 3H 4S,4C,3,2 shape, 3S 5S,3,3,2 shape, 3NT 4S,3,3,3 shape). Further relays used over 3D and 3H to find 5-3 major fits. Over 3S 3NT used as pass if opener has 2 hearts, or correct and show 3 card minor if opener has 3 spades.
** raise to 3S invitational.

Opener's rebids of 2D, 2H, 2S may all be passed if responder is weak.

Developed to be used in combination with following other responses to 1NT: 2D, 2H Jacoby transfers to majors; 2S range finder/transfer C; 2NT invitational hand with 5,5 minors 10-11 HCP.

==Five-card major Stayman==
This allows responder to check for 5-3 major fits where it is possible that opener's 1NT or 2NT might include a five-card major. As described by Australian Ron Klinger, it can be played with a weak or strong 1NT.

1NT - 2{{Clubs}}
*2{{Diams}} = minimum, no 5M
*2M = minimum, 5M
*2NT = Maximum, no 5M
*3M = Maximum, 5M

1NT - 2{{Clubs}}; 2{{Diams}}/2NT
*3{{Clubs}} = Stayman
*3{{Diams}} = --> {{Hearts}}
*3{{Hearts}} = --> {{Spades}}
*3{{Spades}} = ?
*3NT = to play

After a transfer, accept it with any 4333, bid 3NT with only two trumps, otherwise bid 4M.

1NT - 2{{Clubs}}; 2{{Diams}}/2NT - 3{{Clubs}} = Stayman
*3{{Diams}} = 4M333
*3{{Hearts}} = 4{{Hearts}}, not 4333
*3{{Spades}} = 4{{Spades}}, not 4333, not 4{{Hearts}}
*3NT = no 4M

1NT - 2{{Clubs}}; 2{{Diams}}/2NT - 3{{Clubs}}, 3{{Diams}}
*3{{Hearts}} = 4{{Spades}}, not 4{{Hearts}}
*3{{Spades}} = 4{{Hearts}}, not 4{{Spades}}
*3NT = to play
*4{{Diams}} = bid your 4 card Major

An alternative, simpler version of five-card Stayman is:

1NT - 2{{Clubs}}
*2{{Diams}} = No 5CM
*2M = 5CM

This structure permits use by weak hands with 5+ diamonds and 2+ cards in each major.

After 1NT - 2{{Clubs}}; 2{{Diams}}
*2M = 4M invitational
*2NT = invitational, no major
*3M = 4M game-forcing

If responder has a five-card major, he begins with a [[Jacoby transfer|transfer]]. After completion of the transfer, bidding the other major at the three level shows four cards in it and a game forcing hand, in line with the 1NT - 2{{Clubs}}, 2{{Diams}} structure above (1NT - 2{{Diams}}, 2{{Hearts}} - 2{{Spades}} = invitational 5{{Hearts}}-4{{Spades}}).

Similarly after 2NT - 3{{Clubs}}; 3{{Diams}}
*3M = 4M
*3NT = no major

A drawback of Five-Card Major Stayman (particularly the simpler version) is that the weaker hand may become declarer in a 4-4 major fit.

==Puppet Stayman==
Puppet Stayman is similar to Five-Card Stayman. It is more complex but has the major advantage that the strong hand virtually always becomes declarer.

Initially developed by Neil Silverman and refined by [[Kit Woolsey]] and [[Steve Robinson (bridge player)|Steve Robinson]] in 1977-78,<ref name="Puppet1977">{{cite journal | author = Kit Woolsey | author-link = Kit Woolsey | editor = Jeff Ruben | editor-link = Jeff Rubens |date= April 1977 | title = Puppet Stayman | journal = The Bridge World | volume = 48 | issue = 7 | pages = 26–28 | location = New York, NY | publisher = Bridge World Magazine Inc}}</ref><ref name="Puppet1978">{{cite journal | author = Kit Woolsey |date= April 1978 | title = Puppet Stayman Revisited | journal = The Bridge World | volume = 49 | issue = 7 | pages = 22–23 }}</ref> is a variation of the Stayman convention designed to find a 5-3 fit in a major, augmenting the search for a 4-4 major fit by standard Stayman. In 1977, Woolsey wrote<ref name=Puppet1977/> that Puppet Stayman has several advantages over standard Stayman:
* Opener is usually better placed than responder to choose the proper denomination given distributional information about his partner's hand
* Opener becomes declarer in most cases without revealing his distribution, it being deemed less injurious to reveal responder's distribution, usually the weaker of the two hands
* The side can stop in two diamonds
* Since opener can show a five-card major immediately in response to the 2C bid, it is less dangerous to open 1NT with a five-card major
* It is possible to stop at two spades with a 4-4 fit, e.g. 1NT - 2{{clubs}}, 2{{diamonds}} - 2{{hearts}}, 2{{spades}} - All Pass
* Opener may be able to perceive a weakness for a notrump contract and so save to three of a minor or a good 4-3 major-suit game instead
* It is possible that a 3NT contract may be preferred over a 4-4 major fit in certain auctions

===Responder's rebids===
As in standard Stayman, Puppet Stayman begins with a 2{{clubs}} response to a 1NT opening and is at least game invitational; this asks opener to bid a 5-card major if he has one and otherwise to bid 2{{diamonds}}. Over a 2{{diamonds}} response, rebids by responder are intended to disclose his distributional features in the majors as well as his strength. The original 1977<ref name=Puppet1977/> and 1978 revised<ref name=Puppet1978/> rebids described by Woolsey are tabulated below:
{| class="wikitable"
!Responder's Rebid||Original 1977||Revised 1978
|-
|align="center"|Pass||to play, having length in diamonds and a weak hand||to play, having length in diamonds and a weak hand
|-
|align="center"|2{{hearts}}||four spades and fewer than four hearts||either a standard raise to 2NT, or four spades and fewer than four hearts
|-
|align="center"|2{{spades}}||four hearts and fewer than four spades||four hearts and fewer than four spades
|-
|align="center"|2NT||four hearts and four spades and invites game||a transfer or takeout to a minor
|-
|align="center"|3{{clubs}}||||minor suited hands
|-
|align="center"|3{{diamonds}}||||five spades and four hearts, game invitational
|-
|align="center"|3{{hearts}}||||four hearts and four or five spades
|-
|align="center"|3{{spades}}||||four spades and five hearts and forces game
|-
|align="center"|3NT||four hearts and four spades and forces game||no four card major, game strength
|-
|align="center"|4{{clubs}}||||six hearts, four spades, opener chooses
|-
|align="center"|4{{diamonds}}||||six spades, four hearts, opener chooses
|-
|align="center"|4{{hearts}}||||transfer to four spades, no slam
|}

Opener and responder continue the bidding having a clearer understanding of each other's distributional features and are better positioned to select the ultimate {{gcb|denomination}} and level of the contract.

===Modern applications===
Many variations to the Puppet Stayman bidding structure have been devised since Woolsey's 1978 summary; partnership review and agreement on the preferred modern treatment is required.

Some no longer advocate use of Puppet Stayman over a 1NT opening preferring to use the concept exclusively over a 2NT opening and reserving other Stayman variations and conventions such [[Jacoby Transfers]] and [[Stayman convention#Smolen convention|Smolen Transfers]] in search of major-suit fits after a 1NT opening.

===Responses to a 2NT opening or rebid===
Puppet Stayman is more commonly used after a 2NT opening than after a 1NT opening. Responses to a 2NT opening or very strong 2NT rebid (20-22 or 23-24):
* 3{{Clubs}} = Puppet Stayman
* 3{{Diams}} = --> hearts
* 3{{Hearts}} = --> spades
* 3{{Spades}} = --> 5 spades and 4 hearts
* 3NT = no 3+ major, to play

Responder bids 3{{Clubs}} seeking information about opener's major suit holding. Opener replies:
* 3NT denying a 4 or 5-card major
* 3{{Hearts}} showing a 5-card heart suit
* 3{{Spades}} showing a 5-card spade suit
* 3{{Diams}} holding a 4-card major and denying a 5-card major; following this responder bids:
** 3{{Hearts}} showing a 4-card spade suit and denying a 4-card heart suit
** 3{{Spades}} showing a 4-card heart suit and denying a 4-card spade suit
** 3NT denying a 4-card major, to play
** 4{{Clubs}} showing 4 spades and 4 hearts, slam try
*** 4{{Diams}} [[Blackwood convention|RKCB]] in hearts
*** 4{{Hearts}} to play
*** 4{{Spades}} to play
*** 4NT RKCB in spades
** 4{{Diams}} showing 4 spades and 4 hearts, you choose
** 4NT denying a 4-card major, invitational to 6NT

By this means all 5-3 and 4-4 major suit fits can be found.

An alternative pattern frees up the 2NT-3{{Spades}} sequence as a slam try in the minors. To allow 3-5 spade fits to be found when responder holds 5 spades and 4 hearts, some of the responses change:
* After 2NT-3{{Clubs}}, opener's 3{{Diams}} denies a 5-card major but promises 4 hearts or 3 or 4 spades. Following this, responder bids:
** 3{{Hearts}} showing a 4-card spade suit, possibly including a 4-card heart suit, or 5 spades and 4 hearts. Opener's rebids:
*** 3{{Spades}} = showing 3 spades and denying 4 hearts, responder now bids 4{{Spades}} with 5 spades and 4 hearts, or 3NT otherwise
*** 3NT = showing 4 hearts and denying 4 spades, responder now leaves in NT or converts to 4{{Hearts}} with a 4-card heart suit
*** 4{{Spades}} = showing 4 spades.
** 3{{Spades}} showing a 4-card heart suit and denying a 4-card spade suit, responder converts to 3NT or 4{{Hearts}} as appropriate
** 3NT denying a 4-card major, to play.

==Checkback Stayman==
2{{Clubs}} '''Checkback Stayman''' (or simply Checkback) is used after a 1NT rebid by opener rather than a 1NT opening. It is used to "check back" if opener has major suit support, saying nothing additional about the club suit. It can find 3-5 fits, 4-4 fits (in [[Standard American]]) and 5-3 fits (in [[Acol]]), and also shows whether opener was maximum or minimum strength for his notrump bid. In [[five-card majors|five-card major]] systems, bidding Checkback implies that the responder has five cards in his major, and may have four in the other.

1m – 1M; 1NT – 2{{Clubs}}

The 2{{Clubs}} is ''Checkback Stayman''. Responses by opener shows the following:
:2{{Diams}}: No three-card support for partner's major, no four-card holding in the other major and a minimum hand.
:2{{Hearts}}/{{Spades}}: Bidding responder's major shows three-card support and a minimum hand; bidding the other major shows four cards and a minimum hand.
:2NT: No three-card support for partner's major, no four-card holding in the other major and a maximum hand.
:3{{Hearts}}/{{Spades}}: Bidding responder's major shows three-card support and a maximum hand; bidding the other major shows four cards and a maximum hand.

Partnership agreement is required on how to handle the case of holding four of the other major and three of partner's suit. One could agree to bid up the line, or support partner's suit first. If partner cannot support your first suit, he will invite with 2NT or bid game with 3NT and you will then correct to your other suit.

In Acol, if the opening bid was a major, opener can rebid his major after a Checkback inquiry to show that it has five cards rather than four and find 5-3 fits. Moreover, 1M – 2m; 2NT – 3{{Clubs}} can also be used as Checkback Stayman. It is useful also to include an indication of range, particularly if opener's 2NT rebid is forcing to game and shows a wide points range (15-19). This is achieved by using 3{{Diams}} for minimum hands and 3{{Hearts}}/3{{Spades}}/3NT for maximum hands, or vice versa. After 3{{Diams}}, responder can still bid 3{{Hearts}}/3{{Spades}} to look for a 5-3 fit.

[[New minor forcing|New Minor Forcing]] is an alternative to Checkback Stayman where either 2{{Clubs}} or 2{{Diams}} can be used as the checkback bid. It can be used by responder with invitational values or better to find three-card support for his major or to find a 4-4 heart fit if holding five spades and four hearts; it also allows a return to the minor to play.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last = Stayman |first = Samuel |title = Do You Play Stayman? |publisher = Odyssey Press |location = New York |year = 1965 |lccn=65019848 |oclc=3343914 }}

==External links==
* [http://www.bridgeguys.com/Conventions/stayman_convention.html Stayman Convention] at Bridge Guys (bridgeguys.com)
* [http://www.bridgeguys.com/Conventions/stayman_conventions_and_stayman_variations.html Stayman Convention and Several Variations] at Bridge Guys
*[https://improvebridge.com/stayman-convention Stayman Convention and Example Hands] at Improve Bridge

{{WPCBIndex}}

[[Category:Bridge conventions]]

Stripped deck

2025-10-10T02:11:45Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Other games */piped

{{Short description|Playing cards}}{{About|a deck of cards from which some cards have been removed|trick decks with tapered cards|Trick deck#Stripper deck}}
A '''stripped deck''' or '''short deck''' (US), '''short pack''' or '''shortened pack''' (UK), is a set of [[playing card]]s reduced in size from a full pack or deck by the removal of a certain card or cards.{{sfn|Arnold|2011|p=294}} The removed cards are usually [[Pip (counting)|pip]] cards, but can also be [[court card]]s or [[Tarot playing cards|Tarot cards]]. Many [[card game]]s use stripped decks, and stripped decks for popular games are commercially available.

==History==
When playing cards first arrived in Europe during the 1370s, they had the same format as the modern [[standard 52-card deck]], consisting of four [[Suit (cards)|suits]] each with ten pip cards and three [[face card]]s. During the late 14th and 15th centuries, the [[Spanish playing cards|Spanish and Portuguese decks]] dropped the 10s while the [[German playing cards|German]] and [[Swiss playing cards|Swiss]] packs removed the [[Ace]]s to create 48-card decks. It is far easier to print 48 cards using two woodblocks than 52 cards. While the removal of the above cards was motivated by manufacturing considerations, later expulsions are the result of trying to speed up card games to make them more exciting. [[Trappola]] is the first known card game to be played with a deck that was stripped for game play. It removed all the cards from 3 to 6, inclusive, to create a 36-card deck.<ref name=Dummett>{{cite book|last1=Dummett|first1=Michael|title=The Game of Tarot|date=1980|publisher=Duckworth|isbn=978-0715610145}}</ref>

The most popular card game in 16th-century Europe was [[Piquet]], played with a 36-card deck that dropped ranks from 5 to 2. Around 1700, it dropped the 6s as well to create the 32-card deck, which is now the most popular format in France. 32 and 36-card decks are the most widespread in countries that were once part of the [[Holy Roman Empire|Holy Roman]] (the [[Low Countries]], Germany, and Switzerland), [[Austria-Hungary|Austro-Hungarian]], and [[Russian Empire|Russian]] empires.<ref name=Dummett /> 24 card decks to play [[Schnapsen]] are widely available in central Europe, although it may be shortened to 20 in the future, as that is how the modern variant is now commonly played.

The Spanish, Portuguese, Italians, and Latin Americans use mostly 40-card decks. Unlike the countries above, they drop the higher-ranking numerals so that the 7 is located immediately under the face cards. This was due to the popularity of [[Ombre]], the game that introduced the concept of bidding.

The British and the Scandinavians are the most resistant to shortened packs, having maintained the 52-card format since receiving them in the 15th century. The British have also propagated that pack size through [[whist]], the most popular card game of the 19th century. In the 20th century, this has been followed by [[contract bridge]], [[gin rummy]], [[canasta]], and [[poker]] which all require that deck size. The British prefer games involving four players as opposed to the continental three-player games which use smaller packs.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Parlett|first1=David|title=The Oxford Guide to Card Games|date=1990|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordguidetocar00parl/page/26 26, 29–31]|isbn=978-0192141651|url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordguidetocar00parl/page/26}}</ref>

Asian countries also created stripped decks using their traditional playing cards. In contrast to the Western practice of removing ''ranks'', Asians remove ''suits''. During the [[Qing dynasty]], the Chinese [[Chinese playing cards|money-suited cards]] dropped one suit as [[rummy]]-type games became more popular.<ref>Lo, Andrew (2004), "China's Passion for Pai: Playing Cards, Dominoes, and Mahjong". In: Mackenzie, C. and Finkel, I., (eds.), Asian Games: The Art of Contest. New York: Asia Society, pp. 216-231.</ref> In India, the gambling game of Naqsha overtook the [[Ganjifa]] [[trick-taking game]] and many decks were made with only half of the traditional suits.

The opposite of a stripped deck is an expanded deck. Many commercial attempts have tried and failed to increase the standard deck above 52 cards.<ref>McLeod, John. [http://www.pagat.com/class/french.html Games played with French suits] at [[pagat.com]]. Retrieved 18 October 2015.</ref> The most successful addition to the standard deck is the [[Joker (playing card)|Joker]] which first appeared during the [[American Civil War]] as a [[Euchre]] trump card.<ref>{{Cite web|title = The Joker|url = http://www.wopc.co.uk/jokers/index|website = The World of Playing Cards|access-date = 2016-02-19|language = en-GB}}</ref> The [[Joker (playing card)|Joker]] has since been adopted as a [[wild card (card games)|wild card]] in a few other standard playing card games with different values and quantities depending on which game is being played.<ref>{{Cite web|title = playing card|url = http://www.britannica.com/topic/playing-card#ref119120|website = Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date = 2016-02-19}}</ref> [[500 (card game)|500]] is a Euchre offshoot invented by the [[United States Playing Card Company]] (USPCC) during the early 20th century. To play the six-handed version, USPCC created a deck with ranks 11, 12, and 13. 500 decks are now produced by other manufacturers and are sold primarily in English-speaking countries where the game is played.<ref>McLeod, John. [http://www.pagat.com/euchre/500.html 500] at [[pagat.com]]. Retrieved 18 October 2015.</ref> A much older expanded deck is [[tarot]], invented in 15th-century Italy, with an extra suit of [[trump (card games)|trump]]s and an extra rank. [[Tarot card games]] were the most popular card games of the 18th century but have since declined. They are still played in various continental European countries with France having the largest community. Tarot decks are not immune to stripping either. The [[Tarocco Bolognese]], [[Tarocco Siciliano]], [[Industrie und Glück]], and [[Cego]] decks have excised some pip cards.<ref name="Dummett" />

==Piquet deck==
A [[French playing cards|French-suited deck]] of 32 cards, consisting of 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace in four suits each, is used in the two-player game [[Piquet]], which dates back to the 16th century.<ref name="teachyourself">{{Citation
|last=Parlett
|first=David
|title=Teach Yourself Card Games
|edition=revised
|year=2006
|isbn=978-0-07-148258-5
|url=https://archive.org/details/teachyourselfcar0000parl
}}{{Page needed|date=February 2011}}</ref><ref name=parlett>{{Citation
|last=Parlett
|first=David
|title=The Penguin Book of Card Games
|edition=updated
|year=2008
|isbn=978-0-14-103787-5
}}{{Page needed|date=February 2011}}</ref>
Games played with a piquet deck (or the equivalent German- or Swiss-suited decks) are still among the most popular in some parts of Europe. This includes [[belote]] and [[klaverjas]] (the national games of France and the Netherlands, respectively) and [[skat (card game)|skat]] (the German national game, which is also played with the equivalent German-suited decks in some regions).<ref name=parlett /> [[Bezique]] is played with two piquet decks.<ref name=parlett />

==In poker variants==
Stripped decks are used in certain [[poker]] [[List of poker variants|variants]]. The earliest form of poker was played with only 20 cards.<ref>Parlett, David. [https://www.parlettgames.uk/histocs/poker.html Poker] Retrieved 18 October 2015.</ref> The Australian game of [[Community card poker|Manila]] uses a piquet deck, and [[Stud poker|Mexican stud]] is played with the '''8'''s, '''9'''s, and '''10'''s removed from the deck (and a joker added). This may require adjusting hand values: in both of these games, a [[List of poker hands#Flush|flush]] ranks above a [[List of poker hands#Full house|full house]], because having fewer cards of each suit available makes flushes rarer.

A hand such as '''6-7-J-Q-K''' plays as a [[List of poker hands#Straight|straight]] in Mexican stud, skipping over the removed ranks. Some places may allow a hand such as '''10-9-8-7-A''' to play as a straight (by analogy to a [[Wheel (poker)|wheel]]) in the 32-card game, the '''A''' playing low and skipping over the removed ranks (although this is not the case in Manila). Finally, the relative frequency of straights versus [[List of poker hands#Three of a kind|three of a kind]] is also sensitive to the deck composition (and to the number of cards dealt), so some places may consider three of a kind to be superior to a straight, but the difference is small enough that this complication is not necessary for most games. Similarly, a [[List of poker hands#Full house|full house]] tends to occur more often than a [[List of poker hands#Flush|flush]] in a piquet deck, due to the increased frequency of each playing card rank, creating a change in poker combination ranking.

[[Five-card stud]] is also often played with a piquet deck. In lively home games it might work better to only strip three ranks ('''2'''s through '''4'''s) with seven or eight players; with only two or three players '''7'''s and '''8'''s could be stripped as well, leaving the same 24-card deck used in [[euchre]]. In any of these cases, a flush should rank above a full house (in a 24-card deck it is actually rarer than [[List of poker hands#Four of a kind|four of a kind]], but is rarely played that flushes are superior to four of a kind). Stripped deck five-card stud is a game particularly susceptible to cheating by [[Poker collusion|collusion]], because it is easy for partners to signal a single [[hole card]] and the relative value of knowing the location of a single card is higher than with a full deck.

== Other games ==
The game of [[euchre]] is also played with a 24-card stripped deck, consisting of only 9-10-J-Q-K-A of each suit, the 2-8 being stripped from the deck. The game of [[pinochle]] is played with 48 cards, consisting of a doubled euchre deck (that is, two copies of 9-A of each suit).

In some games, a small number of cards are stripped from the deck to make the deal exact. For example, it is customary to remove the {{Clubs|2}} when three people play [[Hearts (card game)|Hearts]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Rules for Black Maria|url=http://whiteknucklecards.com/games/blackmaria.html|website=White Knuckle Playing Cards|access-date=2 January 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of traditional card and tile packs]]
* [[Card game]]s
* [[Playing card]]s
* [[Tarot]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Works cited===
* {{cite book |last=Arnold |first=Peter |date=2011 |title=Chambers Card Games |edition=2nd |location=London |publisher=Chambers Harrap |isbn=978-0550-10179-2}}

{{Playing cards}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}

[[Category:Poker terminology]]
[[Category:Card game terminology]]

Blackwood convention

2025-10-10T02:09:13Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Key Card Blackwood (KCB) */placed suits in templates

{{Short description|Bidding convention in contract bridge}}
In the partnership [[card game]] [[contract bridge]], the '''Blackwood convention''' is a [[convention (bridge)|bidding convention]] developed by [[Easley Blackwood Sr.|Easley Blackwood]] in 1933<ref>Manley (2011), page 270</ref> and still widely used in the modern game. Its purpose is to enable the partnership to explore its possession of aces, kings and in some variants, the queen of [[Trump (card games)|trumps]] to judge whether a [[Glossary of contract bridge terms#slam|slam]] would be a feasible contract. The essence of the convention is the use of an artificial 4NT bid made under certain conditions to ask partner how many aces he has; responses by partner are made in step-wise fashion to indicate the number held.

==Blackwood's original summary==
After developing the concept in 1933, Easley Blackwood submitted an article proposing his slam-seeking convention to ''[[The Bridge World]]'' magazine but it was rejected.<ref name=BW192>Blackwood (1949), page 192.</ref> Nevertheless, it gained awareness and use amongst players and was written about by several authors. In his own first publication on the convention in 1949, Easley Blackwood comments on the entries in books by others and noted that "...in every one of these books, they have it wrong!"<ref name=BW192/> He pointed out several misconceptions and concluded with a fifteen-point summary of the "complete and official" Blackwood Slam Convention.<ref name=BW252255>Blackwood (1949), pages 252-255.</ref> A synopsis of that summary follows:
# In order to make the 4NT ace-asking bid, you must first:
## think your partnership has sufficient strength for a slam,
## expect to be able to make at the five-level even if partner has no aces, and
## be prepared with a sound rebid no matter how partner responds
# Partner's responses to the 4NT ace-asking bid are made in step-wise fashion:
## 5{{clubs}} to indicate 0 or 4 aces
## 5{{diamonds}} to indicate 1 ace
## 5{{hearts}} to indicate 2 aces
## 5{{spades}} to indicate 3 aces
# When responding, do not count a void as an ace.
# Generally, 4NT is ace-asking when your side has bid a suit. There are exceptions:
## when notrump has previously been bid by partner and he subsequently removes one's four-level suit bid to 4NT
## when a previous opportunity to employ 4NT as ace-asking has not been taken
# When clubs are expected to be trumps, one must have at least two aces to employ 4NT ace-asking and when diamonds are to be trump, one must have at least one ace.
# The 4NT bidder is only partial captain of the auction and responder has certain rights:
## the 4NT bidder sets the level of the contract but partner may correct the denomination
## when responder has a void in the suit in which he would convey, at the five-level, the number of aces he possesses, he may jump to six of the void suit to convey both the number of aces and the location of the void.
## when responder has a void and his ace-showing response is in a suit of lower rank than the trump suit, he first tells partner the number of aces he has. If partner signs-off at the five-level, responder may continue to slam if his holding justifies it.
# If the 4NT bidder, after hearing partner's response, bids a previously unmentioned suit, responder must bid 5NT to end the auction.
# An ace shown by a cuebid by either partner should not be counted in responding to the 4NT ace-asking bid.
# A 5NT bid after a response to a 4NT ace-asking bid, asks for kings.
# Partner's responses to the 5NT king-asking bid are made in step-wise fashion:
## 6{{clubs}} to indicate 0 kings
## 6{{diamonds}} to indicate 1 king
## 6{{hearts}} to indicate 2 kings
## 6{{spades}} to indicate 3 kings
## 6NT to indicate 4 kings
# To ask for kings via 5NT, one must first ask for aces via 4NT even when possessing all four aces oneself.
# A jump to 5NT without employing the 4NT ace-asking bid is the Culbertson Grand Slam Force and obliges partner to bid the grand slam if he holds two of the three top trumps and a small slam if he does not.
# If the opponents interfere after the 4NT ace-asking bid, a Pass by responder indicates no aces, the suit one above the opponent's indicates one ace, two above indicates two and so on.
# Except in duplicate, the king-asking 5NT bid assures partner possession of all four aces.
# After a 5NT king-asking bid, neither partner is captain and either can set the final contract.<ref name=BW252255/>

==Variations based on 4NT as asking==
Several versions of Blackwood are available: Standard Blackwood, Roman Blackwood and Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKC or RKCB). All versions are initiated by a bid of four notrump ([[4NT (bid)|4NT]]), and the entire family of conventions may be called ''Blackwood 4NT'' in both versions, or ''Key Card 4NT'' in the key card variation.

There are other 4NT conventions, such as [[Culbertson 4-5 Notrump]], [[Norman four notrump|Norman Four Notrump]] and [[San Francisco convention|San Francisco]], but almost all bridge partnerships employ some member of the Blackwood family (which includes [[Byzantine Blackwood convention|Byzantine Blackwood]]) as part of their slam-investigation methods.

If the partnership's preceding call is a natural bid in notrump, then 4NT is usually played as natural. Over an opposing pass it is simply a raise and a {{gcb|quantitative|quantitative}} invitation to six notrump, a small slam. Over an intervening four of a suit by opponents it is usually played as a competitive raise, expecting to play four notrump. Those natural interpretations may hold in other auctions where the partnership has previously bid notrump naturally or shown a balanced hand conventionally. In some situations where 4NT is a quantitative invitation, especially where 4{{Clubs}} is a jump, many partnerships use the [[Gerber convention]] instead of the Blackwood family: 4{{Clubs}} asks for the number of aces or key cards.

Where both sides are bidding, 4NT is often played as a conventional takeout asking partner to help choose one of two or three suits, similar to a lower-level takeout double or {{gcb|cuebid|cuebid}} reply to such a double.


===Standard Blackwood===
Where standard Blackwood 4NT is in force, a four notrump bid (4NT) asks partner to disclose the number of aces in his hand. With no aces or four, partner replies 5{{Clubs}}; with one, two, or three aces, 5{{Diams}}, 5{{Hearts}}, or 5{{Spades}}, respectively. The difference between no aces and four is clear to the Blackwood bidder (unless the partnership lacks all four) so one member of the partnership knows the combined number of aces. That is often sufficient to set the final contract. (A common agreement is that when spades is not the trump suit, 5{{spades}} asks responder to bid 5NT. That is useful when the reply to 4NT bypasses the intended trump suit but also shows that slam is likely to be a poor contract because two aces are missing.)

The continuation bid of 5NT asks for the number of kings according to the same code of replies at the six-level: 6{{Clubs}} shows no kings or four, etc. Asking for the number of kings confirms that the partnership holds all four aces, so partner may reply at the seven level with expectation of taking thirteen tricks.

A void may be as good as an ace in some situations but it should not be counted as an ace. Some experts (Kantar for one<ref>Kantar (2008), page 44.</ref>) recommend the 5NT reply to 4NT – the cheapest with no standard assigned meaning – to show a void plus two aces and six of a suit to show a void in the bid suit plus one ace.

===Roman Blackwood===
A variation of the standard Blackwood convention, known as ''Roman Blackwood'', was popularized by the Italian [[Blue Team (bridge)|Blue Team]] in the 1960s. In Roman Blackwood, the responses are more ambiguous, but more space-conserving. The basic outline of responses is:
{|
|5{{Clubs}}||– 0 or 3 aces
|-
|5{{Diams}}||– 1 or 4 aces
|-
|5{{Hearts}}||– 2 aces
|}
In practice, the ambiguity is unlikely to occur, as a strength difference between hands with 0 or 1 and 3 or 4 aces is big enough that it can be established in previous rounds of bidding. In other words, a partner who has previously shown, for example, 12-15 range of [[High card point|high points]] is unlikely to hold 3 aces for his bid, etc.

Even Roman Blackwood convention has several variations, revolving around 5{{Hearts}} and 5{{Spades}} responses. In all variants, they denote 2 aces. One variation is that 5{{Spades}} shows extra values, while 5{{Hearts}} does not. In other variations, responses 5{{Hearts}} - 5NT denote specific combinations of aces (same color, same rank, or "mixed").

If the querying partner ascertains that all aces are present, he can continue as follows:
*5NT is the [[Grand slam force]]
*The first available bid which is not the agreed suit is the Roman Blackwood for kings. The partner responds stepwise, as above.

===Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKCB)===
Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKCB) has largely replaced the standard version among tournament players. It developed from the ''Roman Blackwood'' variant (see above). According to RKCB there are five equivalent key cards rather than just the four aces: the trump king is counted as the fifth key card. The key card replies to 4NT are more compressed than standard ones and they also begin to locate the queen of trumps.

{|
|5{{Clubs}}||– 0 or 3 key cards
|-
|5{{Diams}}||– 1 or 4 key cards
|-
|5{{Hearts}}||– 2 or 5 cards without the trump queen
|-
|5{{Spades}}||– 2 or 5 key cards with the trump queen<ref>Root and Pavlicek (1981), page 236</ref>
|}

Although the replies to 4NT are more compressed, it is almost always possible to infer which number of keycards is correct: 0 or 3, 1 or 4, 2 or 5. Evidence for that inference includes the entire auction as well as the number of key cards that the 4NT bidder holds.

The 5{{Hearts}} and 5{{Spades}} replies with 2 or 5 key cards also deny and show the trump queen, respectively. (Responder may also show the queen with extra length in trumps, typically indicating a 10-card fit, where the ace and king will probably draw all outstanding cards in the suit.)

The 5{{Clubs}} and 5{{Diams}} replies tell nothing about the queen or extra length, but the 4NT bidder may ask about that using the cheapest bid other than five of the trump suit. The code for replies to that "queen ask" vary; a common rule is that the cheapest bid in the trump suit denies the queen or extra length and any other call shows it. An option is for the positive calls to show a feature, such as a king in that suit, and 6 of the trump suit can show the queen of trumps with no outside kings.

Roman Key Card Blackwood is predicated on existence of a trump suit, which determines which of the four kings and queens responder should show as key cards. Trump agreement is not necessary, however. One common rule is that the last suit bid before 4NT bid is the key suit, lacking trump agreement.

Some partnerships use the club response to show 1 or 4 and the diamond response to show 3 or none, dubbed "1430" (coincidentally the score for making a vulnerable small slam in a major suit), with the original version being dubbed "3014" when distinction is necessary. In order to facilitate the Queen Ask, an experts' version has been developed, where "1430" is used by the strong hand and "3014" is used by the weak hand. There are specific rules which determine when the asker hand is the weak one and when it is the strong one.<ref>Kantar (2008), page 8.</ref>

===Key Card Blackwood (KCB)===

A half-way house between standard Blackwood and RKCB is Keycard Blackwood. Again there are five key cards, including the trump king, but unlike RKCB, the queen of trumps is not considered.

5{{♣}} – 0 or 4 key cards 
5{{Diams}} – 1 or 5 key cards 
5{{Hearts}} – 2 key cards 
5{{♠}} – 3 key cards

This is advocated by Bernard Magee as being simpler for club players, as with RKCB players are sometimes unsure whether partner holds 0 or 3 key cards, or 1 or 4.

==Variations not based on 4NT==

===Kickback===
"Kickback" is the variant of RKCB devised by [[Jeff Rubens]] in accordance with the [[Useful Space Principle]]. The step responses are the same as in RKCB, but the ask is not necessarily 4NT. Instead it is the 4-level bid immediately above the agreed trump suit; i.e.:
{|
|4{{Diams}}||– RKCB for clubs
|-
|4{{Hearts}}||– RKCB for diamonds
|-
|4{{Spades}}||– RKCB for hearts
|-
|4NT||– RKCB for spades
|}
Kickback has the advantage that it saves bidding space and, especially for minor-suit fits, provides safety at the 5-level if the required key cards are missing. Because the Kickback bid would otherwise be a control bid, 4NT is usually substituted as the control bid in that suit (e.g., 4NT is a control bid in hearts if the agreed trump suit is diamonds). The drawback is that in unpracticed partnerships there can be confusion as to whether a bid is Kickback, a control bid or preference for a different strain:

{{BridgeHandWE
|A 3|K 10 8 6 4 2|K J 9 7|8
|K 10 6 4 2|A|A Q 10 4|A 5 3}}

{| class="wikitable" style="float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px;"
!width="50%"|West
!width="50%"|East
|- align="center"
|1{{Hearts}}||1{{Spades}}
|- align="center"
|2{{Hearts}}||3{{Diams}}
|- align="center"
|4{{Diams}}||4{{Hearts}}
|- align="center"
|Pass||
|}
{{clear}}
East intended 4{{Hearts}} as Kickback, but West thought it was secondary support for hearts, and decided to pass with minimum values. As result, a reasonable grand slam in diamonds was missed.

An established partnership might have agreed that as hearts were not supported after opener's rebid, 4{{Hearts}} cannot possibly show support, and must be ace asking in diamonds.

===Redwood===
"Redwood" is a variation of Kickback that is only used when a minor suit is trumps. A 4 level bid in the suit above the agreed trump suit is the ace / key card ask and the name comes from the fact that this bid will always be a red suit:

4{{Diams}}– RKCB for clubs

4{{Hearts}}– RKCB for diamonds

Once key cards have been identified the next step bid (other than trumps) can be used to ask for Kings.

One advantage of this approach is that it avoids the potential for misunderstanding that can occur when using Minorwood but one disadvantage is that it uses up one more bid (than Minorwood) and might constrain the bidding later when asking for Kings or Queens.

Using "Redwood," the ace/key card ask of 4NT is still used when the trump suit is a major (hearts or spades).

===Minorwood===
"Minorwood" is a variation of Blackwood, in which the minor suit which the partners agree will be trumps is itself used as the ace/key card ask. The ask will be at the four level. Hence:

4{{Clubs}}– RKCB for clubs

4{{Diams}}– RKCB for diamonds

One disadvantage to this convention is that either the partnership must agree to lose the natural 4 level bid in trumps or have clear agreement on which sequences are slam seeking and which are natural bids. The advantage of this approach is that it conserves bidding space. For example, the use of Redwood reduces the risk of a misunderstanding but uses up one more bid and might constrain the bidding later when asking for Kings or Queens.

===Exclusion Blackwood===
'''Exclusion Blackwood''' or '''Voidwood'''.<ref name="BW">[[The Bridge World]], May 1981 Volume 52, Number 8, page 23. ''Exclusion Blackwood'' by Ron Gerard.</ref> was devised by [[Bobby Goldman]]<ref>Manley (2011), page 52.</ref> as an attempt to resolve the situation when the Blackwood-asker has a void. In that case, he is not interested in the partner's ace in the void suit, as he already has the first-round control; partner's ace would present a duplicated value in that case. Many players, even experts, refuse to play Exclusion Blackwood because of the potential disaster of forgetting the agreement.

It is usually played as the Roman Key Card Blackwood, with only four key cards: the three Aces outside the void suit and the King of trumps. However, the asking bid is not 4NT, but the void suit — Voidwood is made by jumping on level 4 or 5 in the void suit after a fit has been found, for example:
{|class=wikitable
!width="50%"|West
!width="50%"|East
|- align="center"
|1{{Spades}}
|3{{Spades}}
|- align="center"
|5{{Clubs}}
|
|}Bids of 5{{Clubs}}, 5{{Diams}} and 5{{Hearts}} present a Voidwood, denoting the void in the suit bid and asking for other key cards. The responses are, as in RKCB:
*1st step – 0 or 3 key cards (1 or 4, if playing 1430)
*2nd step – 1 or 4 key cards (0 or 3)
*3rd step – 2 key cards without trump queen
*4th step – 2 key cards with trump queen



==See also==
* [[Gerber convention]]
* [[Glossary of contract bridge terms]]
* [[Grand slam force]]
* [[Norman four notrump]]
* [[Quantitative no trump bids]]
* [[San Francisco convention]]
* [[Slam-seeking conventions]]

==Notes==
{{reflist |25em}}

==References==
* {{cite book |last = Blackwood |first = Easely |author-link = Easley Blackwood Sr. |title = Bridge Humanics, How to Play People as well as the Cards |edition = 1st |publisher = Droke House, Publishers |location = Indianapolis |year = 1949}}
* {{cite book |last = Kantar |first = Eddie |author-link = Eddie Kantar |title = Roman Keycard Blackwood, the Final Word |edition = 5th |publisher = Master Point Press |location = Toronto |year = 2008 |isbn = 978-1-897106-35-8}}
* {{OEB|7}}
* {{cite book | first1 = William S. | last1 = Root | first2 = Richard | last2 = Pavlicek | year = 1981 | title = Modern Bridge Conventions | publisher = Crown Trade Paperbacks | isbn = 0-517-58727-0 | page =}}

==Further reading==
* [[Ron Klinger]] in collaboration with Pat Husband and Andrew Kambites (1994). ''Basic Bridge: the guide to good Acol bidding and play''. [[Victor Gollancz Ltd]] in association with Peter Crawley, London. {{ISBN|0-575-05690-8}}
* Paul Mendelson (1998). ''Mendelson's Guide to the Bidding Battle''. Colt Books, Cambridge, UK. {{ISBN|0-905899-86-5}}
* [[Ben Cohen (bridge)|Ben Cohen]] and Rhoda Barrow, eds. (1967). ''The Bridge Players' Encyclopedia''. [[Paul Hamlyn]], London.
* Eric Crowhurst and Andrew Kambites (1992). ''Understanding Acol: the good bidding guide''. Gollancz in association with Crawley, London. {{ISBN|0-575-05253-8}}

==External links==
*[http://www.bridgebum.com/roman_key_card_blackwood.php "Roman Key Card Blackwood" at Bridge Bum]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130622154147/http://www.bridgeguys.com/Conventions/1430Blackwood.html "Roman Key Card Blackwood" at Bridge Guys]
*[http://www.bridgeguys.com/Conventions/RomanBlackwood.html "Roman Blackwood" at Bridge Guys]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060505042501/http://www.bridgeguys.com/Conventions/BlueTeamRomanResponses.html "Blue Team Roman Blackwood" at Bridge Guys]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060624174501/http://bridgeguys.com/Conventions/ExclusionKCBlackwood.html "Exclusion Keycard Blackwood" at Bridge Guys]
*[http://www.kantarbridge.com/tips_bid.htm Eddie Kantar's bidding tips]

{{WPCBIndex}}

[[Category:Bridge conventions]]

Razz (poker)

2025-10-09T19:45:30Z

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{{short description|Form of stud poker}}
'''Razz''' is a form of [[stud poker]] that is normally played for [[ace-to-five low]] (lowball poker). It is one of the oldest forms of [[poker]], and has been played since the start of the 20th century. It emerged around the time people started using the 52-card deck instead of 20 for poker.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://somuchpoker.com/razz-rules/|title=Razz Rules|website=somuchpoker.com|date=28 January 2019 |access-date=2019-04-04}}</ref>

The object of Razz is to make the lowest possible five-card hand from the seven cards you are dealt. In Razz, [[Hand rankings#Straight|straight]]s and [[Hand rankings#Flush|flushes]] do not count against the player for low, and the ace always plays low. Thus, the best possible Razz hand is 5-4-3-2-A, or 5 high, also known as "the wheel" or "the bicycle". [[Lowball (poker)#Deuce-to-seven|Deuce-to-seven]] Razz is also sometimes played (the best possible hand is 2-3-4-5-7). Razz is featured in the mixed game rotation [[HORSE (poker)|H.O.R.S.E.]] as the "R" in the game's name.

==Play==
[[File:Razz.gif|thumb|The best possible hand in one variant of Razz]]
Razz is similar to [[seven-card stud]], except the lowest hand wins. Seven cards are dealt to each player, but only the five best cards (generally the five lowest unpaired cards) are used in forming a complete hand.<ref name="stars">[http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/games/razz/ Pokerstars.com: Razz (7 Card Stud Low)]</ref>

Razz is usually played with a maximum of eight players,<ref name=pb /> with [[Betting in poker#Limits|limit betting]], meaning that there is a fixed amount that can be bet per player per round. Each player antes and is dealt two cards face down (the [[Glossary of poker terms#hole cards|hole cards]]), and one card face up (the "door card"). The highest door card showing has to [[Betting in poker#Bring-in|"bring it in"]] – put in the mandatory first bet, which is usually one third to one half of the regular bet. The player responsible for the bring-in can instead opt to "complete the bet", i.e. make a whole regular bet. If they opt to make a normal bring-in, the remaining players can either call the bet or "complete", by raising to a regular bet. From that point the betting continues in regular bet increments.<ref name=stars /><ref name=pb />

In a case where two people have a door card of the same rank, the bring in is determined by suit.<ref name="stars"/><ref name=pb /> Spades ({{♠}}) is the highest possible suit, followed by hearts ({{♥}}), diamonds ({{♦}}), and clubs ({{♣}}). The {{cards|Ks}} is the worst possible door card in Razz, and a guaranteed bring-in. Play continues clockwise from the bring in, as in normal Stud poker. After the first round of betting, each player still in the hand receives another card face up. Betting begins with the lowest hand showing. Play continues like this until the fifth card, at which point the betting increments double.<ref name="stars"/><ref name=pb /> The seventh card is dealt face down, and action would begin with the same player who opened betting on the 6th card.<ref name=stars /><ref name=pb /> In hand-dealt games, after each hand the deal rotates to the left, as with most forms of poker; although the dealer doesn't play a strategic role as in [[blind (poker)|blind]] games.<ref name=pb />

===Shortage of cards===
It is possible for the dealer to run out of cards before the end of the hand if there are eight players still in the hand when the seventh cards are to be dealt.

This is because Razz uses a standard 52 card deck, whereas seven cards for eight players would require 56 cards, meaning the hand would be four cards short.

To solve this problem, the dealer deals one final card face up in the center of the table (in lieu of a seventh card to the players): this card is a community card that all eight players may use as the seventh card in their own hands. This is the only situation where a community card is used in Razz.<ref>[https://www.lolpoker.com/poker/razz/tutorial/ lolPoker.com: Razz poker rules]</ref>

==World Series of Poker==

Razz has been an event at the [[World Series of Poker]] since [[1971 World Series of Poker|1971]], when [[Jimmy Casella]] won the first ever WSOP Razz event for a grand prize of $10,000.<ref name=1972wsoprazz>{{cite web|url=http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=17927|title=2nd World Series of Poker (WSOP) 1971 – $ 1,000 Limit Razz |publisher=[[The Hendon Mob]]|access-date=2011-07-20}}</ref><ref>[http://razzpokerrules.org/wsop/ Razzpokerrules.org - WSOP Razz]</ref> Razz is the most popular form of lowball poker but in the overall popularity stakes sits firmly behind [[Texas hold 'em]] and [[Omaha hold 'em]]. In [[2004 World Series of Poker|2004]], the WSOP Razz event was televised by [[ESPN]]; the tournament was won by professional poker player and multiple bracelet winner [[T. J. Cloutier]].<ref name="pb">{{Cite web |url=http://www.poker-babes.com/poker/razz/ |title=Poker-Babes.com: How to Play the Game of Razz |access-date=2008-12-21 |archive-date=2008-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517083624/http://www.poker-babes.com/poker/razz/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> After the event Razz grew massively in popularity and most of the major [[online poker]] rooms added Razz to their spread of games. [[Full Tilt Poker]] was the first online site to offer Razz games but soon after the televised tournament, [[Poker.com]], [[Absolute Poker]] and finally in 2006 [[PokerStars]] added Razz to their selection of games.<ref>[http://playlowballpoker.com/razz/ Playlowballpoker.com: Razz Poker]</ref> Since 1971, Razz has been featured in every World Series of Poker apart from the [[1972 World Series of Poker|1972 series]].

==London lowball==
London lowball is a game played almost exclusively in Europe. It is almost identical to Razz in play with the following exceptions: straights and flushes count against a player for low, so the best possible hand is 6-4-3-2-A,<ref>[http://www.planetpoker.com/games/dictionary/vocabl.asp PlanetPoker.com: Poker Dictionary]</ref> and its canonical version is played at [[pot limit]]. Some variations of the game are played at no limit, but the name "London lowball" is typically reserved for the pot-limit version.<ref>[http://www.gambling-poker.com/razz_stud_poker.html Gambling-Poker.com: Razz Poker - London Lowball Poker]</ref>

==Strategy==
Normally the best starting hand in Razz is '''A-2-3'''. A general strategy in a full-ring game is to only play unpaired cards none of them higher than '''8'''s.<ref>[http://www.poker-strategy.org/default.aspx?tabid=211 Poker-Strategy.org: Razz poker]</ref>

Players want to avoid making pairs and should evaluate other door cards in relation to the strength of their hand. A player's hand is much stronger if there are cards of the same denomination already showing (less chance of pairing up on a draw) and weaker if there are "make" cards (cards that would allow them to make their hand) visible. For instance, Jane holds '''3-4-5''' and sees four "dead" door cards of '''3-4-4-5''' behind her. This is a strong hand, as the likelihood of pairing her hole cards is now greatly diminished. Another example: '''A-6-7''' is a much stronger hand when other players are showing Aces, 6s and 7s than when these players are showing the make cards 2s, 3s, 4s and 5s.<ref>[https://ala888.net/ 娛樂城]</ref>

Another key strategy in Razz is stealing the antes and bring-in bets. If a player is to the right of the bring-in bettor, and everyone else folds, a raise with a lower exposed card is normally the correct play. For example, if Mary has a 9 showing, and John, the bring-in bettor, has a K showing, Mary should normally raise if everyone else folds.

==See also==
* [[Lowball (poker)]]

==Notes==
{{commons category|Razz}}
{{reflist}}

{{poker}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Razz (Poker)}}
[[Category:Stud poker]]

Spades (card game)

2025-10-09T19:21:47Z

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{{Short description|Card game}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox CardGame
| title = Spades
| subtitle =
| image_link = Spades (4371711785).jpg
| image_caption =
| alt_names = Call Bridge, Call Break
| type = [[Trick-taking]]
| players = 4 (standard)<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YwNRBhrODQ4C&pg=PT183 |title=Card Games For Dummies |author= [[Barry Rigal]] |date= 2011-03-04|access-date=2012-12-10|isbn=9781118054765 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jxpD2dCmZ1cC&q=spades |title=The Complete Win at Spades: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Strategies and ... - Joseph D. Andrews - Google Books |access-date=2012-12-10|isbn=9781566251457 |year=2000 |last1=Andrews |first1=Joseph D. }}</ref> to 6
| play = Clockwise
| card_rank = A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
| ages = All
| num_cards = 52–54
| deck = [[playing cards#French|French]]
| origin = [[United States]]
| family = [[Auction Whist]]
| playing_time = 90 min.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}
| random_chance = Moderate
| skills = [[Card counting]], [[tactic (method)|tactics]]
| footnotes =
}}

'''Spades''' is a [[Trick-taking game|trick-taking card game]] devised in the United States in the 1930s. It can be played as either a partnership or solo/"cutthroat" game. The object is to take the number of tricks that were bid before play of the hand began. Spades is a descendant of the [[whist]] family of [[card game]]s, which also includes [[contract bridge|bridge]], [[Hearts (card game)|hearts]], and [[oh hell]]. Its major difference as compared to other whist variants is that, instead of trump being decided by the highest bidder or at random, the spade [[suit (cards)|suit]] always trumps, hence the name.<ref name="hsw1">{{Cite web |date=2006-03-13 |title=How to Play Spades |url=https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/how-to-play-spades.htm |access-date=2025-09-25 |website=HowStuffWorks |language=en-us}}</ref>

==History==
Spades was devised in the Midwest of the United States in the late 1930s.<ref name="pagat1">[https://www.pagat.com/auctionwhist/spades.html ''Spades''] at [[pagat.com]]. Retrieved 11 September 2018.</ref><ref name="mindzine1">[http://www.msoworld.com/mindzine/news/card/andrews2s.html Mindzine – Spades History and Evolution] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207002942/http://www.msoworld.com/mindzine/news/card/andrews2s.html |date=2007-02-07 }}</ref> Bridge author, [[George Coffin]] ascertained that it originated in [[Cincinnati]] between 1937 and 1939.<ref name=wopc>[https://www.wopc.co.uk/games/history-and-evolution-of-spades ''History and Evolution of Spades''] at wopc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2022.</ref> The game is descended from Whist and is closely related to [[Bridge (game)|Bridge]], [[Pinochle]] and [[Euchre]].<ref name=wopc/> It appears like a simplification of contract bridge such that a skilled spades player can learn bridge relatively quickly, the major additional rules being dynamic trump, the auction, dummy play, and rubber scoring.

The game's rise to popularity in the U.S. came during World War II, when it was spread by soldiers traveling around the globe. The game's popularity in the armed forces stems from its simplicity compared to Bridge and [[Euchre]] and the fact that it can be more easily interrupted than [[Poker]], all of which were also popular military card games. After the war, veterans brought the game back home to the U.S., where due to the [[GI Bill]] it spread to, and became popular among, college students as well as in-home games.<ref>"History of Spades" in {{cite book|last=Roya|first=Will|date=2021|title=Card Night: Classic Games, Classic Decks, and the History Behind Them|publisher=Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers|page=165|isbn=9780762473519}}</ref> It also remained widely popular in countries in which U.S. troops were stationed, both in WWII and later deployments.

==Overview==
;Number of players: Two or more. The game is most commonly played with four players in pairs, "partnership spades".<ref name="pagat1"/><ref name="rubl1">{{cite web|url=http://www.rubl.com/rules/spades-rules.html |title=Spades rules on |publisher=Rubl.com |access-date=2018-09-11}}</ref>

;The deck: Standard 52-card deck. Spades may also be played with one or two Jokers or with predetermined cards removed. When playing with six or more players, a second deck is often used.

;Rank of suit: Spades are always trump. Other suits have no intrinsic value during play, but a card of the suit led in the current trick will beat a card of any other suit, except a spade. If a tiebreaker is needed in a draw for deal, the most common suit order in [[contract bridge|Bridge]] from low to high is {{Clubs}} {{Diams}} {{Hearts}} {{Spades}}.

;Rank of cards: Highest to lowest: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.<ref name="spadeology1">{{cite web |url=http://www.spadeology.com/ |title=Spadeology Spades site |access-date=2018-09-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020181909/http://spadeology.com/ |archive-date=2016-10-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

;Object of the game: To score points, generally 500. Points are accrued by winning at least the number of tricks bid in each hand. They are lost by failing to take at least that many, or in some cases by taking too many.

;Counter bidding: The first team that bids has an option to counter-bid their opponent.

== Rules ==

===The deal===
The first dealer is chosen by a draw for "first spade" or "highest card". Thereafter the deal passes to the dealer's left after each hand. The dealer shuffles, and the player to the right is given the opportunity to "[[Cut (cards)|cut]]" the cards to prevent the dealer stacking the deck. The entire deck is then dealt face-down one card at a time in clockwise order. With four players, each player should receive 13 cards.<ref name="pagat1"/> The players then pick up their cards, verify the correct count of the cards, and arrange them as desired. The most common arrangement is by suit, then rank.

A misdeal is a deal in which all players have not received the same number of cards, or a player has dealt out of turn. A misdeal may be discovered immediately by counting the cards after they are dealt, or it may be discovered during play of a hand. If a single card is misdealt and discovered before players in question have seen their cards, the player that is short a card can pull a card at random from the player with an extra card. Otherwise a hand is misdealt. The hand is considered void and the hand must be redealt by the same dealer, unless the reason for the redeal is the hand was dealt out of turn.

===Bidding===
Each player bids the number of tricks they expect to take. The player to the left of the dealer starts the bidding. Bidding continues in a clockwise direction, ending with the dealer. As spades are always trump, no trump suit is named during bidding as with some other variants. A bid of "zero" is called "nil". Players must bid at least one if they don't want to bid "nil" (see below).

In partnership spades, the standard rule is that the bids by the two members of each partnership are added together.

====Blind and nil bidding====
Two very common variants of bidding are for a player or partnership to bid "blind", without having looked at their cards, or to bid "nil", stating that they will not take a single trick during play of the hand. These bids give the partnership a bonus if the players exactly meet their bid, but penalizes them if the players takes more or fewer.

A combined bid of two "blind nil" is usually allowed and is worth both the blind and nil bonuses or penalties. In some variants, the player bidding nil passes one or two of their cards (depending on the variant rules) to their partner and receives an equal number of cards back from said partner. Nil passing may be allowed only in the case of a blind nil. Usually teams must be down by 100 points to bid blind nil.

===Game play===
[[Image:Whist-type trick.jpg|260px|thumb|South leads {{cards|Jd}} and no one else can follow suit. West sloughs a heart, North attempts to trump with {{cards|10s}} and East takes the trick with {{cards|Ks}}.]]

Each hand consists of a number of tricks. A four-handed game consists of thirteen tricks using all fifty-two cards. The player on the dealer's left makes the opening lead by playing a single card of their choice.<ref name="spadeology1"/> Players in clockwise fashion then play cards of their choice. They must follow suit if possible. Otherwise they may play any card, including a trump spade.<ref name="rubl1"/>

Once a card has left the hand of a player, it stands and cannot be retrieved, unless the player who threw the card makes an effort to correct their mistake before the next player lays down a card.

A common variant rule, borrowed from [[Hearts (card game)|Hearts]], is that a player may not lead spades until a spade has been played to trump another trick.<ref name="hsw1"/><ref name="spadeology1"/> This prevents a player who is "long" in spades (having a large number of them) from leading spades one after the other at the beginning of the hand to deplete them and thus prevent other players using them as trumps. The act of playing the first spade in a hand is known as "breaking spades", derived from its parent rule, "breaking hearts". When a player leads with a spade after spades has been broken, the other players must follow suit.

Another common variant rule, also borrowed from Hearts, is that a player cannot lead spades in the first trick.

The trick is won or taken by the player who played the highest card of the led suit. If trumps were played, the highest trump card wins.<ref name="rubl1"/> The player who wins the trick gathers the cards up into a facedown arrangement that allows players to count the number of tricks taken. The contents of each trick can ''not'' be viewed after this point, except to determine whether a player [[Spades (card game)#Reneging|reneged]].

The number of tricks a player has won cannot be disguised.<ref name="hsw1"/> If asked, each player must count out their tricks until everyone has agreed on the "trick count". The player who wins any given trick, leads the next. Play continues until all players have exhausted their hands, which should occur on the same last trick. Otherwise, it is declared a misdeal.

====Reneging====

A partnership reneges on their contract if they violate the rules of play. Most often this happens when a player plays offsuit when they could have—and therefore should have—followed suit. This may not be noticed until later in the game.

Common penalties for reneging are for the reneging player to automatically lose their bid, or for the reneger to have three tricks added to their bid as a penalty, meaning that the team may still make contract but must take three additional tricks to do so. It does not matter whether the player reneged on purpose.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ander |first1=Tim |title=How to Play Spades: A Beginner's Guide to Learning the Spades Card Game, Rules, & Strategies to Win at Playing Spades |date=16 December 2018 |publisher=CRB Publishing |isbn=978-88-295-7670-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e5WADwAAQBAJ&dq=reneging+spades&pg=PT18 |language=en}}</ref>

===Scoring===
Once the final trick is played, the hand is then scored. Many variants for scoring exist. What follows is the basic method.

====Contract score====
Once a hand is completed, the players count the number of tricks they took and, in the case of partnerships or teams, the members' trick counts are summed to form a team count.

Each player's or team's trick count is then compared to their contract. If the player or team made at least the number of tricks bid, 10 points for each bid trick are awarded. A bid of 5 would earn 50 points if made. If a team did not make its contract, it was "set" and 10 points for each bid trick are deducted from the team's score. E.g.: six bid and any number less than six taken, results in minus 60 points.

If a player/team took ''more'' tricks than they bid, a single point is scored for each overtrick, called an "overtrick", "bag", or "sandbag". A bid of 5 tricks with 6 tricks taken, results in a score of 51 points.<ref name="spadeology1"/>

====Bonuses or penalties====
To this contract score, players add bonuses earned and subtract penalties assessed based on whether the player successfully did or failed to do any of the more specific things they said they would in the bidding phase. Many variants exist that award or penalize according to certain behaviors. They are covered below. For the basic nil and blind bids, points are awarded as follows:<ref name="rubl1"/><ref name="spadeology1"/>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Bid made
!If bid met exactly
!If player took more
|-
|Nil
|100
| −100
|-

|Blind nil
|200
| −200
|-

|Double nil
|400 or game
|0 or −200
|-
|Double blind nil
|800 or game
|0 or −400
|}

Though some variant bonuses or penalties are based on the contract score, normally a bonus or penalty does not affect and is not affected by any other bonus or penalty, or the contract score. As a result, a partnership can have a net positive score even if they failed to make their contract. For instance, if one player successfully made a nil bid, but their partner bid 5 tricks and only took 4 tricks, the partnership still gets the bonus which is represented as −50 points + 100 points = 50 points.

Conversely, a partnership can have a net negative score in much the same way. If a player failed a nil bid but the partnership bid and took 5 tricks, the net score is −50 points.

If a nil bid is set, most tournament rules dictate that the overtricks make the nil invalid.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boardgames.about.com/od/spades/a/spades_rules.htm |title=Spades - Complete Card Game Rules |publisher=Boardgames.about.com |date=2014-05-30 |access-date=2014-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pagat.com/boston/spades.html#scoring |title=Spades - card game rules |publisher=Pagat.com |date=2013-11-15 |access-date=2014-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_other-gaming/internet-spades-scoring-system-has-changed-for-the/27288c82-84ff-4065-962e-9a18c07ae4ce |title=Internet Spades scoring system has changed for the worse - Microsoft Community |publisher=Answers.microsoft.com |access-date=2014-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows7/internet-spades-how-to-play |title=Internet Spades: how to play |publisher=Windows.microsoft.com |access-date=2014-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=AACSA |url=http://www.sjaacsa.org/spades.htm |title=AACSA Tournament Rules – Spades |publisher=Sjaacsa.org |date=2005-12-17 |access-date=2014-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grandprixtournaments.com/sections/rules/spades.htm |title=Case's Ladder |publisher=Grandprixtournaments.com |date=2014-03-26 |access-date=2014-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225195259/http://grandprixtournaments.com/sections/rules/spades.htm |archive-date=2013-12-25 |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hoylegaming.com/rules/showrule.aspx?RuleID=227 |title=Spades Rules | Hoyle Card Games | Official Site |access-date=2014-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043718/http://www.hoylegaming.com/rules/showrule.aspx?RuleID=227 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====Sandbags and bagging out====
A common scoring variant is designed to penalize players for underestimating the number of tricks they will take, while at the same time not removing the possible strategy of intentionally taking overtricks, or "bags", in order to "set" the other team. This is accomplished by keeping track of bags in the ones place on the scorecard, and assessing a 100-point penalty when 10 bags are accumulated and the ones place rolls over.<ref name="spadeology1"/> In shorter variants of the game, where players play to 250 points, instead of the standard 500 points, sandbag penalties can be assessed earlier. In these variants, a 50-point penalty would be assessed when 5 bags are accumulated.

For example, if a team's bid is 5 tricks and they take 8 tricks, the score for the hand is 53 points. If the team's total score before this hand had a digit in the ones place of 7 or more, for instance 108, the team has "bagged out" or been "sandbagged". The hand's score is added to the total and then 100 points are deducted. In the example, the score would be 61 points after the penalty.<ref>{{cite web|last=Arneson |first=Erik |url=http://boardgames.about.com/od/spades/a/spades_rules.htm |title=Spades – Card Game Rules – About.com |publisher=Boardgames.about.com |access-date=2018-09-11}}</ref>

The 10 bags could be considered to make the penalty 90 points. The penalty can instead be 110 points to offset this, or the ones' place can simply not be carried when adding. Anything over 10 sandbags is retained in the first digit and count towards future overtricks. A player or team can bag out multiple times in a game. Sandbags do not count as points.<ref>{{cite web|last=Arneson |first=Erik |url=http://boardgames.about.com/od/spades/a/spades_rules.htm |title=Spades – Card Game Rules – About.com |publisher=Boardgames.about.com |access-date=2018-09-11}}</ref>

====Keeping score====
One of the players is the scorer and writes the bids down, so that during the play and for the scoring afterward, this information will be available to all the players. When a hand is over, the scores should be recorded next to the bids. Alternatively, the scorer can turn the bid into the contract score by writing in the number of bags (zero if there were none) behind the bid, and a minus sign before it if the team was set, then add bonuses and subtract penalties beneath. A running score should be kept so that players can readily see each other's total points.

===Winning===
The most common condition is the first to reach 500 points, or forcing the opposing team to drop to −200 points. Alternatively, the game could be played for a fixed number of hands or a fixed time limit. With four players, eight hands can generally be played in about an hour. If there is a tie, then all players participate in one more round of play until a winner is decided.

==Game variations==
As with any widely played game of such a flexible nature, spades has many variations, ranging from significant changes in play to small tweaks that suit individual or household preference.

===Deal variations===
;Deficient hand
: Sometimes a misdeal is also called if a player is dealt a "deficient" hand, such as one that contains one or no spades or no face cards (players should agree beforehand on what constitutes a "deficient hand"). A player wishing to declare a misdeal due to a deficient hand must throw down their hand face-up, so other players may verify, and must declare "misdeal" before any member of their team has bid. Declaring a misdeal on a deficient hand is optional; a player may try to bid "nil" if dealt such a hand.

;Deuce starts
: Regardless of which player has dealt, the player with the {{cards|2c}} leads it to begin the game, similar to [[Hearts (card game)|hearts]].

;Face-up deal
: In this variant, the dealer can lay out up to four cards per player face up as long as the same number is revealed for each player. Revealing the cards can also set up the psychological warfare of bidding and later playing, referred to as ''power checks'', but face-up deals are sometimes done by dealers who set the deck to determine if the cut has disrupted their preparations. When a face-up deal is made, Blind Nil can still be bid if the player has not viewed any face-down cards.

;Kitty
: In games with players where the cards cannot be dealt evenly, there is a variation in which no cards are removed from the deck, but instead a ''kitty'' composed of the leftover cards (or one trick's worth of cards plus the leftovers) is placed at center. Whoever is dealt the {{cards|2c}}, or alternatively, the player with the highest bid (tie-breaker being first to make that bid), picks up the kitty before bidding begins, integrates it into their hand and then discards the same number of cards. If a round of cards in addition to the leftovers is placed in the kitty, the discard by the player who picked up the kitty counts as a trick. This introduces more uncertainty in bids because usually the person with the kitty tries to void one suit and trump earlier in the game.

===Bidding variations===
;Sum of bids: One variant, borrowed from the related game ''[[oh hell]]'', is that the sum of all bids must not equal the number of tricks to be played. This ensures that at least one player or team will be set or "bagged" (forced to take an overtrick). Another game variation allows each player to optionally increase their bid by one point after all players have bid but before game play starts. A reduction in bid, once bids are made, is never allowed.

;Nil: A player that has already looked at their cards can bid nil. The object of the bidder is to take no tricks during the hand. The player's partner may make a normal bid and then help them by attempting to take tricks the Nil bidder would otherwise take. In solo/cutthroat spades, successful Nil bids are rare since there is no partner to help by taking the bidder's higher cards. If the Nil bidder takes no tricks, that player receive the Nil bonus; if unsuccessful, the player or team subtracts that bonus.<ref name="pagat1"/> More than one player (opponents or teammates in partners) may bid Nil on a deal.

;Double nil: Both players in a partnership bid nil and if successful, the team's nil bonuses are doubled. If either player or both players fail(s) to make theirs nil bid, there is no penalty.<ref name="pagat1"/>

;Blind bidding: Virtually all games include a variant that may happen during bidding; one or more players, having not yet looked at their cards, may choose to bid on the number of tricks they will take. When bidding "blind", the player's bid, if made exactly by that player, is rewarded with bonus points, while failing to make the bid results in the bonus being subtracted from the player's or team's score. Blind bidding is capped at a bid of seven. Thus, bidding a blind 8 or higher is contrary to standard game play, and is not allowed. Quite commonly, blind bids are allowed only if the bidding team is at least 100 points behind, and in many cases, whether a minimum point spread is required, these risky bids are typically made by a team with a large deficit as a last-ditch effort; blind bids made in this situation are typically called "trailing blind bids".

;Blind nil: The most common blind bid, the player bids that they will not take a single trick during play of the hand. Bidding nil offers an additional bonus on top of the blind bid. A failed nil bid, similar to a failed blind, results in the bonus being deducted from the score.

;Double blind nil: It is possible for both players of a partnership to bid blind nil. If this is done successfully, the team wins the game outright or takes double the combined bonus. If either or both players take tricks, however, there is no penalty.<ref name="pagat1"/>

;Passing: Passing, or the exchanging of cards between players, is optional and rare in spades. However, one more common exception relates to nil bids, which are generally considered difficult to make, especially when the bid was blindly made. To offset this difficulty slightly, a partnership in which one player has bid nil or blind nil can choose to pass two cards between players; the most common arrangement is one card for regular nil and two cards for blind nil. When passing, the partners agree on a number of cards to pass, then select that number of cards and place them face down in front of their partner. Neither partner should look at the cards passed to them before they have passed their own cards. In passing this way, the idea is for the partner who bid nil to offload their highest trumps or other face cards in return for low cards from their partner, which both decreases the likelihood that the nil bidder can be forced to take a trick, and increases the likelihood that their partner will be able to "cover", or overplay high cards the nil bidder still holds that would otherwise take a trick. The number of cards passed should be determined before the game begins so that each team can use this as they bid.

:Passing does not have to be limited to this one case; players may agree that a certain number of cards may, or must, be passed either between partners or to the opponent on each player's left or right, before or after making a bid. Passing between opponents is borrowed from [[Hearts (card game)|hearts]] and generally allows players to attempt to "shorten" or "void" a suit, or get rid of "dangerous" cards such as upper pip cards or low face cards, which may win a trick the player didn't bid to take. Passing between partners in situations other than nil bids is rare, as the players would have little or no information about cards their partner would want or that opponents wouldn't.

;Board: Each team is required to make a minimum required bid of four tricks. When bidding nil, the player's teammates must bid a minimum of four tricks or bid double nil or triple nil with three teammates. When playing solo, one can bid nil or board. You can never bid anything between nil or board. A variation to this play involves setting the minimum bid to whatever number the players agree on.

;Partnership bidding: This variant allows partners to "talk" during the bidding round and bid as a partnership rather than individuals. The partnership that did not deal makes their bid first, and the opposing partnership may use this information to craft their bid, although the total number of tricks bid by both teams does not need to equal 13. The minimum bid is "Board" or 4 tricks, and there is no nil bidding. Players are allowed to discuss how many tricks they think they can take with each other, but any discussion that identifies specific cards or strength of a particular suit constitutes "cross-boarding" and results in a misdeal, for which the penalty can range from the deal passing to the left to adding a predetermined number of "bags" to the offending partnership to a score penalty of up to 100 points.

:The only exception to this rule is the ''ace check'' rule. If a player holds three or more aces in their hand, that player may use the phrase ''ace check'' during the bidding round. The partner then discloses whether or not they have an Ace. If the initiating partner can now determine that all four aces are held within the partnership, they may pass a card face down to their partner. Doing so creates a special contract where if the partnership retains all 4 aces after all cards are played for the hand, they receive a 100-point bonus. If not, they receive a 100-point penalty. The ''ace check'' variant is optional to '''partnership bidding''', and is generally only used in combination with "deuces high" or similar trump variants where the ace of spades is more difficult to retain since other cards in the deck are assigned a higher rank.

;Auction spades: This variant is a combination of spades with the auction-based bidding of [[Contract Bridge]]. Each player must bid a minimum of 1 trick; by making the bid, they are committing their partnership to take the minimum 6 tricks plus the number bid. Subsequent bidders must raise the bid or pass; once they pass, they cannot bid further. Once all other players have passed, the winning partnership (declarers) must take a number of tricks equal to the winning bid plus 6 (so a winning bid of 2 commits the declarers to winning 8 tricks), while the defenders attempt to set them. If the declarers make contract, they get 10 points per bid trick; if they are set they get nothing. The defenders get 10 points per overtrick made by, or undertrick missed by, the declarers (if the declarers bid 2 and only make 6 tricks, the declarers get nothing and defenders get 20 points; if the declarers make 10 tricks, the declarers get 80 points but the defenders get 20 for the 2 unbid overtricks). Thus, the defenders have a choice of tactics; they can either set the declarers so they get no points, or may "bag" the declarers by forcing them to take overtricks so both sides get points.

;No-trump bids: This variant's name is misleading as it is not the same as the equivalent bid in contract bridge; spades are still trumps, but a player who bids some number of tricks with "no trump" promises not to win any tricks with spades, except when spades are led. A player may only bid "no trump" if that player holds at least one spade in their hand, and their partner agrees to let them bid NT. A player who successfully makes a no trump bid counts each trick taken by that player as double (normally 20 points).<ref name="pagat1"/>

;10-for-200: Also known as '''bidding a flight''' or '''wheels'''. Bidding 10-for-200 commits a side to win at least 10 tricks; if successful, the team scores 200 points. If the side wins fewer than 10 tricks, they lose 200 points.<ref name="pagat1"/><ref name="spadeology1"/> Some play a lost bid only loses 100, not 200. In some variations, to make a 10-for-200 bid, the side must win exactly 10 tricks. If a team pulls more than 10 the extra tricks are still bags or "ob's" Some play that any bid of 10 is automatically a 10-for-200 bid. In some places the 10-for-200 bid is called 10-for-2, which is written on the score sheet as 10-4-2. Another way of writing the 200 score is with the two zeros linked together at the top; this is called wheels, as the zeroes are supposed to look like train wheels. Making this bid is also significant in that the other team is automatically set if Nils are not allowed, since they would not even make board, thus the winning team will be ahead by at least 240 points (200 for the score + 40 point penalty of the other team).

; Eight & ten rule: Variation of bonus where bonuses are split into two between 4 players (8 + 3 and 10 + 3). This variation is played widely in India and England.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Big & Little Moe: A series of bids where the partnership states their intention to take, respectively, eight or six tricks ''consecutively''. Any capture of a trick by opponents "resets" the count. A partnership bidding Big Moe and capturing eight tricks in a row gains 300 points; one bidding Little Moe and capturing six tricks in a row gains 150 points. Bags or overtricks, if applicable, are not counted.

;Bemo: A specialization of Big & Little Moe bidding, bidding Little Bemo commits the team to win all of the first six tricks. It is additional to the normal bid; the team scores an extra bonus of 60 if successful and loses 60 if not. Big Bemo similarly commits the team that bids it to win the first nine tricks; they score a 90-point bonus if successful and lose 90 if not.<ref name="pagat1"/>

;Blind 6: This must be declared by a side before either partner looks at their cards. It scores 120 points if the side takes exactly six tricks. If they take some other number of tricks they lose 120. It is also commonly played that the side must win at least six tricks and overtricks are not counted, or that failing to make six tricks only loses 60.<ref name="pagat1"/>

;Trailing blind bids: Only a player or partnership that is 100 points behind the leader may make blind bids of any kind, and they are scored at 20 points per bid trick, with no overtricks scored. Failing a blind contract is penalized at the normal 10 points per trick bid. Played with or without jokers.

;No nines, no blinds: A variation of partnership bidding – neither blind bids nor a cumulative bid of 9 is allowed. This can make the game more competitive since a partnership with a strong hand has to either bid an 8 or 10-for-200, risking "overbidding" their hand and teams cannot catch up through trailing blind bids.

;Boston: Also known as '''shooting the moon''' or '''slamming'''. Related to but opposite of a double nil bid. If a team bids to take all the tricks in a hand and does so, that team wins the game outright regardless of the score before the hand. A team cannot bid to shoot the moon if the other team bids double nil, and vice versa.<ref name="pagat1"/>

;Blind moon: This is a blind bid to take all tricks in a hand, made before either partner has looked at their cards. Again, the first team to bid either double blind nil or blind moon has precedence.<ref name="pagat1"/>

;Lexington: Similar to '''Boston''' but 12 tricks are made. Variations include automatically scoring 240 points regardless the bid.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Half tricks: In this variation, the first partner of a team to bid may optionally bid tricks in increment of one-half instead of one, i.e. "I bid three-and-one-half". Their partner is then required to bid such that the team bid rounds out to a whole number, i.e. "I'll bid two-and-one-half" for a team bid of six tricks. This gives some information between partners; a player is bidding that they will take three tricks and might take a fourth. Their partner can then use this in determining the other half of the partnership's bid.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Suicide: Played by four players, playing as partners. Each player must bid either nil or at least four tricks. The second player to bid in each partnership may either bid the opposite, i.e., Nil if partner bid four or more, or may bid what their partner bid, thus forcing their partner to take the opposite bid.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

:Another version of suicide is played by four players, playing as partners. The bidding is the same as normal, except that one person in each team is forced to bid nil, so if the leading partner does not bid nil they must do so. This limits the hands which the first and second person want to bid a non-nil amount, as if they do not have the ace of spades, they cannot place it and therefore risk having it in their partner's hand.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Whiz: In this variant, each player must bid the exact number of spades in their hand or go nil. There is no minimum amount for teams to bid. Blind bidding is not allowed, however bags are counted as usual.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Mirrors: Related to whiz, each player must bid the number of spades in their hand. Players do not have the option to go nil unless they have no spades and ''must'' bid nil if this is the case. Bags are counted as normal.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Fredieu: In this variant, each player must bid a minimum four tricks unless going nil, blind nil or wheels (10 for 200). The objective is to force as many bags as possible on the opposing players to give them the most sandbags. Sandbags are counted as usual.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

===Trump variations===
;Breaking Spades: Borrowed from [[Hearts (card game)|hearts]], a player may not lead a spade until a spade has been played as a trump card (when a non-Spade was led), unless they have only Spades.

;Deuces high: All 2s count as the highest spades. The order becomes, highest to lowest: {{Spades|2}}, {{Diams|2}}, {{Clubs|2}}, {{Hearts|2}}, then all the rest of the spades, Ace through 3.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spadesgame.net/SpadesVariations.php|title=Spades Card Game - Variations|website=www.spadesgame.net|access-date=2016-07-12}}</ref> There is another variation, when playing with the Jokers, that the {{Spades|2}} and the {{Diams|2}} are high trumps, then Ace, King, etc. When the deck being used does not contain Jokers, or contains Jokers of the same size, the {{Hearts|2}} becomes the ''big joker'' and the {{Clubs|2}} becomes the ''little joker''. There is a variation where the Aces can be called high (value of 14) or low (value of 1). In this scenario highest to lowest spades with all cards in deck is: big joker, little joker, {{Spades|2}}, {{Diams|2}}, {{Clubs|2}}, {{Hearts|2}}, ace, king – 3 of spades.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}

;Joke trumps: Jokers have no value or rank by themselves, but transform all teammates' cards (whether played before or after the Joker) played in the same trick to "joke trumps" status. For example, a Joker played on {{Hearts|A}} transforms that card into {{Spades|A}}, which trumps all cards except a natural {{Spades|A}}. Similarly, a Joker followed by a {{Diams|5}} transforms the latter into a {{Spades|5}}, beatable by either a natural {{Spades|5}} or higher, or a joke {{Spades|6}} or higher. There is no added benefit to playing multiple Jokers. If two teams play Jokers, resulting in tied joke trumps, the tie is broken either by the higher Joker, the first Joker played, or the suit rank ({{Diams}} first, then {{Clubs}}, then {{Hearts}}), depending on variation.

;Jokers high aka easy spades: Both jokers are positioned as the highest spades. So instead of just 13 spades, there are now 15 spades. This in effect takes the queens out of question, meaning one need not bother to question whether the queen will win a trick, it will most likely not. With more spades and removing the question from the queens makes this variation an easier game to play. If both jokers are played in one trick, the ''big joker'' (full color, red, or larger graphic) beats the ''little joker'' (black-and-white, or the "guarantee" card with smaller art). A related variation is Joker-Joker-Deuce-Ace in which the ranking is ''big joker'', ''little joker'', {{Spades|2}} and {{Spades|A}}. With 3 players, the Jokers are added and no cards are removed; with 4 players, the {{Clubs|2}} and either {{Hearts|2}} or {{Diams|2}} are taken out, or, similar to their use in [[Euchre]], can replace the {{Spades|J}} and {{Clubs|J}}.

;Jokers high alternate: Similar to jokers high above, if the ''big joker'' is led, opponents must play their highest spade in that trick. If the ''big joker'' is played during a hand, opponents are not forced to play their highest spade. This variation makes bidding more complex, as one cannot count on their highest spade as winning a trick, ''big joker'' excepted. This variation is commonly played with all 54 cards, using the ''Kitty'' dealing variation above.

;Jokers high first played wins: Both jokers are used and count as the highest spade. If both jokers are played in one trick, the one played first takes the trick.

;Bauer trumps: Adapted from [[500 (card game)|500]] and [[Euchre]], highest trump is the {{Spades|J}}, known as the right bauer. Second highest trump is {{Clubs|J}}, being the same color and known as the ''Left Bauer''. The rest of the cards follow normal order. Alternatively, and similar to the above, both Jacks can be replaced with two Jokers, making them more distinctive.

;Differentiated trump values: Suits are given special trump value, with Spades being the highest trump. General order is {{Spades}}, {{Clubs}}, {{Diams}}, and {{Hearts}}. When played this way, there is no off-suit; the suit is either more or less valuable than the led suit, and if more valuable it trumps any card played in that suit.

;Show 7 trump: If a player holds seven cards (or more) of a non trump suit, (Seven {{Hearts}}, seven {{Diams}}, or seven {{Clubs}}) The player may show their seven cards to the other players before bidding to change the trump suit from spades to the new suit. Thereby spades would cease to trump the other cards & the new suit would beat all other cards. In the case that seven cards (or more) of a suit are held by one player ''and'' seven {{Spades}} (or more) are held by another player, The player holding the seven {{Spades}} may optionally show their spades & make {{Spades}} trump again. Bidding then begins as normal.

=== Variations===
;Aces high/low: During the play, aces can be called high or low. These are especially valuable cards in 3B-spades scoring version where there is an immediate penalty for taking extra tricks.<ref name="3brtr"/>

;Big Mo, Little Mo
: During bidding, a team may declare either Big Mo or Little Mo, meaning they intend to take the first several tricks. This is the only time that cross-talk during the bidding is allowed. A player considering a Mo may ask their teammate "How many do you have on the Mo?" or some similar question to determine how many tricks the teammate can contribute to the Mo without revealing any details as to which tricks they'll take. The only detail that can be discussed is which teammate will be leading the first trick but not how they will be leading. If a team declares Little Mo, they must take the first 7 tricks of the hand. Accomplishing the Little Mo earns the team 150 points. If a team declares Big Mo, they must take the first 10 tricks of the hand. Accomplishing the Big Mo earns the team 250 points. Taking more consecutive tricks than needed does not earn the team more points. For instance, taking the first 10 tricks when a Little Mo had been declared still only earns the team 150 points. The team that declares either Mo is immune to bags for that hand and will lead the first trick, regardless of whose turn it was to lead. Failure to accomplish the declared Mo (the opposing team took a trick before the goal was met) will cause the team to lose the points they would have earned had they been successful. This is true regardless of how many tricks they took before or after the opposing team took a trick. The other team bids and must match their bid, as usual. It's not unusual for a team that could do a Big Mo to declare a Little Mo to play it safe and then take the extra tricks to try to set their opponents.

;Cancellation spades
: 3 teams of 2 players play with 2 decks minus both {{Hearts|2}}. The {{Diamonds|2}} is the highest spade followed by the {{Clubs|2}} and {{Spades|A}}. They must follow the spades suit rules. If identical cards are played in a round, they cancel and cannot take the trick. Tricks won by no one are "dead" and discarded. Successful nil bids score 50. Double nil scores 200. No blind bid bonuses. Missed bids cost 10 points for each trick short—getting 3 of 5 means −20 points. Tricks taken by a nil do not count towards a non-nil bid and are penalized 10 points each. Extra tricks get 1 point—no penalties for sandbags. Game is six hands with each player dealing once. Optionally, 8 players can share two full decks with nils worth 30 and double nils worth 100.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Passing cards
: Each team passes one card with their partner each hand. This rule is normally applied only to Nil bids and it is most frequently used to allow players to exchange two cards if a Blind Nil bid is made.

;First trick clubs
: This rule is borrowed from a common variation of [[Hearts (card game)|hearts]] rules. Whoever possesses the lowest club, usually {{Clubs|2}}, {{Clubs|3}} (if deuces are high), must open the play. Other players can play any card except spades on the first trick, unless the player has nothing but spades (rare, as the player would have to have been dealt every spade in the deck).{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;First trick lowest club
: This rule is an elaboration of the preceding first trick clubs rule. Whoever possesses the lowest club, usually {{Clubs|2}}, {{Clubs|3}} (if a three-hand game), must open the play. Each player must then play their lowest club to the first trick. Play proceeds normally from the second trick.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Speed-spades a.k.a. Philadelphia a.k.a. Quakers
: The players agree to play each trick within a certain time frame, with each player required to make a play on a one- or two- second count. This is a game of pressure designed to induce mistakes, to increase the pace of a slow game, or both. Often the players will shout "speed spades!" as the start of each trick.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Play to beat a.k.a. must trump
: A [[pinochle]]-based variant, if a player cannot follow suit, but can beat a spade already played as trump (when a spade was not led), they must play the "overtrump". Sometimes this rule extends this to even having to beat a player's partner, but this generally only applies to beating the other team's trump. If a player is caught breaking this rule, all points won by the team that broke the rule during the round are awarded to the opposing team. An alternate variant, from tarot games, is that if a player cannot follow suit, they must trump if they are able (meaning they cannot play off-suit if they have a spade even if there are no other spades played), and additionally they must beat any Spade already played if they can (including when spades are led).{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;End winning streak
: If one player wins last three tricks of the round, it is worth either 3 points or 30. Some varieties include awarding points for winning the last four or five tricks with same point gauge. If this rule is enforced, and an opposing team ends a possible streak by taking the last trick, the points may be awarded to that team instead of the team who had the streak.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Dix
: If the {{Spades|9}} wins a trick, it is worth 1 point. If the 9 wins a trick with at least one other spade in play, worth 5 points. If the 9 wins a spade-led trick, it is worth 10 points. This is borrowed from [[Pinochle]] where in the melding phase, a 9 of trumps is worth 10 points.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Last trick ace victory
: Bonus points (1 or 10) are awarded for winning the last round with any ace. 20 points for winning with the ace of spades.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Last trick ace on nil
: Bonus points, usually one-fifth of agreed nil value, are awarded for making a nil bid and playing an ace on the last trick.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Last trick deuce victory
: Bonus points (30) are awarded for winning the last round with a non-trump two.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Last trick high spade victory
: A player who takes the very last trick with a high spade ({{Spades|9}} or above), and with that trick exactly makes their bid, receives a 10-point bonus. There is no bonus if the player bags or is short.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;Nil
: A team that declares nil is intending to lose every trick. If successful, the team earns 100 points. If the team takes a single trick, they will lose 100 points. A team that declares nil is immune to bags for that hand.

;Blind nil
: A team may declare blind nil as long as neither teammate has looked at any of their cards. After bidding has been set, all players can look at their cards like normal. Like nil, the team intends to lose every trick. If successful, the team earns 150 points. If the team takes a single trick, they will lose 150 points. A team that declares blind nil is immune to bags for that hand.

;Nil in the dark
: A player who bids nil in the dark shuffles their cards and puts them face down in front of them in a stack. When it is their play, they take the top card and throw it into the pile. The scoring counts the same as blind nil. A player may also go ''blind nil in the dark'' where they never even look at their cards. This is scored the same as a Big Mo. Nil in the dark is usually only bid if they have no trump cards.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

;The rest are mine (TRAM)
: Some players allow a player who realizes that they cannot help but win all remaining tricks to simply lay down their hand and declare "the rest are mine"; such declaration is sometimes called "tramming".{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}} This can help speed the play of the game. An obvious situation in which a player could "TRAM" is if, with three tricks left to play, the leading player holds the {{cards|As|Ks|Qs}}. No matter which card they play, no other player will be able to beat that card (as the player holds the only cards that can), and the same will be true for the next two tricks. Usually, situations in which TRAMming is appropriate are less clearcut, and involve keeping track of the cards that have been played to determine whether any player could beat a particular card.
:The practice is sometimes prohibited explicitly by the rules.<ref name="Spades General Guidelines">{{cite web |title=Spades General Guidelines |url=http://thespadesconnection.com/guidelines.php |website=The Spades Connections |access-date=9 July 2019}}</ref>
:A player who mistakenly TRAMs (i.e., when it is possible for another player to win at least one trick) may face a penalty. This may be the same penalty as that imposed for any other illegal showing of cards, such as being required to leave the exposed cards face up on the table, to be played at the earliest legal opportunity to do so.<ref name="Spades General Guidelines"/> Other penalties are also possible; e.g., forfeiting all remaining tricks at the discretion of the player who would otherwise take the trick (to prevent intentional false TRAMming that would give the player an advantage), or forfeiting of a player's bid and scoring the hand as if that player had failed to make their bid, regardless of the number of tricks they have taken.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}

===Scoring variations===
;3B-spades
: In 3B-spades there is an immediate bag penalty. In this variation you are penalized minus 10 for each extra trick. In this case the player receives 10 points for each trick that was bid and minus 10 points for each extra trick. This makes the ideal strategy to make your own bid exactly while giving extra tricks to some players and trying to set others. A person going zero/nil also gets minus 10 for each "extra" trick and those points go into the "zero pot". Players that did not make their bid only get 1 point per trick made.<ref name="3brtr">{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/notes/3brtr-spades/rules-and-stuff/270771639609367 |title=3B-Spades rules |publisher=Facebook.com |access-date=2018-09-11}}</ref>

;No overs
: One game variation does not count overtricks. In this case the player or team receives only 10 points for each trick that was bid and no points for overtricks. This changes the bidding strategy; it is only possible to lose points by being "set" on a bid, as there is no penalty for "bagging out", so players will attempt to "set" the leading player or team in order to gain ground. Similarly, players or teams will bid lower to avoid being set as there is no penalty for taking too many overtricks.

;Double over, double back
: Instead of, or perhaps in addition to, penalizing players who "bag out", a common variant is for players or teams who take at least double the number of bid tricks will be penalized by subtracting double the value of their contract. A team who bids 2 tricks and takes 4 tricks or more will lose 40 points. This is often combined with the "no overs" scoring style to discourage small bids.

;[[Oh hell]] variation
: Like oh hell, partnerships must take exactly the number of tricks bid. If they have overtricks, the team is penalized and the contract is broken. Some play where if the team bids 5 tricks and wins exactly 5 tricks, the contract is honored no matter which player made how many tricks, while others force each player to exactly meet their contract.

;Quicksand
: A variation of penalizing overtricks, a team who exactly makes their contract gets full value. Overtricks subtract 10 points each from that value, and teams who do not make their contract subtract 10 points for each missed trick. For instance, consider a bid of 7 tricks. If the team made exactly 7 tricks, they would earn the full 70 points. If they only took 5 tricks, they would lose 20 points. If the team made 9 tricks, they would earn the 70 points, −20 points for the two overtricks, resulting in a score of 50 points.

;Broken contract gives points to opposing team
: This is an additional variant taken from bridge and used with an auction-style bidding. If the declarer (the player or partner with the winning bid) fails to meet the contract, the defending pair receives 10 points for each ''undertrick'' (the number of tricks by which declarer fell short of the goal). Instead of the declaring team losing points, they should receive zero.

;Books made
: If the combine bids of both teams equals 10 books (i.e. 6 books to 4 books, 5 books to 5 books) then books made is called. The hand is not played out. Both team are awarded their bids. There are no over books. the deal moves to the next player.

;Deficient ends the game
: If one team's cumulative score is less than the negative of the winning score, that team has lost. For example, if before the game, the winning score is set at 500 points, then either team that manages to net a score of −500 points or below automatically loses.

;Highlander scoring
: The points awarded function slightly differently than in conventional spades. Highlander scoring merges partnership playing with individual team effort. Sandbagging does not apply with this type of game play, although sandbagging could be included. Each partner makes a bid of the tricks they think they can win. Each partner must win the total they individually bid; if not, that player's bid value is deducted from the team's score even if their partner took enough trick to make up the difference.
:For example, if Tom bids 5 tricks and wins 4 tricks, and Harry (his partner) bids 3 tricks and wins 4 tricks, 80 points is deducted from the partnership's total score even though the team won their promised 8 tricks, because Tom did not make his bid. However, Harry is awarded five points per overtrick, so they are −75 points instead of −80 points. If the contract is broken and no overtricks were taken, the team is down the full amount of the bid. If both made their contract and have won overtricks, they are awarded five extra points per overtrick. Team that wins seven or more tricks per round is given 10 points the first time, 20 points the second, and each time thereafter the points increase by 10. This encourages race-style play where players set out to take as many tricks as they can as long as they do not steal tricks their partner needs.

;Individual team players
: If both teammates get their exact individual bid, they are given a bonus equal to half the total bid (rounded down to the nearest 10 to avoid interference with bags). For example, Tom bids 3 tricks, Harry bids 4 tricks. If Tom wins 3 tricks and Harry wins 4 tricks, 30 bonus points are awarded to that team (added to the 70 points for contract for a total of 100 points on the hand).

;Sandbags 0-till-10
: Some players use the last digit of the score to count sandbags, but do not regard that digit as being part of the score. For example, as score of 54 points translates to 50 recordable points with 4 sandbags. In this manner, sandbags are in effect worth nothing until a player accumulates 10 of them, at which point they trigger a 100-point deduction. Bags are thus kept separate from the score and cannot be used as a tiebreaker.

;Sandbag cancellation
: Some people play that there is a special card which cancels one bag on that hand for the side that takes it in their tricks. If the side which wins the special card makes no overtricks, or loses their bid, the special card has no effect. The special card may be either a fixed card or may be determined afresh by cutting a card before each deal.

;Sandbags negative value
: Tricks in excess of the contract (overtricks or sandbags) may be worth −1 point each rather than +1 point. In this case the penalty for accumulating 10 overtricks generally does not apply.

;Seven tricks or higher
: For successful bids of seven or more, players get an extra 10 points for each trick bid above six. So, if 7 tricks are bid by a player and that contract is made exactly, 80 bonus points are awarded. 8 tricks award 100 points, 9 tricks award 120 points, etc. This method of scoring rewards players who are more daring.

;Seven tricks or higher part deux
: Team that bids and then wins 7 tricks per round is given 10 points the first time, 20 points the second, and each time thereafter the points increase by 10 points. Overtricks do not count.

;Win the last trick
: Taken from bela and [[pinochle]], the winner of last trick wins 10 bonus points. Generally this variation is not recommended if one is playing with bonus tricks.

;Leading with the ace of spades
: Depending on the region in which the game is played this is permitted.

;No point deductions
:In some variations of spades, no points are lost when bids are not meet. In these scenarios, the team receives a score of 0 points for the round. This scoring is less drastic than normal scoring and is recommended for beginner players. Nil is the exception to this rule. If a player bids nil and takes a trick, then 100 points are deducted from the team's score. This is independent of your partner's bid. For example, if a player bids nil and their team member does not meet their bid, the team still gains a net of 100 points. If a player bids nil and receives a trick, then 100 points are deduced and their partner's hand is scored normally.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How to Score a Spades Game|url=https://www.dummies.com/games/card-games/spades/how-to-score-a-spades-game/|access-date=2020-06-14|website=dummies|language=en}}</ref>

===The number of players===
Traditionally spades is played with four players in two partnerships. However, there are variations that allow for greater or fewer players. Partnerships are optional even with four players. All other rules should be agreed upon beforehand by the players.

;Solo spades: Solo spades is like regular spades, just without the partnership. This is also known as "cutthroat spades".

;Two players: In this variation, the cards are not dealt at the beginning of the game. Instead, the deck is placed face down and the players take turns drawing two cards with each turn. Once drawn, players must choose one card of the pair to discard and one to keep. This continues until the deck is exhausted after which, each player will possess 13 cards. The game then proceeds normally. :A variation of this deal is to decide whether or not to keep the first card drawn. If the player decides to keep the first card, the second card may be looked at, but must be discarded. If the player decides to discard the first card, the second card must be kept. This variation introduces a greater degree of chance into the game. To add an even greater degree of chance, forbid viewing of the second card if the first card is kept. This gives both players less certainty as to which cards their opponent is holding.

;Three players: There are no partnerships; players play for themselves. A standard 52 card deck is used, and each player is dealt 17 cards with a predetermined card thrown out (usually the {{Clubs|2}}) or the last undealt card thrown out. Some play with the Big and little joker included as the highest trumps, with each person getting 18 cards.

;Five players: There are no partnerships; players play for themselves. {{Diams|2}} and {{Hearts|2}} are removed from the deck and each player is dealt 10 cards. Alternatively, if three Jokers are available, they may be added as either highest trump or as junk cards, thus dealing each player 11 cards each.

;Six players: This can be played either solo, three partnerships, or two teams of three. Two standard 52 card decks are combined, with both {{Clubs|2}} discarded (102 cards, 17 each), two cards discarded (or kept as a ''kitty''), or all four Jokers added (108 cards, 18 each). Prior to the beginning of play, players agree on the protocol when identical cards are played. Some play that the first such played card wins the trick while others play that the last played card wins the trick. Alternatively, 6-handed play can be done with a 48 card deck, having removed all the 2s. It can also be done with a 52 card deck plus two Jokers, similar to three-handed but with half the cards per player.

;Seven or more players: Beyond six players, the game becomes either very complex, or hard to maintain with multiple decks. An additional side effect of an increased number of players is a short game, as the number of cards held by each player is reduced and high trump is more and more likely to take the trick. Seven players should normally be split into groups of four and three, eight players into two groups of four players, nine players into either groups of four and five players, or three groups of three players.

===Partners versus cutthroat/solo===

The differences partners spades and cutthroat bidding and play are substantial. In partners, a player would bid a trick for every ace, king, and queen in a side suit (i.e.: non-Spade). In cutthroat, a player would rarely bid on a king in a long side suit (5+ cards) nor a queen in any length side suit because of the risk of their being trumped. This risk is reduced in partners by the possibility that partner may be out of the long suit and able to discard or to overtrump an opponent.

In partners, nil bids are easier to make because the nil bidder's partner can overtake or trump the nil bidder's high cards. In cutthroat, this safety valve is not available.

Partners allows a mix of weak and strong players by pairing a weak player with a strong one, resulting in a more satisfying game (provided that the division of talent is about even) than in Cutthroat where individual weak players would stand little or no chance against strong players.

Conversely, against a computer program where the object is for a human to beat the computer software, being saddled with a weak computer partner does ''not'' provide a satisfying game. Thus, Cutthroat makes more sense for a computer game than Partners.

==Terminology==
* '''Bag''' – An "overtrick". A trick taken by a player or partnership when their contract has already been met. The importance of bags or overtricks varies depending on house rules. Generally, taking too many overtricks incurs a penalty, but the taking of some overtricks can be good strategy.
* '''Bid''' – The number of tricks each player will take during a hand, announced by each player in term before a hand begins. The bid is the sum of each team members single bid, and is used to determine the total "team bid." The bid equals the total number of tricks the team must win, or risk being set (falling short of the bid) or taking sandbags, or bags (taking more tricks than were bid).
* '''Book''' – In spades, this is synonymous with "trick". Other trick-taking games have a different definition.
*'''Boston''' – When a team, usually by one player of the team or both, wins all 13 books in a hand.
* '''Contract''' – The result of a player's or partnership's bids for the hand. They are required to take at least that number of tricks during play of the hand.
*'''Cut or cutting''' – In spades, when a suit being played gets cut by a spade and thus takes the book, unless the following player trumps theirs with a higher spade. Also, when a partner trumps the other partners winning card, for example the first partner threw out a king of diamonds and their partner then trumped it with the ace of diamonds. There are times when this can be a strategic move, though not often.
* '''Extras''' – After adding up all the contracts the unclaimed tricks are "the extras". In 4 handed there are 13 tricks per hand. A typical hand has just one extra.
* '''Hand''' – A series of tricks in which all cards dealt to each player are played.
* '''Honor cards''' – Refers to the top four or five cards in each suit, A, K, Q, J and 10.
* '''Nil''' – A Bid to win no tricks at all in any hand. A special bid for which there is usually a bonus if the nil is achieved and a penalty if it is defeated by forcing the one who bid Nil to take a trick in any given hand.
* '''Partnership''' – A pair of players when playing with an even number. Their bids and taken tricks are summed.
* '''Renege''' – When a player can follow suit but does not, it is considered cheating.
* '''Set''' – To be unable to take the number of tricks required by a contract, usually because the opposing players have taken enough tricks that there are fewer remaining tricks than are needed.
* '''Slough (sluff)''' – also known as "throwing off", to play a card that is not a trump card but of different suit than the first suit played, therefore discarding that card. Sloughing is normally used to get rid of a card that may otherwise take a trick the player does not wish to take. It can also be used to void other suits allowing play of trump cards in tricks where that suit is led.
* '''Team''' – Largely synonymous with "partnership", but when playing with six or more a team can comprise more than two players.
* '''Three amigos''' – The {{Spades|A}}, {{Spades|K}}, and {{Spades|Q}}. When a person has all three it usually mentioned when they are being led out in order. Also, with the {{Spades|J}}, "the three amigos and their little brother".
* '''(To) follow suit''' – To play a card of the same suit as the first card played to a trick. As in many [[trick-taking game]]s, Spades players are required to follow suit if they are able.
* '''Trick''' – Also known as a book. A unit of play in which each player lays one card from their hand, and is "taken" or won usually by the player who laid down the highest value card.
* '''[[Trump (card games)|Trump]]''' – A suit or other subset of cards in the deck that is of higher value than all others. Most games in the [[Whist]] family use a trump suit. In Spades, it is always the Spade suit. The term also refers to the playing of a trump card, also known as a "ruff" or "ruffing".<ref name="hsw1"/>
* '''Undertrick''' – A trick that a partnership needed in order to make contract, but didn't take. The term is used more in scoring than in play. A pair who bid 6 but only took five has an undertrick, while a specific trick in play that the partners need to take from a tactical standpoint is simply a "must-have" or "must-win".
* '''Void''' – To not have any card in a particular suit or suits, or to intentionally exhaust them from one's hand. A player must be void in at least one suit in order to play Spades as trump, and therefore will try to void their hand of a suit in which they hold few cards.
* '''Zero''' – See ''nil''.

==See also==
* [[Bid whist]]
* [[Contract bridge]]
* [[Tarneeb]]
* [[Vint]]
* [[Whist]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{pagat|Spades|boston/spades.html}}

{{List of trick-taking games}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:American card games]]
[[Category:Card games introduced in the 1930s]]
[[Category:French deck card games]]
[[Category:Auction Whist group]]

[[tr:Batak]]

Black Lady

2025-10-09T18:55:59Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: follow formatting with rest of the page

{{Short description|American card game of the hearts group for three to six players}}
{{about|the American game often called Hearts|the British game sometimes called Black lady|Black Maria (card game)|the album|Black Lady (album)}}
{{Infobox card game
| title = Black lady
| subtitle = A trick-avoidance game
| image_link = File:Queen of spades2.svg
| image_caption = The black lady
| image_size = 260 px
| alt_names = American hearts, black lady hearts, black Maria, black widow, slippery Anne, rickety Kate
| type = [[Trick-avoidance]]
| players = 3–6 (4 best)
| play = Clockwise
| card_rank = A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
| num_cards = 52 cards (4 players)
| deck = [[French-suited playing cards|French]]
| origin = [[United States]]
| related = [[Hearts (card game)|Hearts]]{{*}}[[Black Maria (card game)|Black Maria]]
| playing_time = 10 minutes per hand
| random_chance = Low–moderate
| skills = [[Card counting]], [[tactic (method)|tactics]]
| footnotes = Aim: avoid capturing hearts or the {{cards|Qs}}
}}

'''Black lady''' is an American [[card game]] of the [[hearts group]] for three to six players and the most popular of the group. It emerged in the early 20th century as an elaboration of [[Hearts (card game)|hearts]] and was initially also called '''discard hearts'''. It is named after its highest penalty card, the [[queen of spades]] or "black lady". It is a [[trick-avoidance]] game in which the aim is to avoid taking tricks containing hearts or the black lady. American author and leading bridge exponent [[Ely Culbertson]] describes it as "essentially hearts with the addition of the queen of spades as a minus card, counting thirteen" and goes on to say that "black lady and its elaborations have completely overshadowed the original hearts in popularity".{{sfn|Culbertson|1950|pp=244–245}}

The game is often called '''hearts''' in America, although that is the proper name for the basic game in which only the cards of the heart suit incur penalty points. It is known by a variety of other names including '''American hearts''',{{sfn|Glenn|Denton|2003|p=93}} '''black lady hearts''',{{sfn|Little Giant Encyclopedia|2009|p=89}} '''black widow'''{{sfn|Sackson|1994|p=65}} and '''slippery Anne'''.{{sfn|Culbertson|1950|pp=244–245}} In Australia it is known as '''rickety Kate'''.<ref>[https://australiancardgames.com.au/rickety-kate/ ''Rickety Kate''] at australiancardgames.com.au. Retrieved 7 Feb 2020.</ref> It is sometimes misnamed [[Black Maria (card game)|black Maria]] which, however, is the British variant of hearts played with additional penalty cards.

== History ==
Black lady was developed in America in the early 20th century from hearts. It is first mentioned by [[Robert Frederick Foster|R. F. Foster]] in 1909 who describes a variant called "Discard hearts which is sometimes called black jack or black lady". In black jack, the jack of spades was worth "ten hearts"; in black lady the queen of spades was worth "thirteen hearts". Discarding three cards was already part of the game as the name discard hearts suggests. The [[discards (cards)|discards]] were passed to the left. Scoring was simple: one penalty point for every heart captured and thirteen for the queen of spades.{{sfn|Foster|1909|p=356}}

The [[slam (cards)|slam]] known as "shooting the moon" first appeared in Britain in 1939 in a variant of hearts called hitting the moon. This was essentially black lady with the addition of a slam. Today this feature is a common element in the game.{{sfn|Phillips|Westall|1939|pp=189/190}}

Black lady was incorporated into [[Microsoft Windows]] under the name "[[Microsoft Hearts]]", starting with Windows 3.1.

== Aim ==
The aim of black lady is to avoid capturing heart cards or the queen of spades.

== Earliest rules – Foster (1909) ==
[[File:Hearts Penalty Cards.jpg|thumb|The penalty cards in black lady]]
The following rules are based on the earliest known rules – those by [[Robert Frederick Foster|R.F. Foster]] (1909) – in which black lady was an alternative name for discard hearts, itself a variation of classic hearts.{{sfn|Foster|1909|pp=349–356}}

=== Preliminaries ===
The game is designed for three to six players, although "four is the usual number." A [[standard 52-card deck]] of [[Anglo-American pattern]] cards is used in which cards [[rank (cards)|rank]] in their normal order, [[ace]]s high. If three play, the {{cards|2s}} is removed, if five play, the two black [[Deuce (playing card)|deuces]] are removed and, if six play, all four deuces are discarded. It was usual practice to play with two decks, one being [[shuffled]] while the other was being [[deal (cards)|dealt]]. Players [[cut (cards)|cut]] for the choice of seats (aces low), lowest becoming the first [[dealer (card player)|dealer]] and choosing a seat first and then others choosing their seats in their order. Players tying must cut again.{{sfn|Foster|1909|pp=349–356}}

Any player has a right to shuffle, the dealer last. Dealer offers the cards to [[pone (card player)|pone]] (to the right) for cutting, before dealing all the cards, clockwise and one at a time, to each player starting with [[eldest hand]] (to the left). The deal always rotates to the left. After the deal, each player [[discards (cards)|discards]] three cards to the left-hand neighbour. Players may not view the cards they receive before selecting their discards.{{sfn|Foster|1909|pp=349–356}}

=== Playing ===
The aim is to avoid taking any hearts or the black lady ({{cards|Qs}}) in the [[tricks (cards)|tricks]]. Eldest hand leads any card to the first trick. Players must follow suit if they can; otherwise may discard. There is no trump suit. The winner of a trick leads to the next.{{sfn|Foster|1909|pp=349–356}}

=== Scoring ===
Foster's scoring scheme for basic hearts is that players start with a fixed number of [[counters (cards)|counters]] (50 or 100) and pay one counter into the [[pool (cards)|pool]] for each heart captured; the Black Lady being worth thirteen. The pool is claimed by the person or people winning it. There are two ways of deciding a winner. In the sweepstake method, the pool may only be claimed by a player or players who takes no hearts at all. If everyone takes at least one, the pool stays and forms a 'jack' (hence 'jackpot') until someone eventually takes no hearts at the end of a [[deal (cards)|deal]]. If more than one player takes no hearts, they divide the pool, any odd counters staying put. In the 'Howell' method, at the end of each deal, players pay into the pool ''per opponent'' as many counters as they took hearts. So in a four-player game, if Andy takes the Black Lady and a heart i.e. 14 hearts, he pays {{nowrap|1=3 × 14 = 42}} counters into the pool. Once everyone had paid up, players claim as many counters as they ''did not hold'' at the end (26 minus the number of penalty points scored). So Andy may claim {{nowrap|1=26 − 14 = 12}} counters. This exhausts the pool and is designed to be a fairer reflection of the players' ability.{{sfn|Foster|1909|pp=349–356}} The Black Lady ranks as a spade within the spade [[suit (cards)|suit]] and so may be discarded if any other suit is played.

== Culbertson's rules (1950) ==
The following rules are based on those by American bridge expert, [[Ely Culbertson]], where it is described as a separate game that is "essentially Hearts with the addition of the queen of spades as a minus card, counting thirteen". However, he omitted to mention that it also differed in retaining the discard or passing feature of Black Lady/Discard Hearts. The main change from the earliest rules is a much simplified scoring system. Culbertson includes a [[slam (cards)|slam]], first introduced by Phillips in 1939, but this time no points are scored for it.{{sfn|Culbertson|1950|pp=244–245}}{{efn|When the slam was introduced by [[Hubert Phillips]] in 1939, it incurred a penalty of 26 penalty points for everyone except the slam winner.}}

=== Preliminaries ===
According to Culbertson, black lady may be played by three to seven players, individually, the best number being four. The standard 52-card deck is used and, in order to ensure each player gets the same number of cards, twos are discarded in the order: {{cards|2c}}, {{cards|2d}}, {{cards|2s}} and {{cards|2h}}. Aces are high. Again, players may pass any three cards face down and to the left. As an alternative rule, however, players may pass cards alternately to the left and then right from deal to deal.{{sfn|Culbertson|1950|pp=244–245}}

=== Playing ===
Eldest hand leads to the first trick with any card. Players must follow suit if they can; otherwise may discard any card. A trick is won by the highest card of the led suit and the winner of the trick leads to the next.{{sfn|Culbertson|1950|pp=244–245}}

=== Scoring ===
When all the tricks are played, players total up their scores. Each heart card captured scores one penalty point and the black lady scores thirteen. If one player takes all the penalty cards, no scores are recorded for that deal. When the first player reaches 100 points, the game ends and the winner is the player with the lowest score.{{sfn|Culbertson|1950|pp=244–245}}

== Modern rules – Morehead (2001) ==
Glenn and Denton (2003) state that this version "is nearly universal in the United States." These rules are based on Morehead (2001), except where stated. The major differences are the rules on passing and the scoring scheme for ''shooting the moon'' which reflects the earliest rule by Phillips.{{sfn|Glenn|Denton|2003|p=93}}{{sfn|Morehead|2001|pp=}}{{sfn|Phillips|Westall|1939|pp=189/190}}

=== Preliminaries ===
Three to six may play, but the game is best for four. There are no partnerships and no trumps. The standard deck is used and an even distribution of cards is achieved by removing as many of the following as are needed: {{cards|2c}}, {{cards|2d}}, {{cards|3c}} and {{cards|2s}}. Cards rank in the normal order with Aces high. ''Alternative rule:'' any cards left over after the deal are put into a ''kitty'' and the winner of the first trick adds them to his or her tricks. Some rules allow the winner of the first trick to view the kitty as well.{{efn|This is known elsewhere as ''Heartsette''.}}{{sfn|Morehead|2001|pp=}}

Players cut for the deal, the player drawing the lowest card becoming the first dealer.{{sfn|Glenn|Denton|2003|p=93}} Cards are dealt clockwise beginning with eldest hand. After the deal each player selects three cards to discard and passes them to the left-hand neighbour. This must be done before viewing the cards received from the right.{{sfn|Morehead|2001|pp=}} ''Alternative rule:'' In the American version of this game, called American Hearts by Glenn and Denton, the cards are passed differently in successive deals. For the first deal, cards are passed to the left. For the second deal, cards are passed to the right. In the third deal, cards are passed across the table and in the fourth deal, players 'hold' i.e. do not pass any cards.{{sfn|Glenn|Denton|2003|p=93}}

=== Playing ===
Card play follows the normal rules: eldest hand leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if able; otherwise, they may play a card from any suit. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, and the trick winner leads to the next. ''Alternative rules:'' The player holding the {{cards|2c}} leads with that card. Some rules state that neither hearts nor the Black Lady may be led until the first heart has been discarded. According to Morehead, in club play, the player with the {{cards|Qs}} may be required to play it at the first opportunity by discarding or following a higher spade.{{sfn|Morehead|2001|pp=}}

An innovation in modern black lady is the ''take-all'' or ''shooting the moon'', whereby a player may aim to capture all the penalty cards; i.e., the black lady and all hearts. In this event the player scores zero, while each opponent scores twenty-six penalty points. In a failed attempt, penalty points are scored as normal.{{sfn|Glenn|Denton|2003|p=93}} Morehead gives the old scoring rule that no players score for the deal and the other alternative that the player who successfully shoots the moon scores twenty-six plus points.{{sfn|Morehead|2001|pp=}}

=== Scoring ===
Apart from shooting the moon, the usual scoring system is employed with players scoring one penalty point for each heart card taken and thirteen for taking the Black Lady.{{sfn|Glenn|Denton|2003|p=93}} Game is 100 points. When the first player reaches this score, the game stops and players settle their scores.{{sfn|Morehead|2001|pp=}}

== Variations ==

=== Passing cards===
Unlike the basic game of hearts, card passing has always been a feature of black lady. It is also referred to as discarding, hence the earliest alternative name for black lady was discard hearts. The idea is that, before each hand begins, each player chooses three cards and passes them to another player. Cards are usually passed to the left, unlike the British game of [[Black Maria (card game)|Black Maria]], where cards are passed to the right. Passing cards to the left is easier because you know something about the hand of the player who follows you whereas, in passing cards to the right, you have no information about the hand of the player to your left.

In the earliest rules, passing was always to the left. Today, there are many variations of passing:

* Four-way passing. The most common method, popularized by computer versions, rotates passing through four deals; on the first deal, players pass to the left, the second deal to the right, the third across the table. On the fourth deal no cards are passed; alternatively players may pass one card to each opponent ("scatter pass"). The cycle of four deals is then repeated.
* Left and right. The discarded cards are passed alternately left and right with each deal.
* Star passing. With an odd number of players, passing across is not possible. If five play, players choose two cards and pass one each to the two players opposite. The pattern of passing routes forms a five-point star.
* Shuffle passing. Players choose three cards and discard them to a central pile. The dealer then gathers, shuffles, and re-deals these cards.
* Two cards. When there are more than four players, only two cards can be passed.{{sfn|Parlett|1987|p=}}
* Dealer's choice. The dealer chooses the number of cards to be passed and the direction of passing.
* Rotating pass. Players pass in the following cycle: one player to the left, two players to the left, three players to the left, etc. This method accommodates any number of players. Additionally, if the cycle ends with a "no pass" round, one player (the one to the first dealer's right) will always pass to the dealer; this can assist in remembering where to pass cards.

Some versions prohibit passing some combination of {{cards|2c}}, {{cards|Qs}} or {{cards|Ah}}.

=== Trick play ===
There are some common variants to this play:
* The player holding {{cards|2c}} must lead it to begin the first trick.{{sfn|Kansil|1999|p=163}} In variations with {{cards|2c}} removed, play starts with {{cards|3c}}.{{sfn|Kansil|1999|p=164}}
* Hearts cannot be led until either they have been "broken" (discarded on the lead of another suit), or the player who must lead has nothing but Hearts remaining in hand. In some variations, any penalty card, including {{cards|Qs}}, can break Hearts.
** In a sub-variation of the above, if a player's hand contains nothing but Hearts and other penalty cards, even if Hearts have not been broken, the player can lead a heart. Hearts are broken by this play.
* If jokers are used, rules must be defined concerning their play. Common conventions include:
** Two distinct jokers are designated as the zero of clubs and the zero of diamonds, and behave just like ordinary clubs and diamonds.
** Non-distinct jokers are valueless cards that cannot take tricks. They may be played at all times (except to lead tricks), or perhaps only when following suit is not possible.
** Jokers may also be considered as penalty cards. They may behave as normal penalty cards, or they might only score if played to a hearts trick.
** Jokers may be allowed to lead. If they are, the leading player calls a suit which must be followed, or the lead suit may be determined by the next card played.
* If the game uses multiple decks, and two identical cards tie for taking the trick, the most recently played card takes precedence. Cancellation Hearts (see the Variations section) defines different behavior involving identical cards.
* ''Booster nines.'' If a nine is played, the trick is extended by one round.

=== Shooting the moon ===
Shooting the moon is a very common scoring variation. If one player takes all the penalty cards on one deal, that player's score remains unchanged while 26 penalty points are added to the scores of each of the other players. This is known as playing by "old moon" rules. In the "new moon" rules, the player subtracts 26 points from their own score instead of adding 26 to the others.

There are several sub-variations to these rules:
* A player who shoots the moon may have a choice between old moon or new moon.
* A player who shoots the moon can choose new moon only if applying old moon for the hand would end the game with the shooter losing by points. For example, in a 100-point game, if the shooter has 90, a second player 95, and the leader 63, the shooter and the second player would lose the game since the second player would be on 121 points, the shooter on 90, and the leader on 89. Alternatively, the old moon stands, but the game continues (even though, in the example, the second player is on 121 points) for as long as there are no successful shoot the moon outcomes. At that point, the winner is the player with the lowest score, even if this is over 100.
* A player who shoots the moon may only use new moon after he or she, or perhaps another player, has reached a predetermined score.
* A player who takes all thirteen tricks may add 52 points to the other players' scores, subject to the other variations listed above. This is known as ''shooting the sun''.{{sfn|Spadaccini|2005|}}
* A player who shoots the sun may add 52 points to the player who passed to him or her at the beginning of the round, while the others each receive 26. This is known as the "punishment rule".
* A player who takes all thirteen tricks reverts their score from the entire game to 0. This is known as "cleaning the slate".
* A player who takes all of the penalty cards but fails to shoot the sun scores normally instead of shooting the moon.
* The first trick of a hand does not count for shooting the sun; only the following twelve tricks are required. This allows a player who holds the two of clubs to shoot the sun, in the variant where the two of clubs is required to be the first lead.
* If a player receives 260 points (26 points every round) over ten rounds, all other players may receive 260 points and the player finishes with a score of 0,<ref>
{{cite web
| url= http://www.arcatm.com/arcatm-variant-rules.html
| title= ARCATM Variant Rules – ARCATM Professional Hearts League
| publisher= Arcatm.com
| access-date= 24 April 2012
}}
</ref> or all other players receive 100 in a normal game.<ref name="heartsworld1">{{cite web |url=http://www.heartsworld.co.uk/rule-variations.html |title=Rule Variations |publisher=Heartsworld |access-date=24 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324002136/http://www.heartsworld.co.uk/rule-variations.html |archive-date=24 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This variant is called "shooting the big moon".
* A game cannot end immediately when a player shoots the moon or sun. Play continues for at least one more hand.

=== Scoring ===
A player who takes no tricks scores –5 penalty points.

A player that achieves a score of exactly 100 has their score reduced to zero. In this variant a score of 101 or greater is required to end the game.

== Variants ==
The main variants of black lady are cancellation hearts, omnibus hearts and pink lady.

=== Cancellation hearts ===
{{main|Cancellation hearts}}
Cancellation hearts is first described in 1950 by Culbertson and is a variant designed for larger numbers of players, typically 6 to 11 players, using two decks shuffled together. If exactly the same card is played twice in one trick, the cards cancel each other out, and neither can take the trick. If two such pairs appear in the same trick, the whole trick is cancelled and the cards are rolled over to the winner of the next trick.{{sfn|Culbertson|1950|p=244}}

=== Omnibus hearts ===
In 1950, Culbertson reported that omnibus hearts was "rapidly becoming the most popular of hearts games" and was so called because it included all the features found in different members of the hearts family and Arnold states that it is "sufficiently different and popular" to justify being described as a separate game."{{sfn|Arnold|1995|p=141}} In effect, omnibus hearts is really a variant of black lady to which has been added the bonus card of the {{cards|10d}} which earns 10 plus points for the player who takes it in a trick. If a player takes all fifteen counters ({{cards|10d}}, {{cards|Qs}} and thirteen hearts), 26 plus points are scored for the deal and the rest score zero (noting that in Culbertson's black lady rules, what is now called shooting the moon results in no player scoring for that deal).{{sfn|Culbertson|1950|p=245}} Arnold (2011) states that omnibus hearts is considered the best version of hearts by many players. He refers to the capture of all counting cards as "hitting the moon, take-all or slam". The game ends when a player reaches or exceeds 100 penalty points, whereupon the player with the lowest score wins.{{sfn|Arnold|2011|p=}}

=== Pink lady ===
Pink lady is an "almost forgotten variant"{{sfn|Gibson|1971|p=86}} that "doubles the fun of black lady",{{sfn|Spadaccini|2005|p=}} "adding interest and intensity."{{sfn|Gibson|1971|p=86}} Its key feature is the addition of an extra high penalty card, the {{cards|Qh}} or pink lady, which scores 13 penalty points like her counterpart, the {{cards|Qs}}. There are now 38 penalty points to be avoided per deal. The presence of the pink lady makes the {{cards|Ah}} and {{cards|Kh}} as dangerous as their spade counterparts and forms a counter to the black lady, enabling a player saddled with one 'lady' the opportunity to even the score by offloading the other.{{sfn|Gibson|1971|p=86}} Spadaccini, like [[Walter B. Gibson|Gibson]], recommends playing to 100 points.{{sfn|Spadaccini|2005|p=}}

=== Black jack ===
Black jack is recorded by Foster as early as 1909 and has appeared sporadically in the literature since.{{efn|See, for example, Foster (1922), Wood and Goddard (1940), Culbertson (1950 and 1957) and Moss (1995).}} The {{cards|Js}} takes the place of the black lady but is worth 10 hearts or penalty points instead of thirteen.{{sfn|Foster|1909|pp=349–356}} Moss (1995) calls it ''black jack hearts''.{{sfn|Moss|1995|p=61}} In early rules, the black jack may be discarded if its holder is void in the suit led.{{sfn|Foster|1920|p=356}} In later rules, the black jack must be discarded before any other card if the player is void in the led suit.{{sfn|Seymour|1958|p=195}}

=== Other variants ===
* ''Complex hearts''. A variant by game designer [[Richard Garfield]] using the [[complex number]] system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.math.unl.edu/~rdieter1/Games/ComplexHearts/ |title=Complex Hearts |publisher=Math.unl.edu |access-date=24 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070412153728/http://www.math.unl.edu/~rdieter1/Games/ComplexHearts/ |archive-date=12 April 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Hearts are worth 1 each, {{cards|Qs}} = 13{{mvar|[[imaginary unit|i]]}}, {{cards|Jd}} = −10, and {{cards|10c}} multiplies the score for the given hand by 2{{mvar|i}}. The first player to reach an [[absolute value]] of 100 is the loser.<ref>[https://gamerules.com/rules/complex-hearts/ ''Complex Hearts''] at gamerules.com. Retrieved 23 March 2022.</ref>
* ''Danger hearts.'' Ten rounds are played using standard scoring, and each player has three lives. If a player receives 15 or more points in a round, he or she loses a life.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arcatm.com/arcatm-variant-rules.html |title=www.arcatm.com/arcatm-variant-rules |publisher=Arcatm.com |access-date=24 April 2012}}</ref>
* ''Royal hearts'' A game produced by [[Parker Brothers]],<ref name=royalheartsrules>{{cite web|url=http://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/Royal_Hearts_Card_Game.pdf |title=Royal Hearts Instructions |access-date=24 April 2012}}</ref> but which may easily be played with an ordinary card pack. The {{cards|Qs}} is worth 26 points instead of 13, {{cards|Qh}} doubles the point value of all Hearts taken by that player, {{cards|Qd}} is worth −10 points, and {{cards|Qc}} negates the {{cards|Qs}}'s point value if both are captured by the same player.<ref>[https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3317/royal-hearts ''Royal Hearts''] at boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 23 March 2022.</ref>

=== Regional variants ===
* ''[[Gong Zhu]]'' ("Push Out the Pig") is a Chinese version. The aim is to take tricks containing bonus cards and avoid those with penalty cards. The [[counter (cards)|counters]] are: {{cards|5h}} to {{cards|10h}} = −10, {{cards|Jh}} = −20, {{cards|Qh}} = −30, {{cards|Kh}} = −40, {{cards|Ah}} = −50, {{cards|Qs}} = −100, {{cards|Jd}} = +100 and {{cards|10c}}, which doubles the score for the round.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pagat.com/reverse/gongzhu.html |title=Rules of Card Games: Gong Zhu |publisher=Pagat.com |date=18 January 2004 |access-date=24 April 2012}}</ref>
* ''Likha'' or ''Leekha''. Middle Eastern partnership variant. Play is anticlockwise and suit must be followed if possible. {{cards|Qs}} and the {{cards|10d}} are the ''likha''. If a player holds both (''talyeekh'') and cannot follow suit, one of them must be played. {{cards|Qs}} is worth 13 penalty points, {{cards|10d}} 10 and every heart 1. Game is 101. The team of the first player to individually score 101 or more loses. If two or more players from opposing teams reach or exceed 101 in the same deal, the one with the higher score loses. Shooting the moon incurs a 37-point penalty.<ref>[https://blog.jawaker.com/en/leekha-rules-en/ ''Leekha Rules''] at jawaker.com. Retrieved 23 March 2022.</ref>

== Strategy ==
[[Image:Whist-type trick.jpg|250px|thumb|right|An example trick. South has led {{cards|Jd}} and takes this trick (which includes a 1-point penalty heart). In this case, no other player had any diamonds.]]

=== General ===
With the exception of trying to shoot the moon, players attempt to discard high cards, especially high hearts or spades, and try to avoid winning points. This can either be accomplished by creating a void or playing a high card last in a trick that has no points. Generally speaking, it is advantageous to play the highest card possible without winning the trick. Players particularly concentrate on getting rid of high cards in suits that they do not have padding low cards in. For example, if a player had {{cards|s|A|5|4|3|2}} the {{cards|As}} would not be much of an issue; they can play the four lower cards and hopefully exhaust another player's spades before being forced to play the {{cards|As}}. In contrast, if they only had {{cards|As}}, then they would be forced to play the {{cards|As}} the first time spades were led, with the risk that another player will respond with {{cards|Qs}}.

=== Passing ===
The main objectives of passing are to try to become "short" or "void" in a suit, and thus able to play off-suit when that suit is led; or to rid one's hand of "dangerous" cards that could force a player to take a trick containing penalty points, such as the ace, king, or queen of any suit (especially spades and hearts). {{cards|As}} and {{cards|Ks}} are two of the most important cards to get rid of, because they are not worth any points themselves but are ranked higher than {{cards|Qs}} and as such would force players to take the queen if {{cards|s}} are lead. In addition, high hearts can leave the player defenseless once hearts are broken. When creating voids, it is best to do that in either clubs or diamonds, because players want to avoid receiving high hearts or spades without having any padding. For this reason, spades lower than the queen are typically not passed unless the player is attempting to shoot the moon. Care must be taken in passing too many high cards which could allow the player receiving the cards to shoot the moon. A simple passing strategy to keep a recipient from shooting the moon is to pass them a single low-value heart, this is especially effective when holding on to the {{cards|Ah}}, because when a player has at least one heart it is impossible to shoot the moon without it. As such, it is often wise not to pass the {{cards|Ah}} at all.

=== Voids ===
A void is when a player does not have any cards of a certain suit. Generally, this is a highly advantageous situation, because it prevents the player from winning any points in that suit, and provides a means to dispose of poor cards. These can be intentionally created with good passing strategy, or appear by themselves.

=== Bleeding spades ===
If a player does not have {{cards|As}}, {{cards|Ks}}, or {{cards|Qs}}, it is to that player's advantage to lead spades to try to force {{cards|Qs}} onto another player. This is also referred to as "smoking the lady/queen", in reference to the [[combat]] action of creating [[smoke]] in a closed area so that any [[enemy]] [[combatants]] hiding there would be forced to come out into the open (the {{cards|Qs}} is forced to be played by its bearer, thus causing the {{cards|Qs}}'s points to be taken by that bearer, and thus evaded by the player actuating the smoking). A player who has {{cards|As}} or {{cards|Ks}} but not {{cards|Qs}}, and with a large number of other spades, may feel insulated from being forced to play {{cards|As}} or {{cards|Ks}} in any subsequent smoking play, and thus could also participate in smoking. Even the player that has the {{cards|Qs}}, provided he or she similarly has a lot of other spades may decide to "smoke himself" to empty all the other players of their spades, thus ironically insulating himself from being smoked in the future – or perhaps to get the game into the situation in which another player(s) has a "dry" (i.e., solitary) spade that is {{cards|As}} or {{cards|Ks}}, in which case a trick could be started with {{cards|Qs}} in the full knowledge that some other player has this dry {{cards|As}} or {{cards|Ks}} and will be forced to play it, taking the {{cards|Qs}}<nowiki/>'s points.

=== Shooting the moon ===
Attempting to shoot the moon is often a risky strategy, as failure to capture every single penalty card will result in the remaining penalty points (as many as 25, if only one heart is missed) being added to one's score.
Shooting the moon can rapidly change the direction of a game in a player's favour. A good hand for shooting the moon should contain significant high cards, in addition to a long run of a single suit that can be used to keep the lead once the other players have run out of that suit. Furthermore, it is necessary to either have no hearts, or most/all high hearts ({{cards|Ah}}, {{cards|Kh}}, {{cards|Qh}}, {{cards|Jh}}), as shooting the moon requires a player to win every trick they lead with hearts. Even with {{cards|Kh}}, {{cards|Qh}} and {{cards|Jh}} a moon attempt will invariably fail, because savvy players will not discard the {{cards|Ah}} before multiple people have scored at least one point, so the {{cards|Ah}} will ensure them at least one trick containing points.

=== Teaming up ===
Because black lady is generally understood to have only one winner when the game ends, some of the general strategies change when one or more players are at risk of reaching 100 points. In such scenarios it becomes strategical for players to work together to ensure the {{cards|Qs}} goes to the lowest score player, in order to close the gap before the game ends. Similarly, when a player is at 87 points or more and receives the {{cards|Qs}}, everyone but the lowest score player can assist that player in shooting the moon (as long as the new moon rule is in play) so that the game does not end immediately, giving everyone a chance to catch up.
==See also==
*[[Hearts (card game)|Hearts]]
*[[Polignac (card game)|Polignac]]

== Footnotes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Literature ==
* {{cite book |title=Little Giant Encyclopedia |year=2009 |publisher=Sterling |location=New York/London |ref={{sfnRef|Little Giant Encyclopedia|2009}} }}
* {{cite book |last=Arnold |first=Peter |title=The Book of Card Games |year=1995 |publisher=Barnes & Noble |isbn=1-56619-950-6 }}
* {{cite book |last=Arnold |first=Peter |title=Chambers Card Games |year=2011 |publisher=Chambers Harrap |location=London |isbn=978-0550-10179-2 }}
* {{cite book |last=Culbertson |first=Ely |author-link=Ely Culbertson|title=Culbertson's Hoyle |year=1950 |publisher=Greystone Press }}
* {{cite book |last=Foster |first=Robert Frederick |author-link=Robert Frederick Foster|title=Foster's Complete Hoyle |year=1909 |publisher=Frederick A. Stokes |location=New York }}
* {{cite book |last=Foster |first=Robert Frederick |author-link=Robert Frederick Foster|title=Foster's Complete Hoyle |year=1920|publisher=Frederick A. Stokes |location=New York }}
* {{cite book |last=Gibson |first=Walter Brown |author-link=Walter B. Gibson|title=Hoyle's Simplified Guide to the Popular Card Games |year=1971 |publisher=Doubleday }}
* {{cite book |last1=Glenn |first1=Jim |last2=Denton |first2=Carey |title=The Treasury of Family Games |year=2003 |publisher=Reader's Digest Association |isbn=978-07621-0431-4 }}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Kansil |editor1-first=Joli Quentin |title=Bicycle official rules of card games |date=1999 |publisher=United States Playing Card Company |location=Cincinnati, OH |isbn=1-889752-06-1}}
* {{cite book |editor-last1=Morehead |editor-first=Philip D. |title=Hoyle's rules of games : descriptions of indoor games of skill and chance, with advice on skillful play : based on the foundations laid down by Edmond Hoyle, 1672-1769 |date=2001 |publisher=Plume |location=New York |isbn=0-451-20484-0 |edition=3rd rev. & updated}}
* {{cite book |last=Moss |first=William A. |date=1995 |title=10-Minute Card Games |publisher=Sterling |location=New York }}
* {{cite book |title=The Penguin Book of Card Games |last=Parlett |first=David |author-link=David Parlett |publisher=Treasure Press |year=1987 |location=London |isbn=1-85051-221-3|url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/penguinbookofcar0000parl}}
* {{cite book |last1=Phillips |first1=Hubert |author-link1=Hubert Phillips |last2=Westall |first2=B.C. |title=The Complete Book of Card Games |date=1939 |location=London |publisher=H.F. & G. Witherby}}
* {{cite book |last1=Sackson |first1=Sid |author-link=Sid Sackson |title=Card Games Around the World |date=1 June 1994 |publisher=Courier Corporation |isbn=978-0-486-28100-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ye5LDwAAQBAJ |language=en |edition=reprint}}
* {{cite book |last1=Seymour |first1=Paul Henry |title=Hoyle Standard Games |date=1958 |publisher=A. Whitman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4T9Aho-a7m4C |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last=Spadaccini |first=Stephanie |title=The Big Book of Rules |year=2005 |publisher=Plume }}
{{Trick-taking card games}}

[[Category:Reverse games]]
[[Category:Card games introduced in 1909]]
[[Category:Round games]]
[[Category:American card games]]

Trick-taking game

2025-10-09T18:46:03Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Variations to basic rules */piped cards

{{Short description|Type of card game}}
{{more sources|date=January 2018}}
[[File:Four overlapping playing cards.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|A trick of four cards. North led the {{Spades|10}}. Usually all players must ''follow suit'' and play a spade unless they have none. East does so with the {{spades|K}}. South does not have a spade, so plays the {{diamonds|J}}, and West the {{hearts|7}}. In a notrump game, east wins the trick, having played the highest card of the suit led, unless the game is an [[ace–ten game]], with 10 being higher than the king, making north win the trick. If diamonds or hearts are trumps, south or west respectively win.]]

A '''trick-taking game''' is a [[card game|card-]] or [[tile-based game]] in which play of a ''[[Hand (card games)|hand]]'' centers on a series of finite rounds or units of play, called ''tricks'', which are each evaluated to determine a winner or ''taker'' of that trick. The object of such games then may be closely tied to the number of tricks taken, as in '''plain-trick games''' such as [[contract bridge]], [[whist]], and [[Spades (card game)|spades]], or to the value of the cards contained in taken tricks, as in '''point-trick games''' such as [[pinochle]], the [[Tarot card games|tarot]] family, [[briscola]], and most evasion games like [[Hearts (card game)|hearts]].<ref>{{harvnb|Parlett|2008|pages=xvii–xviii}}.</ref>

'''Trick-and-draw games''' are trick-taking games in which the players can fill up their hands after each trick. In most variants, players are free to play any card into a trick in the first phase of the game, but must ''follow suit'' as soon as the stock is depleted. '''Trick-avoidance games''' like [[reversis]] or [[Polignac (card game)|polignac]] are those in which the aim is to avoid taking some or all tricks.

The domino game [[42 (dominoes)|Texas 42]] is an example of a trick-taking game that is not a card game.

==History==
The earliest [[card game]]s were trick-taking games, as evidenced by the rank-and-[[Suit (cards)|suit]] structure, originating from [[China]] and spreading westwards during the early part of the second millennium. [[Michael Dummett]] noted that these games share various features. They were played without [[trump (card games)|trumps]], following suit was not required but only the highest card of the suit led wins, rotation was counter-clockwise, they were plain-trick games, and the [[pip card]]s of one or more suits were in reverse order so that the lower cards beat the higher ones.<ref name="DummettGame">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qqm1AAAAIAAJ |title=The Game of Tarot: From Ferrara to Salt Lake City |isbn=9780715610145 |last1=Dummett |first1=Michael A. E |last2=Mann |first2=Sylvia |year=1980}}</ref>

Two revolutions in European trick-taking games led to the development of ever more sophisticated card games: the invention of trumps, and the requirement of following suit to constrain their power, in the 15th century; and [[bidding]] in the 17th century.

According to card game researcher [[David Parlett]], the oldest known European trick-taking game, [[Karnöffel]], was mentioned in 1426 in the Bavarian town [[Nördlingen]] – roughly half a century after the introduction of playing cards to Europe, which were first mentioned in Spain in 1371.<ref>{{harvnb|Parlett|1990|pages=35, 164}}.</ref> The oldest known game in which certain cards have additional privileges is Karnöffel, where specific ranks of one suit were named ''Karnöffel, Devil, Pope'' etc. and subject to an elaborate system of variable powers. However, these were not trumps in the sense of a suit whose cards uniformly beat all other suit cards.<ref>{{harvnb|Parlett|1990|pages=163–165}}.</ref>

Around 1440 in Italy, special cards called ''[[Trionfi (cards)|trionfi]]'' were introduced with such a function. These special cards are now known as ''tarots'', and a deck augmented by tarots as a [[tarot]] deck. The trionfi/tarots formed essentially a fifth suit without the ordinary ranks but consisting of trumps in a fixed hierarchy. One can get a similar effect by declaring all cards of a fixed or randomly determined suit to be trumps. This method, originating with [[triomphe]], is still followed by a number of modern trick-taking games that do not involve an auction.<ref>{{harvnb|Parlett|1990|pages=163–165}}.</ref>

Trumps were retroactively added to some games, such as [[trappola]]. It is much rarer for trumps to be removed.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=McLeod|first1=John|title=Playing the Game: Austrian Calling Games|journal=[[The Playing-Card]]|date=2013|volume=41|issue=4|pages=235–238}}</ref><ref>McLeod, John. [http://www.pagat.com/marriage/anrufen.html#graden Königrufen (Graden)] at [[pagat.com]]. Retrieved 25 January 2016.</ref> The invention of trumps became so popular that very few European trick-taking games exist without them. This did not stop the two-handed [[piquet]] from becoming the most popular card game in Europe during the 16th century. Parlett suggests the invention of trumps let players in games involving more than two a greater chance of heading a trick.<ref>{{harvnb|Parlett|1990|pages=180}}</ref>

[[File:The Four Friends Playing Hombre.JPG|thumb|"The Four Friends Playing Ombre", 1888, by Malthe Engelstedt]]
The invention of bidding for a trump suit is credited to [[ombre]], the most popular card game of the 17th century. Rather than having a randomly selected trump suit, players can now hold an auction for it. The most popular game of the 18th-century was tarot which experienced a great revival.<ref>{{harvnb|Parlett|1990|page=300}}.</ref> During this time, many tarot games were borrowed bidding over the stock ([[taroc l'hombre]]). In the 20th century, [[whist]], now with bidding and the dummy hand, developed into [[contract bridge]], the last global trick-taking game.

The practice of counting tricks, in plain-trick games, may have originated in the counting of cards won in tricks. It was therefore a logical development to accord some cards a higher counting-value, and some cards no value at all, leading to point-trick games. Point-trick games are at least as old as tarot decks and may even predate the invention of trumps. [[Elfern]] and [[Fünfzehnern]] are possible candidates, although the earliest references date to the 18th century. Nearly all point-trick games are played with tarot decks or [[stripped deck]]s, which in many countries became standard before 1600. Neither point-trick games nor stripped decks have a tradition in England.

While there are a number of games with unusual card-point values, such as [[trappola]] and [[all fours (card game)|all fours]], most point-trick games are in the huge family of [[ace–ten card games]] beginning with [[brusquembille]]. [[Pinochle]] is a representative of this family that is popular in the United States. Other examples include [[belote]] and [[Skat (card game)|skat]].

In contrast to Europe, Chinese trick-taking games did not develop trumps or bidding. They diverged into multi-trick games where melds can only be beaten by other melds provided they have the same number of cards. During the [[Qing dynasty]], these multi-trick games evolved into the earliest draw-and-discard games where the players' objective was to form melds and "go out" rather than capture the opponents' cards. [[Khanhoo]] is an example of a multi-trick game that became a draw-and-discard game.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Berry|first1=John|title=Chinese Money-Suited Cards|journal=[[The Playing-Card]]|date=2003|volume=31|issue=5|pages=230–235}}</ref> Multi-trick games are also probably the source for climbing games like ''[[Zheng Shangyou]]'' and ''[[dou dizhu]]'', which first appeared during the [[Cultural Revolution]].

==Basic structure==
Certain actions in trick-taking games with three or more players always proceed in the same direction. In games originating in North and West Europe, including England, Russia, and the United States and Canada, the rotation is typically clockwise, i.e., play proceeds to the left. In South and East Europe, South America, and Asia it is typically anticlockwise, so that play proceeds to the right. When games move from one region to another, they tend to initially preserve their original sense of rotation. A region with a dominant sense of rotation may adapt a migrated game to its own sensibilities. For two-player games the order of play is moot.

In each ''hand'' or ''deal,'' one player is the ''[[Dealer (card player)|dealer]].'' This function moves from deal to deal in the normal direction of play. The dealer usually [[Shuffling|shuffles]] the deck (some games use "soft shuffling," where the dealer does not explicitly shuffle the deck), and after giving the player one seat from the dealer opposite the normal direction of play an opportunity to [[Cut (cards)|cut]], hands out the same prescribed number of cards to each player, usually in an order following the normal direction of play.

Most games deal cards one at a time in rotation. A few games require dealing multiple cards at one time in a ''packet.'' The cards apportioned to each player are collectively known as that player's ''hand'' and are only known to the player. Some games involve a set of cards that are not dealt to a player's hand. These cards form the ''stock.'' (see below) It is generally good manners to leave one's cards on the table until the deal is complete.

The player sitting one seat after the declarer (one with the highest bid and not the dealer) in normal rotation is known as the ''[[eldest hand]],'' also called the ''forehand'' in [[Skat (card game)|Skat]] and other games of German origin. The eldest hand ''leads'' to the first ''trick,'' i.e. places the first card of the trick face up in the middle of all players. The other players each follow with a single card, in the direction of play. When every player has played a card to the trick, the trick is evaluated to determine the winner, who takes the cards, places them face down on a pile, and leads to the next trick. The winner or taker of a trick is usually the player who played the highest-value card of the suit that was led, unless the game uses one or more ''[[Trump (card games)|trump]]'' cards (see below).

The player who leads to a trick is usually allowed to play an arbitrary card from their hand. Some games have restrictions on the first card played in the hand, or may disallow leading a card of a particular [[suit (cards)|suit]] until that suit has been played "off-suit" in a prior trick, called "breaking" the suit, usually seen in cases of a trump or penalty suit. Other games have special restrictions on the card that must be led to the first trick. Usually this is a specific card, e.g., {{Clubs|2}}. The holder of that card is the eldest hand instead of the person one seat after the dealer.

In many games, the following players must ''[[#Follow suit|follow suit]]'' if they can, i.e., they must play a card of the same suit if possible. A player who cannot follow suit may ''slough'' a card, i.e., play a card of a different suit. A trick is won by the player who has played the highest-ranked card of the ''suit led,'' i.e., of the suit of the first card in the trick, unless the game uses a [[#Trumps|trump suit]].

It can be an advantage to lead to a trick, because the player who leads controls the suit that is led and which others must follow. The leading player playing a suit of which he has many decreases the chance that anyone else would be able to follow suit. Playing a suit of which he has few allows him to rid his hand of that suit, known as ''[[Void (cards)|voiding]]'' the suit, freeing him from the restriction to follow suit when that suit is led by another player.

On the other hand, it can be advantageous to be the final player who plays to the trick, because at that point one has full information about the other cards played to the trick. The last player to a trick can play a card just slightly higher or lower than the current winning card, guaranteeing they will win or lose it by the minimum amount necessary, saving more valuable high or low value cards for situations where they must guarantee that a card played early to a trick will win or lose.

When all cards have been played, the number or contents of the tricks won by each player is tallied and used to update the score. Scoring based on the play of tricks varies widely between games. In most games either the number of tricks a player or partnership has won (''plain-trick'' games), or the value of certain cards that the player has won by taking tricks (''point-trick'' games) is important.

== Partnerships ==
[[File:Bridge demonstratie van Omar Sharif in RAIi, Bestanddeelnr 920-9141.jpg|thumb|Bridge is played between two partnerships]]

In many games such as [[Hearts (card game)|hearts]] and [[oh hell]], all players play individually against each other.

In many four-player games such as [[Contract bridge|bridge]], [[euchre]] and [[Spades (card game)|spades]], the players sitting opposite to each other form a fixed partnership.

Some games such as [[pinochle]] are commonly played with or without partnerships, depending on the number of players.

In some contract/auction games for three or more players, e.g. most [[tarot]] variants, the contractor (''declarer'' or ''taker'') plays alone against all opponents, who form an ''ad hoc'' partnership (the ''defenders'').

In some games the partnerships are decided by chance – the contractor forms a partnership with the winner of the first trick, or with the player who holds a certain card. This practice originated from cinquillo and [[Quadrille (card game)|quadrille]]. In [[Königrufen]] and five-player [[French tarot]] the taker can call out a suit of which he does not possess the king, and is partnered with whomever does have it against the other three. Standard [[Schafkopf]] is similar: A "player" can "call" a suit, and the person holding the ace of that suit becomes his partner for the hand.

As this is not openly declared, it can be a challenge for the remaining players, to find out who is partnered with whom through cunning playing for several tricks. Aside from that, standard Schafkopf also has several solo options, where the "player" plays alone against the rest. In [[Doppelkopf]], the two players holding the black queens are partners for that hand. Special rules are provided for the case where a single player holds both black queens.

==Stock==
In some games not all cards are distributed to the players, and a ''stock'' remains. This stock can be referred to by different names, depending on the game; ''supply'', ''talon'', ''nest'', ''skat'', ''kitty'', and ''dog'' are common game-specific and/or regional names.

In some games the stock remains untouched throughout play of the hand. It is simply a pile of "extra" cards that will never be played and whose values are unknown, which will reduce the effectiveness of "[[Card reading (bridge)|counting cards]]", a common strategy of keeping track of the cards that have been played or are yet to be played. In games without bidding, trumps may be decided by exposing a card in the stock as in [[Triomphe]].

In other games, the winner of an auction-bidding process, the taker or declarer, may get to exchange cards from his hand with the stock, either by integrating the stock into his hand and then discarding equal cards as in [[Skat (card game)|Skat]], [[Rook (card game)|Rook]] and [[French tarot]], or in a "blind" fashion by discarding and drawing as in [[Ombre]]. The stock, either in its original or discarded form, may additionally form part of one or more players' "scoring piles" of tricks taken; it may be kept by the declarer, may be won by the player of the first trick, or may go to an opposing player or partnership.

In some games, especially two-player games, after each trick every player draws a new card. This continues while the stock lasts. Since this drawing mechanism would normally make it difficult or impossible to detect a revoke (for instance, the player may not be able to follow suit, so they play off-suit and then immediately draw a card of the suit led), in the first phase of trick-play (before the stock is empty) players generally need not follow suit. A widespread game of this type is the [[Marriage group]].

== Bidding ==

In a ''contract'' game the winning and scoring conditions are not fixed but are chosen by one of the players after seeing their hand. In such games, players make ''bids'' depending on the number of tricks or card points they believe they can win during play of the hand. One or more of these bids stands as the ''contract'', and the player who made that bid is rewarded for meeting it or penalized for not meeting it.

In ''auction'' games, bidding players are competing against each other for the right to attempt to make the contract. In a few games, the contract is fixed, normally a simple majority, less often based on certain cards captured during play, and players' bids are a wager of game points to be won or lost. In others, the bid is a number of tricks or card points the bidder is confident that they or their partnership will take. Either of these can also include the suit to be used as trumps during the hand.

Common bids include slam (winning all the tricks), [[misère]] (losing all the tricks), ouvert (the contractor's hand is exposed), playing without using the stock or only part of it, and winning the last trick or other specific tricks. The highest bid becomes the contract and the highest bidder is the ''contractor'', known in some games as the ''declarer'' or ''taker'', who then plays either with or without a partner. The other players become ''opponents'' or ''defenders'', whose main goal is to prevent the contract being met. They may announce a ''contra'' against the contractor which doubles the points for the hand. The contractor can declare a ''recontra'' which will double the points again.

Popular examples of games with auctions include [[Contract bridge]], [[Pinochle]], [[Tarot card games|tarot games]], [[Skat (card game)|Skat]], [[Belote]] and [[Twenty-eight (card game)|Twenty-Eight]]. In many auction games the eldest hand leads to the first trick, regardless of who won the auction, but in some, such as [[Contract bridge|Contract Bridge]], the first lead is made by the player next in rotation after the contractor, so that the contractor plays last to that trick.

In ''precision'' or ''exact-prediction'' games, all players choose their winning condition independently: to win precisely a predicted number of tricks ([[oh hell]]) or card points ([[Jass|Differenzler]]). Each player's bid stands. In partnership games the partners' bids are often combined. Each player or partnership then tries to take exactly the number of tricks or points they bid, and are rewarded or penalized for doing so independently of anyone else's success or failure in meeting their bid. This type of game began to mature in the 20th century.<ref>{{harvnb|Parlett|1990|pages=311–315}}.</ref> Other games generally falling into the exact-prediction category are [[Spades (card game)|Spades]] and [[Ninety-nine (trick-taking card game)|Ninety-Nine]].

==Trumps==
[[File:Escáner 20160104 (5).jpg|thumb|A 6 of cups is tucked under the deck in a game of [[Brisca]], to show that cups is the trump suit]]
''[[Trump (card games)|Trump cards]]'' are a set of one or more cards in the deck that, when played, are of higher value than the suit led. If a trick contains any trump cards, it is won by the highest-value trump card played, not the highest-value card of the suit led.

In most games with trumps, one of the four suits is identified as the ''trump suit''. In the simplest case, there is a static trump suit such as the Spade suit in the game [[Spades (card game)|Spades]], or a dedicated trump suit in the [[Tarot card games|Tarot]] family, in addition to the other four, is featured. More often, a dynamic trump suit is determined by some means, either randomly by selection of a card as in [[oh hell]] and the original form of [[Whist]], or decided by the winner or winning bid of an auction as in [[contract bridge]] and some forms of [[Pinochle]].

In certain games, such as Rowboat and Rage, the trump suit may change during the course of the hand, even from trick to trick. Some psychological variety is added to the game and makes it more difficult to cheat if the trump suit is only chosen after dealing.

In some games, in addition to or separately from a trump suit, certain fixed cards are always the highest trumps, e.g. the Jacks in [[Skat (card game)|Skat]], the Jacks or Jokers in [[Euchre]], and the Rook Bird card in [[Rook (card game)|Rook]]. They are called ''matadors'' after the high trumps in [[Ombre]]. ''Matadors'' either have high point values or special abilities as in [[Spoil Five]] where they can revoke legally.

Some games have more than one trump suit, such as the quasi-trick game [[Stortok]], in which there are two trumps, with one superseding the other. Other games have no trumps. [[Hearts (card game)|Hearts]] for instance has no provision for a trump suit of any kind. The Hearts suit for which the game is named has a different significance. Though trump is part of [[contract bridge]], teams can make bids that do not specify a trump suit, called [[notrump]]. If that is the winning bid, then there is no trump suit for that hand. Making such a contract is regarded as harder to accomplish.

In most cases for "no trump" deals, any card other than the leading suit played has no value. In some games such as [[Oh, hell]], where the player may need to not get more tricks to win, playing cards other than the leading suit can be useful.<ref>McLeod, John. [http://www.pagat.com/exact/ohhell.html Oh Hell!] at [[pagat.com]]. Retrieved 18 February 2017.</ref>

==Declarations==
[[File:King and Queen of Clubs.jpg|thumb|In Belote, a "Belote" is a pair of a King and a Queen of the trump suit: it must be declared when the first is played]]
In some games such as [[Piquet]], [[Tarocchini]], and [[Belote]], before the taking of tricks commences, players can expose certain cards or [[Meld (cards)|melds]] (combinations) that they possess for bonus points. While this phase may seem to award players for pure chance, those who do declare risk letting their opponents develop strategies to counter the cards that they have revealed.

==Follow suit==
In many games, ''following suit'' is the action of playing a card of the same suit as that of the leading suit. A player must follow suit if that player has cards of the leading suit in his hands. There is a large variation of strictness in following suit among games.<ref>McLeod, John. [https://www.pagat.com/mech.html#followsuit Mechanics of Card Games] at [[pagat.com]]. Retrieved 18 February 2017.</ref>

In most modern games with trump suits, the rules for following suit do not distinguish between the trump suit and the ''plain suits''. If a trick begins with a plain suit card and a later player cannot follow suit, the player may choose freely to either ''slough'' (discard a card of another plain suit), or ''ruff'' (''trump'' the trick by playing a trump card). Subsequent players to the trick must still follow the original suit, and may only discard or trump if they do not hold a card of the suit led.

Certain games are "play to beat" or "must-trump". If a player cannot follow suit but can play trump, they must play trump. If they are able, they must beat any trump card already played to the trick. [[Pinochle]] and several of the [[Tarot card games]] have this rule.

Some games, notably [[French tarot]] and a variation of [[Rook (card game)|Rook]], use a special card (in French Tarot's case, the [[The Fool (Tarot card)|Excuse]]) that can be played at any time. If not, he has the choice of playing a trump to possibly win the trick, or rough (waste) a different suit.

If unable to follow suit or trump, any card can be played. Each trick must contain one card per player, and hence a player unable to satisfy any other instruction is at liberty to play any card. Usually a low-ranking card or one from a short suit is sacrificed. The former is used to protect a higher ranking card while the latter is to help void a suit so as to allow trumping a future trick.

For example, consider the following [[Whist]] hand, in a game where diamonds {{cards|d}} are the trump:
* North holds: {{cards|As|Ks|4h|9d}}
* East holds: {{cards|7s|5d|Qc|10c}}
* South holds: {{cards|3h|2d|Jd|Ac}}
* West holds: {{cards|5s|2s|6h|5c}}

North leads the deal with {{spades|K}}. Now, all the other players must follow suit, i.e. play a spade card. East has a spade card, and thus must follow suit by playing {{spades|7}}. South, however, does not have any spade card, and thus is allowed to play any card he wants. If he desires to win the trick, he can override North's {{spades|K}} by playing a diamond card (diamond being the trump), for example {{diamonds|J}}. If he does not want to win the trick, he can slough any other suit, such as {{hearts|3}}. Let us assume that he plays {{diamonds|J}}, overriding North's card. Now, West still has to follow suit, since he has a spade card, and plays {{spades|2}}. South's trump card, gives him an opportunity to escape following suit, and he wins the trick.

If a player who can follow suit does not do so, or in games with additional restrictions on card play, not following these restrictions is known as a [[revoke]], or 'renege'. A revoke typically cannot be discovered at the time when it is committed, but when a player plays off-suit to a trick, competent opponents will make a mental note that the player does not hold the suit led, and will notice later if the player later plays a card of the suit they were thought to be void in. The situation is similar for other types of revoke.

Most game rules prescribe a severe penalty for a revoke and may also result in the hand being voided, a "misdeal". Decks of cards have been marketed for trick-taking games with the traditional French suit symbols, but in four colors. These are often called [[Four-color deck|"no-revoke" decks]], as the color contrast between each suit makes a potential revoking play easier to spot and harder to do accidentally.

In some trick games—typically ones in which players are not penalized for winning tricks, and there is no requirement for trumping or following suit when possible—players may ''slough'', or play a card face down. A card so played is incapable of winning the trick; but sloughing has the advantage that the other players cannot see what card is played. As this form of sloughing has the potential to be used to cheat in most games (i.e. playing a winning card face-down to avoid taking an "overtrick" or a trick containing penalty points) and is thus not allowed. ''Sloughing'' in the vernacular more often refers to simply discarding an off-suit card on a trick, particularly one that could be dangerous to that player if kept.

This form of sloughing is important in evasion games and in some contract games where "overtricks" are penalized. In [[oh hell]], for instance, a player who cannot follow suit may elect to discard a card that would win if played to follow suit later, thus reducing the chance that the player will "bag", or take more tricks than needed. This is common in [[Hearts (card game)|Hearts]], where high-value cards are dangerous, especially Spades and Hearts, as they increase the chance of winning a trick with penalty points.

Some games such as [[Pinochle]] use several decks shuffled together. In these games, there may be several equal winning cards in a trick; such games then use other rules to break ties. Common rules include:
* the first-played of the tying cards wins
* the last-played of the tying cards wins
* The tying cards cancel each other out, and the trick is taken by the next-highest card that was played.
* The tying cards cancel each other out, but the trick is spoiled (ignored).

A common additional rule to reduce these occurrences is that a player cannot play a card tying the current high card unless they would renege or fail to overtrump by making any other play.

==Scoring==
When all tricks have been played, the winner of the hand and the players' scores can be determined. The determining factor in plain-trick games, the most popular form of trick-taking games in English-speaking countries, is simply how many tricks each player or partnership has taken. In point-trick games, certain card values are worth varying points. The players sum the points from cards in their "scoring piles" that were accumulated by taking tricks.

Points for cards, and the method of counting points, vary by game. In Rook, for example, the 5-card of each color is worth 5 points, the 10 and 14 (or Ace) is worth 10, and the Rook Bird (or Joker) is worth 20, while all other cards are worth nothing. Many Chinese card games like Finding Friends use a very similar system, in which each 5-card is worth 5 points, and the 10 and King are each worth 10 points.<ref>Rules for Chinese trick-taking card game [http://www.zhao-pengyou.com/ "Finding Friends (Zhao Pengyou)"]. Retrieved on 7 September 2018.</ref>

Pinochle has many popular scoring variants usually based on point values for face cards and Aces, while pip cards score no points. In French tarot, all cards have a value including a half-point, and are traditionally scored in pairs of a high-value and a low-value card which results in a whole-point value for the pair.

In the most common ''positive'' or ''race'' games, players seek to win as many tricks or card points as possible. To win a hand, a player typically needs to win a minimal number of tricks or card points; this minimal threshold is usually called the "contract", and may be defined by the game's rules (a simple majority of total available points or tricks, or tiered thresholds depending on which player or side has captured certain cards), or the result of an "auction" or "bidding" process. A player who wins more than the number of tricks or card points necessary for winning the hand may be rewarded with a higher score, or conversely (in exact-prediction games) they may be penalized.

There are also ''negative'' or ''evasion'' games, in which the object is to avoid tricks or card points. E.g. in Hearts each card point won in a trick contributes negatively to the score. A special type is ''misère'' games, which are usually variants of positive games which can only be won by not winning a single trick.

Other criteria also occur. Sometimes the last trick has special significance. In ''marriage games'' such as Pinochle the winner of the last trick receives 10 points in addition to the card points, while in ''final-trick'' games such as cắt tê only the winner of the last trick can win a hand. There are also blends between positive and negative games, e.g. the aim may be to win a certain prescribed number of tricks. Many card games, regardless of their normal scoring mechanism, give bonuses to players or partnerships who win all tricks or possible points in a hand, or conversely lose all tricks or points.

Games usually end after every player has had an equal chance to be the dealer. The number of rotations varies widely among games. Some games have a cumulative score where all points from each hand add up. Others assign only a set number of game points for winning a hand. For example, a player or side that wins one hand may be awarded one game point, two if they achieve a slam. The player or side with the most game points or the first to reach a certain number of card or game points, is considered the winner.

==Special variations==
=== Variations to basic rules ===
Numerous further variations to the basic rules may occur, and only a few examples can be mentioned here:
* Certain games require the holder of a certain card value to play it as the lead to the first trick of a hand; [[Hearts (card game)|Hearts]], as commonly played in North America, requires the player holding the {{Clubs|2}} to play it as the lead-off card. Variants of [[Pinochle]] sometimes require the first player to the left of the dealer that holds a ''dix'' ({{Clubs|9}}) to lead off.
* There may be restrictions on leading certain suits; a common Hearts rule is that a player may not lead a Heart until at least one trick has had a Heart played off-suit to another trick. Spades has a similar but less-common variation regarding its trump suit.
* There are trick-taking games played with [[Domino]] tiles instead of playing cards. These include the Chinese [[Tien Gow]] and [[42 (dominoes)|Texas 42]]. Giog is played with [[Xiangqi|Chinese chess]] tiles.
* Many games are played with one or more ''[[stripped deck]]s'' (a deck from which certain card values are removed). The most common stripped deck is a [[piquet deck]], used for [[piquet]], [[Belote]], [[Skat (card game)|Skat]], [[Euchre]], [[Bête]], [[Écarté]], [[Bezique]] and (with two piquet decks) [[Pinochle]], among others. [[Rook (card game)|Rook]]'s main variant, Kentucky Discard, uses the equivalent of a 52-card deck with all card values 2–4 removed. Most regional [[Tarot]] variants, especially Central European and Italian variants like Tarock and Tarocco, use some subset of the "full" 78-card Tarot deck.
* In Bridge the partner of the contractor or ''declarer'' is called ''dummy'' and does not actively participate in the play; dummy's hand is instead laid on the table face-up after the opening lead, and declarer chooses the cards from dummy's hand to play during dummy's turns.
* In [[Karuta#Unsun Karuta|Hachinin-meri]] and Truf, trumps are played face down. When the trick is finished, the trumps are revealed to see who won the trick.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Depaulis|first1=Thierry|title=Unsun, a Far-eastern Cousin of Ombre|journal=[[The Playing-Card]]|date=1983|volume=12|issue=1|pages=39–44}}</ref><ref>McLeod, John. [http://www.pagat.com/exact/truf.html Truf] at [[pagat.com]]. Retrieved 25 January 2016.</ref>
* In many trumpless games that do not require following suit, sloughing is done face down. This is done in [[Madiao]], [[Tien Gow]], [[Tam cúc]], [[:zh:六虎牌|Six Tigers]], [[Ganjifa]], [[Kaiserspiel]], and Brazilian [[Truco]].
* Some cards lose their trick-taking power if they are not led or played in a specific trick as in [[Karnöffel]], [[Tien Gow]], and [[Ganjifa]].
* In [[tarot game]]s played outside of Central Europe, [[The Fool (Tarot card)|the Fool]] is a special card that excuses the player from following suit. Except in rare circumstances in some games, it can neither capture nor be captured. Usually a non-counting card is given as compensation to the trick's winner by the Fool's owner.

=== Rules in Austrian and German games ===
In games derived from Austria and Germany, trick-taking is governed by the rules called ''Zwänge''. The three main ones are ''Farbzwang'', ''Stichzwang'' and ''Trumpfzwang''. Although they broadly equate to rules in English-speaking countries, there are no single-word equivalents. For many games of this type, applying these rules correctly is crucial to the type of contract being played.

==== ''Farbzwang'' ====
''Farbzwang'' (or ''Bedienzwang'') literally means "suit compulsion" and is the rule that players must follow the suit of the first card to be led to the trick, provided that they have a card of that suit. If a player does not have a card of the led suit, rules vary depending on whether the other ''Zwänge'' apply.

==== ''Stichzwang'' ====
''Stichzwang'' means "trick compulsion" and is the rule that players must attempt to win the trick if they are able, either by playing a higher card of the led suit or by playing a trump card to a [[side suit]] lead.

==== ''Farbzwang'' with ''Stichzwang'' ====
Some games apply ''Farbzwang'' and ''Stichzwang'' together, which means that a player, when it is his or her turn, must:
* take the trick with a higher card of the led suit. If unable to do so, the player must
* discard a lower card of the led suit. If that is not possible, the player must
* take the trick with a trump card, but if that is also not feasible, the player may
* discard any card.

''Farbzwang'', the requirement to follow suit, almost always takes precedence over ''Stichzwang''. A player is not allowed to take the trick with a trump if able to follow suit. There are rare instances where e.g. [[All Fours (card game)|All Fours]] rules apply i.e. a player with a card of the led suit may either follow suit or trump, but only if unable to follow may a player discard.

==== ''Trumpfzwang'' ====
''Trumpfzwang'' means "trump compulsion" and requires that a player ''must'' play a trump if unable to follow suit. In other words, the player may not simply discard, if unable to follow.

''Example'': Acorns are trumps. Peter is forehand and plays the 8 of Bells, middlehand trumps with a 10 of Acorns; Anna is rearhand and has no Bells, but does have a trump card, the 8 of Acorns. She must play this and cannot discard another non-trump card in order to keep the trump for a subsequent trick.

==== ''Tarockzwang'' ====
''Tarockzwang'' is used in [[tarock game]]s such as [[Königrufen]] and [[Tapp-Tarock]] and means "Tarock compulsion" or the requirement to play a Tarock card if one is led to the trick or if a player is unable to follow suit. It is a form of ''Trumpfzwang''.

== Examples ==
Trick-taking games may be divided into point-trick games and plain-trick games. Examples of each are as follows:

=== Point-trick games ===
Point-trick game are those in which win or loss is determined by the total value of the "counters" in the tricks.<ref name="parlett,2008,644–645">{{harvnb|Parlett|2008|pages=644–645}}.</ref> The counters are cards with a point value, sometimes referred to as "card points" to avoid confusion with "game points" awarded for winning the game and/or bonuses.

Examples include:

{{Div col|colwidth=20}}
* [[Bavarian Tarock]]
* [[Belote]]
* [[Bézique]]
* [[Binokel]]
* [[Briscola]]
* [[Clabber]]
* [[Doppelkopf]]
* [[Jass]]
* [[Schafkopf]]
* [[Schnapsen]] or [[Sixty-six (card game)|Sixty-six]]
* [[Sheng ji]]
* [[Skat (card game)|Skat]]
* [[Tarock (card games)|Tarock]] games ([[French Tarot]], [[Königrufen]], [[Zwanzigerrufen]], etc.)
* [[Trappola]] (Bulka)

{{Div col end}}

=== Plain-trick games ===
Plain-trick games are those in which the outcome is determined by the number of tricks taken, regardless of their content.<ref name="parlett,2008,644–645"/>

Examples of plain-trick games include:

{{Div col|colwidth=20}}
* [[Boston (card game)|Boston]]
* [[Contract bridge|Bridge]]
* Callbreak
* [[Écarté]]
* [[Ombre]], [[Bête]], and [[Quadrille (card game)|Quadrille]]
* [[Piquet]]
* [[Préférence]]
* [[Solo Whist]]
* [[Spades (card game)|Spades]]
* [[Tippen]]
* [[Watten (card game)|Watten]]
* [[Whist]]

{{Div col end}}

In games that consist of several successive, different, trick-taking contracts, such as Herzeln or Quodlibet, it is not possible to categorise them as either point- or plain-trick games.

=== Last trick games ===
In a very few games the aim is to win the last trick. These include:

* [[Agram (card game)|Agram]]
* [[Femkort]]
* [[Letzter Stich]]
* [[Toepen]]

=== Trick-avoidance games ===
Trick-avoidance games are those in which the aim is to avoid taking certain tricks or to avoid taking all tricks. [[Misère|Misere]] or [[Bettel (cards)|bettel]] are contracts in which the declarer undertakes to win no tricks. There are also contracts like Piccolo in the game of [[Königrufen]], in which the aim is to take only one trick. Examples include:

* [[Bassadewitz]]
* [[Gong Zhu]]
* [[Grasobern]]
* [[Hearts (card game)|Hearts]]
* [[Polignac (card game)|Polignac]]
* [[Slobberhannes]]

==See also==
* [[List of trick-taking games]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{Citation
|last1=Dummett
|first1=Michael
|last2=Mann
|first2=Sylvia
|title=The Game of Tarot: From Ferrara to Salt Lake City
|year=1980
|publisher=Duckworth
|isbn=9780715610145}}
* {{Citation
|last1=Kastner
|first1=Hugo
|last2=Folkvord
|first2=Gerald K.
|title=Die große Humboldt Enzyklopädie der Kartenspiele
|year=2005
|publisher=Humboldt
|language=de
|isbn=978-3-89994-058-9}}
* {{Citation
|editor-last=McLeod
|editor-first=John
|title=Card Games website
|url=http://www.pagat.com/}}.
* {{Citation
|last=Parlett
|first=David
|title=The Oxford guide to card games: a historical survey
|year=1990
|publisher=Oxford University Press
|isbn=978-0-19-214165-1
|url-access=registration
|url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordguidetocar00parl
}}.
* {{Citation
|last=Parlett
|first=David
|title=The Penguin Book of Card Games
|year=2008
|edition=3rd
|publisher=Penguin Books
|isbn=978-0-14-103787-5}}.

{{List of trick-taking games|state=open}}
{{Tarot and Tarock card games}}{{Tabletop games by type}}
[[Category:Card game terminology]]
[[Category:Trick-taking games| ]]

Hearts (card game)

2025-10-09T18:29:14Z

2600:8800:4000:20E:1031:EF09:EE66:A6E0: /* Chasse Coeur */changed template to match rest of article

{{Short description|Card game}}
{{for|the Microsoft game|Microsoft Hearts}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox card game
| title = Hearts
| subtitle = An evasion-type trick-taking game for 3 to 6 players
| image_link = File:English pattern cards - Suit of Hearts - IMG 7731.jpg
| image_caption = All the cards of the Hearts suit
| alt_names =
| type = [[Trick-taking]]
| players = 3–6, (4 is best)
| play = Clockwise
| card_rank = A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2, no trump
| num_cards = 52-card (51 or 54 for 3 or 6 players, 50 for 5)
| deck = [[French-suited playing cards|French]]
| origin = [[United States]]
| related = [[Black Lady]]{{*}}[[Black Maria (card game)|Black Maria]]{{*}}[[Cancellation Hearts]]
| playing_time = 5 minutes per hand
| random_chance = Low – moderate
| skills = [[Card counting]], [[tactic (method)|Tactics]], [[Teamwork]]
| footnotes = '''Notes:''' ''Hearts, while not trump, award one penalty point each, hence the game's name.'' Aim: avoid capturing hearts
}}
'''Hearts''' is an "evasion-type" [[trick-taking game|trick-taking]] [[playing card]] game for four players, although most variations can accommodate between three and six players. It was first recorded in the [[United States]] in the 1880s and has many variants, some of which are also referred to as "Hearts", especially the games of [[Black Lady]] and [[Black Maria (card game)|Black Maria]]. The game is a member of the [[Whist]] group of trick-taking games (which also includes [[Contract bridge|Bridge]] and [[Spades (card game)|Spades]]), but is unusual among Whist variants in that it is a [[trick-avoidance]] game; players avoid winning certain penalty cards in tricks, usually by avoiding winning tricks altogether. The original game of Hearts is still current, but it has been overtaken in popularity by Black Lady in the United States and Black Maria in [[Great Britain]], respectively.

== History ==
The game of Hearts probably originated with [[Reversis]],<ref>"History of Hearts" in {{cite book|last=Roya|first=Will|date=2021|title=Card Night: Classic Games, Classic Decks, and the History Behind Them|publisher=Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers|page=131|isbn=9780762473519}}</ref> which became popular around 1750 in Spain. In this game, a penalty point was awarded for each trick won, plus additional points for taking {{cards|Jh}} or {{cards|Qh}} in tricks. A similar game called "Four Jacks" centred around avoiding any trick containing a Jack, which were worth one penalty point, and {{cards|Js}} worth two.<ref>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Hearts |volume=13 |pages=134–135}}</ref>

Hearts itself emerged in the United States during the 1880s, ''The Standard Hoyle'' of 1887 reporting that it had only been played there for "the last five years" and was "probably of German origin".{{efn|This could still refer to Reversis, which had been popular in Germany since the mid-18th century.}} It described Hearts as "a most pleasant game, highly provocative of laughter". It was a no-trump, trick-taking game for four players using a full pack of cards, the aim being to avoid taking any hearts in tricks. The basic format has changed little since. Two scoring variants were mentioned under the name 'Double or Eagle Game'. The first was the precursor to Spot Hearts whereby the cards of the heart suit cost the following in chips: Ace 14, King 13, Queen 12, Jack 11 and pip cards their face value. The second scoring scheme was: Ace 5, King 4, Queen 3, Jack 2 and all pips 1 chip each.{{sfn|The Standard Hoyle|1887|pp=234–237}}

In 1909, the [[Queen of spades|{{cards|Qs}}]] was added as the highest penalty card in a variant called either Discard Hearts, after the new feature of passing unwanted cards to other players following the deal, or [[Black Lady]], after the nickname for the {{cards|Qs}}. This new variant has since become the standard game of the Hearts group in the United States where it is often, somewhat confusingly, also called "Hearts". To begin with, Black Lady did not have the option of "shooting the moon"; that came later.

In the 1920s, the {{cards|Jd}} variation (ten positive points) was introduced. Sometime later, the scoring was reversed so that penalty points were expressed as positive instead of negative.

The [[slam (cards)|slam]] is known as "shooting the moon" and first appeared in Britain in 1939 in a variant of Hearts called Hitting the Moon. Today this feature is a common element of modern Black Lady.{{sfn|Phillips|Westall|1939|pp=189/190}}

Meanwhile, in Britain, the game of [[Black Maria (card game)|Black Maria]], with its additional penalty cards in the suit of spades, emerged in 1939.{{sfn|Phillips|Westall|1939|pp=106–136}} Both it and another offshoot, Omnibus Hearts, are "sufficiently different and popular to justify descriptions as separate games."{{sfn|Arnold|1995|p=141}}

The game has increased in popularity through Internet gaming sites which, however, usually offer the Black Lady variant while still calling it Hearts, whereas most books maintain the distinction between the two games. Microsoft Windows included Hearts (in fact Black Lady) in its operating system from Windows 3.1 to Windows 7, making it one of the earliest digital renditions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-20 |title=How to play hearts the card game |url=https://www.howtoplayhearts.com/posts/history |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=www.howtoplayhearts.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Earliest rules (1887) ==
The following rules are based on those published in ''The Standard Hoyle'' of 1887.{{sfn|The Standard Hoyle|1887|pp=234–240}}

=== Preliminaries ===
The game is usually played by four players, but three to six can be accommodated (see below). The aim is to avoid taking any cards of the heart [[suit (cards)|suit]] in [[tricks (cards)|tricks]]. A [[standard 52-card pack]] of [[English pattern]] cards is used, cards [[ranking (cards)|ranking]] from [[ace]] (high) down to the two. Players draw a fixed number of [[chips (cards)|chips]], typically 25 or 50, which may or may not have a monetary value. The [[deck (cards)|deck]] is [[shuffled]] by the [[dealer (card player)|dealer]], [[cut (cards)|cut]] by the player to the right, and then [[dealing (cards)|dealt]] clockwise beginning with [[eldest hand]], the player left of the dealer, until each player has thirteen cards. There are no [[trumps (cards)|trumps]]. If cards are misdealt, the deal passes to the left. If cards are faced in the pack, the dealer reshuffles, offers it for the cut and re-deals.

=== Playing ===
Eldest hand leads to the first trick. Players must [[follow suit]] if able; otherwise may [[discard (cards)|discard]] any card. The trick is won by the highest card of the [[led suit]] and the trick winner leads to the next trick. If a player [[revoke (cards)|revokes]], they lose the trick and pay the pre-agreed penalty in chips.

=== Scoring ===
A player taking all 13 hearts pays (or gets paid by if Shoot the Moon rule is used) 13 chips: four to each opponent and one to (or from if Shoot the Moon rule is used) the table. Otherwise, the player with the lowest number of hearts wins and the others pay that player in chips the number of hearts they took. So if A has one heart, B two, C four and D six, A will receive 2 chips from B, 4 from C and six from D making 12 ''in total''. If two or more players have the lowest number of hearts, they divide the spoils and any remainder stays on the table for the next round. So if A and B have two hearts, C has three and D has six, C pays 3 chips, D pays 6 and A and B claim 4 each, leaving the remaining chip on the table. A player who revokes in order to avoid taking 13 chips, pays 8 to each opponent.

==== Variants ====
There are two scoring variants known as the Double Game of Hearts (or Eagle Game of Hearts):
# The hearts score the following in chips: ace 14, king 13, queen 12, jack 11 and pip cards their face value (e.g. the nine is worth 9 chips)
# The hearts score the following in chips: ace 5, king 4, queen 3, jack 2 and pip cards their face value.
# If a player captures all 13 Hearts, they get paid 13 chips (Shoot the Moon).

== Modern rules (2011) ==
The following rules are based on Arnold (2011).{{sfn|Arnold|2011|pp=}}

=== Preliminaries ===
Three to six may play, but four is best. A [[standard pack]] is used. For three players, the {{cards|2c}} is removed; for five players the {{cards|2c}} and {{cards|2d}} are removed, for six players the {{cards|3c}}, {{cards|2c}}, {{cards|2d}} and {{cards|2s}} are left out. Players draw cards to determine the first dealer; lowest deals. Deal and play are clockwise. Dealer shuffles and youngest hand (right of dealer) cuts. The dealer then deals all the cards, individually and face down, beginning with the eldest hand (to the left of the dealer).

==== Passing ====
A common variant is that players will select three cards from their hand and pass them to another player in a predetermined cycle that changes each hand, receiving three replacement cards from another player. This allows players to attempt to improve their hand, such as by discarding high-ranking cards likely to win a penalty trick, and also provides some information-sharing since the player passing knows three of the cards the player they passed to now holds.

=== Playing ===
Eldest hand leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if able; otherwise, they may play any card. The trick is won by the highest card of the suit led, and the winning player [[capture (cards)|captures]] the cards played in the trick. The winner also leads the following trick.

==== Minor rule variants ====
* Instead of the eldest hand leading, the player holding the {{cards|2c}} leads it to the first trick.
* A heart may not be played to lead a trick until another Heart has been played off-suit (known as "breaking Hearts"), or the leading player has a hand of all Hearts.
* A penalty card may not be played to the first trick. If a player's hand has only penalty cards (rare), a misdeal may be called, or any of several possibilities for the penalty card on the first trick can be implemented, such as not counting that point, or laying it aside and giving it to the player who has the least nonzero points for the hand.
* For three players, two Jokers can also be added; how these cards behave when played can vary, most commonly they can never win any trick.

=== Scoring ===
Each heart captured in tricks incurs a penalty point, there being thirteen penalty points in total. The winner is the player with the lowest score either after an agreed number of deals, such as 8, or when one player reaches an agreed ending score, such as 100 points.

If Hearts is played for [[stakes (cards)|stakes]], the average score is worked out and those above it pay the difference into a [[pool (cards)|pool]], while those below it draw the difference.

==== Shooting the moon ====
With this rule variant (also known as "running") in effect, a player who captures every penalty card in the hand may either deduct this maximum score from their total, or add it to every other player's score.

== Variants ==
=== Auction Hearts ===
The variant of Auction Hearts appears for the first time in the 1897 edition of ''Foster's Complete Hoyle''. It is a game for four players, although five or six may "form a table". Its novel feature is that, after the deal, players may bid in sequence to declare the penalty suit. The eldest hand begins the [[bidding (cards)|bidding]] by stating the number of chips they're willing to pay for the privilege of naming the suit. The succeeding players may pass or bid higher. The dealer goes last and there is only one round of bidding. The player who wins the auction pays the winning bid into the pool and leads to the first trick.{{sfn|Foster|1897|pp=317–318}}{{sfn|Parlett|2008|p=139}}

=== Black Jack ===
{{Distinguish|Blackjack}}
Black Jack appeared at the same time as Black Lady, both as alternative names for the more general name of Discard Hearts. Discard Hearts, as the name suggests, introduced the concept of discarding (also called passing or exchanging) for the first time into Hearts. It is identical to the basic Black Lady game, but with the {{cards|Js}} as the penalty card, worth 10 "hearts" (i.e. points).{{sfn|Foster|1909|p=356}} It is last mentioned by Gibson in 1974, only this time with the same penalty as Black Lady of 13 points.{{sfn|Gibson|1974|p=32}}

=== Black Lady ===
{{main|Black Lady}}
Black Lady appeared in 1909, at which time it was also called Discard Hearts, and has since become the most popular variant in the United States, overtaking Hearts itself to become a game in its own right. It is frequently, and confusingly, also called Hearts, not least in computer gaming versions. However, its distinguishing feature is that the {{cards|Qs}}, the Black Lady, is an additional penalty card worth 13 points. The first description of the game already included the feature of discarding cards to one's neighbour after the deal. Over time, the game has developed elaborations such as 'shooting the moon' and passing cards in different directions with each deal.{{sfn|Foster|1909|p=356}}{{sfn|Morehead|Mott-Smith|Morehead|2001}}

=== Black Maria ===
{{main|Black Maria (card game)|l1=Black Maria}}
Black Maria is the British variant of Hearts and features three additional penalty cards – the {{cards|As}} worth 10 points, the {{cards|Ks}} worth 7 points and the Black Maria or {{cards|Qs}} worth 13 points. It was first described by Hubert Phillips in the mid-20th century.{{sfn|Parlett|2008|p=139}} It usually includes passing to the right (not left as in other variants) which is considered more challenging because you don't know any of the next player's cards. Hitting the moon is an optional rule.{{sfn|Arnold|1995|p=36}} Confusingly, sometimes the name Black Lady is given to this game and sometimes Black Lady is called Black Maria.{{efn|Sources giving the name Black Lady as an alternative for Black Maria include ''The Card Game Set'' (2003) and its successor ''The Card Game Bible'' (2014). Sources giving the name Black Maria to Black Lady include Bathe (1998) and Katz (2012).}}

=== Cancellation Hearts ===
{{main|Cancellation Hearts}}
Cancellation Hearts was first described in 1950 by Culbertson and is a variant designed for larger numbers of players, typically 6 to 11 players, using two packs shuffled together. If exactly the same card is played twice in one trick, the cards cancel each other out and neither can win the trick. If two such pairs appear in the same trick, the whole trick is cancelled and the cards are rolled over to the winner of the next trick.{{sfn|Culbertson|1950|p=244}}

=== Chasse Coeur ===
A French variant from the second half of the 19th century which originated in both France and Belgium. The aim is to avoid taking all four Queens as well as all hearts. Three to six may play, but the game is best for four. Queens are worth 13 penalty points each, the hearts (except the {{cards|Qh}}) 1 penalty point each. A player may declare a ''Générale'' and seek to win all the penalty cards; if successful, the opponents score 64 penalty points each; if unsuccessful, the declarer scores 64. A silent (unannounced) ''Générale'' incurs 54 penalty points for each opponent.<ref>Gerver (1966), pp. 121–123.</ref>

=== Domino Hearts ===
Another variant first noted by Foster in 1909, the key feature is that it is played with a stock. Each player receives six cards and the remainder are placed face down on the table as stock. A player unable to follow suit has to draw cards, one at a time, from the stock until they can follow suit. The last player holding cards must pick up any remaining cards in the stock and count them with their tricks. Every heart taken scores one penalty point. As soon as any player reaches or exceeds thirty-one points, the game is over and the winner is the player with the fewest hearts scored.{{sfn|Foster|1909|p=357}}

=== Greek Hearts ===
Greek Hearts is a name given to at least three different variants. In the earliest version, which Phillips and Westall (1939) say is widely played in Greece hence why they call it "Greek Hearts", the {{cards|Qs}} scores 50 penalty points, the {{cards|Ah}} scores 15, the courts score 10 and the remaining pip cards of the Hearts suit score their face value. A player taking all the penalty cards scores 150, that is, gets paid 150 points by each opponent. There is "a great deal more in the game than there is in '[[Slippery Anne]]'" (Black Lady).{{sfn|Phillips|Westall|1939|pp=106–136}} Meanwhile, Culbertson (1950) describes it as the game of Black Lady with three changes: three cards are always passed to the right, the {{cards|Jd}} counts as 10 plus points and a heart card may not be led to the first trick of the game.{{sfn|Culbertson|1950|p=245}} Maguire's version (1990) is essentially Spot Hearts with passing to the left{{sfn|Maguire|1990|p=65}} and Parlett (2008) has a similar scoring system to the original, with the {{cards|Qs}} valued at 50 penalty points, the {{cards|Ah}} at 15, courts 10 each, but the remaining hearts as only 1 each.{{sfn|Parlett|2008|p=140}}

=== Heartsette ===
Heartsette is another very early variant that is still played. Its distinguishing feature is a [[widow (cards)|widow]]. When four play, the {{cards|2s}} is removed, twelve cards are dealt to each player and the remaining three cards are placed face down in the centre of the table to form the widow. For other numbers of players, the full pack is used, the widow comprising three cards when three play, two when five play and four when six play. The player winning the first trick takes the widow and any hearts it contains. That player may look at these cards, but may not show them to anyone. Otherwise, the game is played as normal. The key difference from basic Hearts is that the first winner is the only one who knows how many and which hearts are still to be played.{{sfn|Foster|1897|p=319–320}}

=== Joker Hearts ===
Joker Hearts is recorded as early as 1897.{{sfn|Foster|1897|pp=318–319}} One or more [[Joker (playing card)|Jokers]] are added, which can be played at any time (regardless if following suit is possible).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pagat.com/invented/hearts_vars.html |title=Rules of Card Games: Hearts Variations |publisher=Pagat.com |access-date=24 April 2012}}</ref> They cannot win tricks or score any penalty points.

=== Omnibus Hearts ===
In 1950, Culbertson reported that Omnibus Hearts was "rapidly becoming the most popular of Hearts games" and was so called because it included all the features found in different members of the Hearts family and Arnold states that it is "sufficiently different and popular" to justify being described as a separate game."{{sfn|Arnold|1995|p=141}} In effect, Omnibus Hearts is really a variant of Black Lady where the bonus card of {{cards|10d}} is included which earns 10 plus points for the player who takes it in a trick. A similar sub-variant often called the "Jack of Diamonds rule" gives this effect to the {{cards|Jd}} instead.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.trickstercards.com/home/help/HowToPlay.aspx?file=hearts-basics.html |title=Hearts Basics - Trickster Cards}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/hearts-card-game |title=Hearts - Rules, Strategy and Tips - Britannica}}</ref> A player who takes all fifteen counters ({{cards|10d}}, {{cards|Qs}} and thirteen hearts), scores 26 plus points for the deal and the rest score zero (noting that in Culbertson's Black Lady rules, what is now called shooting the moon results in no player scoring for that deal).{{sfn|Culbertson|1950|p=245}} Arnold (2011) states that Omnibus Hearts is considered the best version of Hearts by many players. He refers to the [[capture (cards)|capture]] of all counting cards as "hitting the moon, take-all or slam". The game ends when a player reaches or exceeds 100 penalty points, whereupon the player with the lowest score wins.{{sfn|Arnold|2011|p=}}

=== Partnership Hearts ===
A recent variant that allows people to play in [[partnership (cards)|partnership]]. There are three versions of Partnership Hearts. In the first, partners sit opposite one another and combine their scores, a team that successfully shoots the moon causing the other to earn 52 penalty points. In the second, partners also face each other at the table, but keep individual scores. A player shooting the moon must do this alone. When a player reaches 100 or more, the partners combine their scores and the team with the lower score wins. The third is really a variant of Omnibus Hearts with a [[slam (cards)|slam]] bid. After the deal, players bid to shoot the moon by taking all tricks. The player holding the {{cards|10d}} becomes the silent partner of the winning bidder and they combine their scores. If no one bids, the game is played as in Omnibus Hearts with no partnerships.{{sfn|Morehead|Mott-Smith|Morehead|2001}}

=== Spot Hearts ===
Spot Hearts appeared as a variant in the first description of Hearts in 1887, albeit referred to as the Double Game of Hearts or the Eagle Game of Hearts,{{sfn|The Standard Hoyle|1887|pp=236–237}} being first named Spot Hearts by Foster in 1897. Both names continued to be used until the 1920s when Spot Hearts became the standard name of the game. The key difference is that the hearts are now worth values ranging from 2 to 14, rather than being worth 1 chip (or penalty point) each. The actual values are: {{cards|Ah}} at 14, {{cards|Kh}} at 13, {{cards|Qh}} at 12, {{cards|Jh}} at 11 and [[Pip (counting)#Playing cards|pips]] score their face value. Foster remarks that "this adds nothing to the interest or skill of the game; but rather tends to create confusion and delay, owing to the numerous disputes as to the correctness of the count."{{sfn|Foster|1897|p=318}} Nevertheless, the game has been regularly listed right up to the present day with the ''Little Giant Encyclopedia'' (2009) giving an alternative name of Chip Hearts.{{sfn|Little Giant Encyclopedia|2009|p=89}} Modern rules however, tend to score the {{cards|Ah}} as 1 penalty point rather than the original 14.{{efn|See, for example, ''Little Giant Encyclopedia'' (2009) and Glenn and Denton (2003).}}

=== Royal Hearts ===
''Royal Hearts'' was a commercial variant of the game produced in the early 2000s by [[Parker Brothers]], now owned by [[Hasbro]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/Royal_Hearts_Card_Game.pdf |title=Royal Hearts Instructions (PDF)}}</ref> The variant encompasses special card effects from other variants like Omnibus, assigned to the four Queens. The {{cards|Qs}} is worth 26 penalty points, double its typical point value in Black Lady, while the {{cards|Qh}} doubles the point value of all Heart cards captured by that player (including the {{cards|Qh}} itself), thus allowing for 52 potential penalty points per hand. Mitigating these, the {{cards|Qd}} reduces a player's total score by 10 (but not below zero), similar to Omnibus's use of the {{cards|10d}} or {{cards|Jd}}, while the {{cards|Qc}} negates the penalty of the {{cards|Qs}} if captured by the same player during the same hand. Shooting the moon is possible, and allows either subtracting the hand score (including the effects of other Queens) from the total score, or adding that score to all other players' totals.

==Strategy==
;Losing tricks
As an "evasion" trick game, taking a trick is rarely advantageous; it may be harmless (no penalty points), but the winning player must then lead the next trick, and all other players will very likely try to lose that trick as well. It is generally good strategy to try to lose every trick, however tricks in the early game are relatively "safe" as players are more likely to have to follow suit. A common lead play is a low-value card to deliberately lose the lead for the next trick. Undershooting, or following suit with a card just slightly lower in rank to the current high card, is a common strategy for those playing later to a trick; this allows a player, for instance, to safely play a Queen that may otherwise win a trick underneath the King or Ace of the suit. The very lowest cards in each suit (2-4) are very valuable as they basically guarantee the player will not win a trick in that suit in the early or middle stages; however, they can still win a trick (and penalty points) late in the hand if other players have managed to rid themselves of that suit.

;Leading Hearts early
Although it appears wise to play low hearts first, it is usually better to hold onto them until it is clearer, from the fall of the cards, to whom you are giving them. Low hearts are especially handy for passing the lead over in the dangerous final few tricks. The exception to this is when one's plain suit cards are high or dangerous, but hearts are relatively low. In this case, it may be better to ditch the hearts earlier on.

; Being Void or Long
To have a [[void (cards)|void]] is to have no cards of one suit, also known as "being void in" that suit. This is usually a highly advantageous situation; because the player cannot follow suit, they cannot win any trick in which that suit is led, and can also use that opportunity to play risky cards off-suit, such as high face cards or penalty Hearts (known as "sloughing"). Because every card in the deck is dealt to someone, at least one other player will be "long" in that same suit (having relatively more cards in that suit). Being long in a suit, especially Hearts, can have its own advantages, however one potential disadvantage is that the player may find themselves unable to "lose the lead" at the end of the hand after all other cards of the long suit have been played, and be forced to take several penalty-filled tricks.

;Ace of Hearts
The {{cards|Ah}}, while dangerous, is very important in variants where shooting the moon is an option. A common strategy for shooting the moon is to be long in Hearts and to play them in descending order, forcing other players to follow suit and thus giving all their Hearts to the player attempting the moon shot. The holder of the {{cards|Ah}} is the only player who can prevent this, either by taking a Heart trick themselves or (with some skill and luck) sloughing the Ace off-suit to a different player than the one attempting the moon shot.

;Queen of Spades
Many variants like Black Lady/Black Maria give special importance to the {{cards|Qs}}, specifically to avoiding capturing it. In these games, it is common in the early game for one or more players to "smoke her out" by leading low Spades in several successive tricks, forcing whomever has the Queen to follow suit with it, very likely taking that trick and 13 points. Being long in Spades, especially {{cards|Js}} and lower, is the natural counter to this, allowing a player to outlast this attempt by "undershooting" the current high Spade (or at least not allowing the player holding the Queen to undershoot them). Players with few Spades may attempt to void them, and if successful they can naturally avoid winning Spade tricks, however in passing variants this is very risky as players will usually pass the Ace and King, and with no other Spades in hand it is difficult to avoid taking the Queen.

==See also==
*[[Gong Zhu]], a Chinese version of Hearts

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{citation|date=2009|author= |title=Little Giant Encyclopedia|publisher=Sterling|place=New York, London|isbn= 978-1-4027-6417-2|ref={{harvid|Little Giant Encyclopedia|2009}} }}
* {{citation|date=1887|author= |title=The Standard Hoyle|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hn1k8b&view=1up&seq=20|publisher=Excelsior|publication-place=New York|ref={{harvid|The Standard Hoyle|1887}}}}
* {{citation|last=Arnold|first= Peter |date=1995|title=The Book of Card Games|publisher= Barnes & Noble|isbn=1-56619-950-6}}
* {{citation|last=Arnold|first= Peter |date=2011|title=Chambers Card Games|publisher=Chambers Harrap |publication-place=London|isbn=978-0550-10179-2}}
* {{citation|last=Culbertson|first= Ely |author-link=Ely Culbertson|date=1950|title=Culbertson's Hoyle|publisher=Greystone Press}}
* {{citation|last=Foster|first= Robert Frederick |author-link=Robert Frederick Foster |date=1897|title=Foster's Complete Hoyle|url=https://archive.org/details/fosterscomplete00fostgoog/page/n7/mode/2up|edition=3rd|publisher=Frederick.A. Stokes|publication-place=New York and London}}
* {{citation|last=Foster|first= Robert Frederick| author-link=Robert Frederick Foster |date=1909|title=Foster's Complete Hoyle|url=https://archive.org/details/fosterscomplete02fostgoog|publisher=Frederick A. Stokes|publication-place=New York}}
* Gerver, Frans (1966). ''Tous les Jeux de Cartes''. Verviers: Gérard.
* {{citation|last=Gibson|first= Walter Brown | author-link=Walter B. Gibson | date=1974|title=Hoyle's Modern Encyclopedia of Card Games|publisher=Dolphin}}
* {{citation|last=Maguire|first= Jack |date=1990|title=Hopscotch, Hangman , Hot Potato & Ha Ha Ha|publisher=Simon & Schuster|publication-place= New York, London, Toronto, Sydney|isbn=0-671-76332-6}}
* {{citation|editor-last1=Morehead|editor-first1= Albert H|editor-first2= Geoffrey|editor-last2=Mott-Smith|date=2001|title=Hoyle's Rules of Games|editor-first3=Philip D. |editor-last3=Morehead|editor-link1=Albert Morehead|editor-link2=Geoffrey Mott-Smith|publisher=Plume|publication-place=New York|isbn=978-1-101-10023-3}}
* {{citation|last=Parlett|first=David|author-link=David Parlett|date=2008|title=The Penguin Book of Card Games|publisher=Penguin|publication-place= London|isbn=978-0-141-03787-5}}
* {{citation|last1=Phillips|first1=Hubert|author-link=Hubert Phillips|first2=B.C.|last2=Westall|date=1939|title=The Complete Book of Card Games|publisher=Witherby|publication-place= London}}

== Further reading ==
* {{citation|last=Culbertson|first= Ely |author-link=Ely Culbertson|date=1957|title=Culbertson's Card Games Complete | editor-first=Hubert | editor-last= Phillips | editor-link=Hubert Phillips | publisher=Argo|publication-place=Watford}}
* {{citation|last1=Glenn|first1= Jim |first2= Carey|last2= Denton |date=2003|title=The Treasury of Family Games|publisher=Reader's Digest Association|isbn=978-07621-0431-4}}
* {{citation|title=The Penguin Book of Card Games|last=Parlett|first=David|author-link=David Parlett|publisher=Treasure Press|year=1987|location=London|isbn=1-85051-221-3|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/penguinbookofcar0000parl}}

{{List of trick-taking games}}

[[Category:Card games introduced in the 1880s]]
[[Category:French deck card games]]
[[Category:Year of introduction missing]]
[[Category:Round games]]
[[Category:Reverse games]]
[[Category:American card games]]