Sheepshead

How to play

Each player receives six cards from a 32-card deck (7 through ace). In turn, pick or pass. The picker takes the two-card blind, buries any two cards face down, then calls an ace held by another player. That ace's holder is the picker's secret partner. Choose a non-trump suit you still hold; you cannot call an ace you hold or buried. You may instead play alone. If nobody picks, the dealer must pick.

Trump, highest first: Q♣ Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ J♣ J♠ J♥ J♦ A♦ 10♦ K♦ 9♦ 8♦ 7♦. Other suits rank A, 10, K, 9, 8, 7. Queens and jacks belong to trump, not their printed suit. Follow the led suit (including trump) if possible; otherwise play any legal card. Highest trump wins, or the highest card of the led suit. The winner leads next.

The called ace must be played when its suit is led. Until then it cannot be discarded off-suit while another legal card is available, and the picker must retain one card of that suit. The ace may be led. If no ace can be called, play alone. Your partner is revealed to the table when the ace is played.

Card points: A=11, 10=10, K=4, Q=3, J=2; others=0. The buried cards count for the picker. Of the 120 points, the picker side needs at least 61; defenders win a 60–60 tie. A normal hand is worth 1 game point, schneider (losers have at most 30 card points) is worth 2, and taking every trick is worth 3. Losing as picker doubles the value. The picker gains or loses twice the value, the partner once, and each defender the opposite value. Playing alone, the picker gains or loses four times the value. These are game scores only.

Click a card to play or bury it. Disabled cards are not legal. Four opponents play automatically. New hand rotates the dealer and resets the hand score.