The Penguin Book of Card Games: Everything You Need to Know to Play Over 250 Games (192 page)

one side.

Play – Phase 2 Whoever did not deal in the first half now deals the

previously unused cardsinthe second til both have thirteen. Non-

dealer examines his hand and announces tops if he declared trumps

in Phase 1, or trumps if he declared tops in Phase 1. Dealer then

declares tops or trumps as the case may be, and 13 more tricks are

played.

Score At the end of Phase 2 you each score the number of tricks you

won in the second deal multiplied by one more than the number

won in the second deal multiplied by one more than the number

you won in the first. For example, if Annie wins 6 in the first and 8

in the second she scores 56 (that is, 6+1 times 8). Benny then

necessarily scores 40 (that is, 7+1 times 5).

Game Play up to 100 points or any other agreed target.

Throps

3 players, 52 cards

A three-player expansion of Gops. You may think it a bit chancy

and uncontrol able at first blush, but there’s more to it than meets

the eye.

Preliminaries Shuf le a 52-card pack and deal four hands of

thirteen. Square one of them up into a stock and turn the top card.

Object To win from the stockpile the greatest possible value of

cards in any one suit. The cards you win of one suit score their face

value, with courts 10 each and Ace 11, but any cards you win of

other suits count the same amount against.

Play At each trick, the top card of the stock is turned up, and

everyone takes a bid-card from their hand and lays it face down on

the table. When al are ready, the bid cards are revealed. Whoever

plays the highest bid-card wins the stock card and places it face up

on the table before him.

If there is a tie for highest, it is won by the bid-card of the same suit

as the stock card, or, if none, of the same colour, or, if none, of the

as the stock card, or, if none, of the same colour, or, if none, of the

same parity. (Spades and hearts are major in parity, clubs and

diamonds minor.) For example, if the stock card is a spade, the

order of precedence is

.

The bid-cards are then thrown away and the next stock card

turned. This continues until al thirteen have been won.

Score Each player scores as fol ows:

the face value of al cards of any one suit,

minus the total face values of al other cards,

plus 10 per void suit.

It fol ows that a player who wins no card at al scores 40.

Game Play up to 100 points, or any other agreed target.

Gooseberry Fool

3 players, 33 cards

The winner of this eccentric trickster is awarded one or more

Golden Geese. Agree beforehand what one Golden Goose is worth.

Preliminaries Deal eleven each from a 32-card pack plus Joker.

Cards rank AKQJT987 in each suit.

Object To win tricks in such a way as to divide the others as evenly

as possible between your opponents.

Play Eldest leads to the first of 11 tricks. You must fol ow suit if

possible, otherwise may play any card. The trick is taken by the