Hi Lo Jack Card Game
High-Low-Jack is a trick-taking game using a standard 52-card deck; In this “Laffey Rules” we will be discussing the only version that is of any value: NINE CARD THROW-AWAY. This game can be played with two opposing players, three way opposing players, 4 way, all opposing players, or the most fun way, 4 way with two teams, teammates sitting across from each other. Each player is dealt nine cards initially. After the dealer deals, starting on his left and to himself last, THREE CARDS AT A TIME, each player has to start nine cards.
Starting with the player to the dealers left and going around clockwise. If the person on the left bids two, the next player must be at least three ( a higher bid!) if he wants to win the bid. Only the dealer does not have to bid higher….He can “take” the bid for the equal bid. The dealer is the last bidder.
Whoever wins the bid, announces what suit (clubs, hearts spades, diamonds) he is coming out in and everyone throws into the junk pile all cards that are not of this “trump” suit.
Then the dealer asks, starting on his left, how many cards each player wants to end up with six cards. So, for example, if the the person to the dealer’s left started off by bidding “3” and everyone else passes, and everyone has thrown to the junk pile all the the non-trump cards (all face down) and the person to the dealers left has three cards in his hand, then the dealer gives him 3 more, so he has six. And so on. There will be times when there is not enough cards for the dealer, say he needs 5 cards and there are only 4 left, he then reached into the junk pile and grabs whatever everyone knows is not a Trump card.
Each player can bid on the value of his or her hand and plays to take tricks and get points. Although one player wins the bid and tries to take all the points, all players can get points by taking key cards. The goal is to be the first player to reach the winning score 11 but you have to bid to win.
Bidding: After the rotating dealer has dealt, the person to his left
You can bid on the value of your hand. Possible bids are two, three, four, or 4 smudge (Some people refer to it as 4 smudge as 4 smush, or perhaps it is just their accent). For two, three, and four, you are bidding how many of the points below you can win. For smudge (smush), you have to win all the points below, and take all six tricks in the round. If you do so, you win the game, right there and then. If you do not, you lose the game, right then and there.
High: You win the trick which has the highest available card in the trump suit.
Low: You win the trick which has the lowest available card in the trump suit.
Jack: You win the trick which has the jack of the trump suit.
Game: You get the most game points in the round. All 10s are worth 10, all aces are worth 4, all kings are worth 3, all queens are worth 2, and all jacks are worth 1. Other cards aren’t worth anything. Each player in turn bids or passes; bidding always starts at two. Bidding only lasts one round (each player only gets one chance to bid or pass). If all players pass, the dealer must bid two.
Note that since not all cards are dealt every hand, especially in a two and three way game, ace and 2 aren’t always the high and low card (sometimes a queen may be the High and a 4 the Low, for instance). And there may not be a jack in any given hand.
Scoring Points: All points scored go to the player who scored them, But if you lose your bid, you are set back (lose) the number of points you bid, even if you made some of the bid. For instance, if you bid three, and get High and Low (but not Jack or Game), you lose 3 points, since you did not make all of your bid. If other players get the points you bid, they score those points. In this example, if another player got Jack and Game, he would get 2 points. It is possible for two or more players to tie for Game (both receiving the same amount of total game points); in this case, no player gets that point. And again, if there is no jack in trump dealt, no one gets the Jack point.
Note that if you bid 4-smudge (or 4-Smush for the people with accents) you need to take all the tricks and then you win the game. If you don’t take all the tricks and get all four points (remember there must be a Jack of the trump suite). Merely getting all six tricks and High, Low, Jack, and Game will still only give you 4 points if you didn’t bid Smudge (Smush). Bids are always scored in the order High, Low, Jack, and Game. Scoring stops when one player reaches the winning score AND is the bidder on that hand, you cannot “back up” into victory in this great game, folks. For example: Say Sarah and Kelly are playing a 4-way team game with Stephen and Junior Mint.
Say that Sarah’s team has ten points and Stephen’s which has negative 2 points, bids four and at the end of the hand Sarah’s team got all four points and Stephen’s team has none, the score is now Sarah’s team 14 and Stephen’s negative 6, but no one has one the game. Sarah’s team needs to bid, get the bid and then have 11 points or better. The losing team can have more points than the winning team. This happens quite often.
Taking Tricks: The player who won the bid (called the pitcher) plays a card to the board; the suit of this card is used as trump. Each player must play trump if he or she has it (trump is shown in the upper right corner). The player with the highest trump card wins. The player who won the first trick leads the next trick with any card. Each player, in turn, plays a card. If you have a card of the suit led, you must either follow suit or play a trump card. If you don’t have a card of the suit led, you can play any card (trump, or any other suit). Important! In High Low Jack, you can always choose to play trump, even if you can follow suit. If you don’t have a card in the suit played, you can play any card, including trump. The trick is won by the player who played the highest trump card, or, if there’s no trump, the player who played the highest card of the suit that was led. The winner of each trick leads the next trick and may lead with any card.
Strategies: Bid based on the strong cards in your starting hand. If you have the Ace and a 2 or 3, a bid of two is a strong bet. If you have an ace and king, and other high cards, try bidding four. And an ace, king, and 2 is an excellent bid of three. 21 Be careful about bidding based on holding a jack, unless you have other cards in that suit to protect it (ideally higher cards); there’s no guarantee you’ll keep a jack in your hand if you don’t have supporting cards—and someone else is likely to get that point. Watch out for your 10s! 10s are worth a lot of points towards the Game bid, so be careful you don’t give them away too easily. If you know you’re likely to lose a trick (because it’s been trumped or an ace has been played), you might want to sacrifice a face card instead of a 10.
Gents Hand: See instructional video for this important element at www.highlowjack.com
Starting with the player to the dealers left and going around clockwise. If the person on the left bids two, the next player must be at least three ( a higher bid!) if he wants to win the bid. Only the dealer does not have to bid higher….He can “take” the bid for the equal bid. The dealer is the last bidder.
Whoever wins the bid, announces what suit (clubs, hearts spades, diamonds) he is coming out in and everyone throws into the junk pile all cards that are not of this “trump” suit.
Then the dealer asks, starting on his left, how many cards each player wants to end up with six cards. So, for example, if the the person to the dealer’s left started off by bidding “3” and everyone else passes, and everyone has thrown to the junk pile all the the non-trump cards (all face down) and the person to the dealers left has three cards in his hand, then the dealer gives him 3 more, so he has six. And so on. There will be times when there is not enough cards for the dealer, say he needs 5 cards and there are only 4 left, he then reached into the junk pile and grabs whatever everyone knows is not a Trump card.
Each player can bid on the value of his or her hand and plays to take tricks and get points. Although one player wins the bid and tries to take all the points, all players can get points by taking key cards. The goal is to be the first player to reach the winning score 11 but you have to bid to win.
Bidding: After the rotating dealer has dealt, the person to his left
You can bid on the value of your hand. Possible bids are two, three, four, or 4 smudge (Some people refer to it as 4 smudge as 4 smush, or perhaps it is just their accent). For two, three, and four, you are bidding how many of the points below you can win. For smudge (smush), you have to win all the points below, and take all six tricks in the round. If you do so, you win the game, right there and then. If you do not, you lose the game, right then and there.
High: You win the trick which has the highest available card in the trump suit.
Low: You win the trick which has the lowest available card in the trump suit.
Jack: You win the trick which has the jack of the trump suit.
Game: You get the most game points in the round. All 10s are worth 10, all aces are worth 4, all kings are worth 3, all queens are worth 2, and all jacks are worth 1. Other cards aren’t worth anything. Each player in turn bids or passes; bidding always starts at two. Bidding only lasts one round (each player only gets one chance to bid or pass). If all players pass, the dealer must bid two.
Note that since not all cards are dealt every hand, especially in a two and three way game, ace and 2 aren’t always the high and low card (sometimes a queen may be the High and a 4 the Low, for instance). And there may not be a jack in any given hand.
Scoring Points: All points scored go to the player who scored them, But if you lose your bid, you are set back (lose) the number of points you bid, even if you made some of the bid. For instance, if you bid three, and get High and Low (but not Jack or Game), you lose 3 points, since you did not make all of your bid. If other players get the points you bid, they score those points. In this example, if another player got Jack and Game, he would get 2 points. It is possible for two or more players to tie for Game (both receiving the same amount of total game points); in this case, no player gets that point. And again, if there is no jack in trump dealt, no one gets the Jack point.
Note that if you bid 4-smudge (or 4-Smush for the people with accents) you need to take all the tricks and then you win the game. If you don’t take all the tricks and get all four points (remember there must be a Jack of the trump suite). Merely getting all six tricks and High, Low, Jack, and Game will still only give you 4 points if you didn’t bid Smudge (Smush). Bids are always scored in the order High, Low, Jack, and Game. Scoring stops when one player reaches the winning score AND is the bidder on that hand, you cannot “back up” into victory in this great game, folks. For example: Say Sarah and Kelly are playing a 4-way team game with Stephen and Junior Mint.
Say that Sarah’s team has ten points and Stephen’s which has negative 2 points, bids four and at the end of the hand Sarah’s team got all four points and Stephen’s team has none, the score is now Sarah’s team 14 and Stephen’s negative 6, but no one has one the game. Sarah’s team needs to bid, get the bid and then have 11 points or better. The losing team can have more points than the winning team. This happens quite often.
Taking Tricks: The player who won the bid (called the pitcher) plays a card to the board; the suit of this card is used as trump. Each player must play trump if he or she has it (trump is shown in the upper right corner). The player with the highest trump card wins. The player who won the first trick leads the next trick with any card. Each player, in turn, plays a card. If you have a card of the suit led, you must either follow suit or play a trump card. If you don’t have a card of the suit led, you can play any card (trump, or any other suit). Important! In High Low Jack, you can always choose to play trump, even if you can follow suit. If you don’t have a card in the suit played, you can play any card, including trump. The trick is won by the player who played the highest trump card, or, if there’s no trump, the player who played the highest card of the suit that was led. The winner of each trick leads the next trick and may lead with any card.
Strategies: Bid based on the strong cards in your starting hand. If you have the Ace and a 2 or 3, a bid of two is a strong bet. If you have an ace and king, and other high cards, try bidding four. And an ace, king, and 2 is an excellent bid of three. 21 Be careful about bidding based on holding a jack, unless you have other cards in that suit to protect it (ideally higher cards); there’s no guarantee you’ll keep a jack in your hand if you don’t have supporting cards—and someone else is likely to get that point. Watch out for your 10s! 10s are worth a lot of points towards the Game bid, so be careful you don’t give them away too easily. If you know you’re likely to lose a trick (because it’s been trumped or an ace has been played), you might want to sacrifice a face card instead of a 10.
Gents Hand: See instructional video for this important element at www.highlowjack.com
Hi Lo Jack Card Game Rules
Pitch (or 'High Low Jack') is an American trick-taking card game derived from the English game of All Fours (Seven Up). Historically, Pitch started as 'Blind All Fours', a very simple All Fours variant that is still played in England as a pub game. The Hi/Lo Blackjack game is one that has an arrangement similar to most types of blackjack games but the biggest part of the game comes from a special side bet that you can use. This is a feature that can give you a great shot at winning something extra depending on your luck. This game can be played with two opposing players, three way opposing players, 4 way, all opposing players, or the most fun way, 4 way with two teams, teammates sitting across from each other. Each player is dealt nine cards initially.