Clubs
Invented on July 10th, 2011 by Zach Orlando
The Deck
Use a normal 52 card deck.
The Deal
The dealer distributes the entire deck at the beginning of the hand, 13 cards per player, one at a time. Deal switches to the player on the left of the current dealer after each hand.
Game Play
Once all of the cards have been dealt, players must choose 3 cards from their hands and pass them to the player on their left in the first deal, their right the second deal, then across the third deal. Repeat this for the following three deals as well. When all cards have been passed, the player to the right of the current dealer must play first. The player is allowed to play which ever suit they like, except Clubs. However, all other players must follow suit unless they have no cards of that suit in their hand. Those who have no card of the suit that was led may play any suit, even Clubs. No player may lead Clubs unless Clubs is the only suit left in their hand. When each player has played one card, this is called a Trick. Thirteen Tricks comprise one Round. After each player has played in a Trick, normally the person who played the lowest card (2 being the lowest, Ace being the highest) in the suit that was led wins the Trick and gets all four cards. The exception occurs when a trick consists entirely of Clubs, in which case the highest Club wins. Continue in this manner until all Thirteen Tricks have been played, thus completing the Hand.
Scoring
Each card has a fixed point value (excluding the Clubs):
- 20 points - Aces and Kings
- 15 points - Queens and Jacks
- 10 points - Numbered Cards (2-10)
At the end of each Hand players must count up each Trick separately (applying all rules where needed) then add them together to obtain their total score for that Round. The object is to have the most points at the end of the entire game.
Using the Clubs
Clubs have no individual point values but rather are assigned points depending on how they are used. Clubs also cannot win any Trick regardless of what the Club is (there is one exception, see “Exception”). A Club can, however, do one of two things per Round:
- If there is one Club at the end of a Trick, the winner of that Trick can only get 5 points for that Trick, no matter what the other cards were.
- If there is more than one Club at the end of a Trick, each Club becomes worth 15 points and the winner can add them in with the other cards in that Trick.
Exception:
If, at the end of a Trick, there are four Clubs played and no other suit, the highest Club (Ace ranking high) wins the Trick rather than the lowest Club (Two being the lowest). Also, the Clubs won in this Trick are assigned points equivalent to cards from other suits: 20 for the Ace or King, 15 for the Queen or Jack and 10 for each other card. However, if a player leads a Club but another player, having no Clubs, plays a different suit, the lowest Club wins that Trick because Clubs was the suit that was led.
Winning
One game of Clubs consists of six Deals (though you may play more depending on how long you would like to play) and when those six Hands have been played, the player with the most points wins.
Extra
Clubs is played best with four people but can also be played with three, and even five, people. However, there must be at least three and no more than five players. When playing with three people take the 10 of diamonds out before dealing and passing then add it to the first Trick won. When playing with five people take the 10 of diamonds as well as the 10 of Spades out before dealing and passing then add one of them to the first Trick and the other to the Second Trick. The exception applies to a Trick consisting entirely of Clubs: three Clubs when there are three players; five Clubs when there are five.