- Also called:
- seven up
- Related Topics:
- card game
- game
- cinch
- point-trick game
all fours
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What is the card game All Fours?
All Fours is an English card game that dates back to the 17th century. The game's name comes from its four principal scoring points: high, low, jack, and game.
- High One point is scored by the player dealt the highest trump in play.
- Low One point is scored by the player dealt the lowest trump in play or winning it in a trick (in some versions).
- Jack One point is scored by the player capturing the jack of trump in a trick.
- Game One point is scored by the player capturing the greatest value of counting-cards in tricks.
A standard deck of 52 cards is used, and the goal is to win as many of the four scoring points as possible. All Fours is the ancestor to more elaborate games such as cinch, pitch, smear, and don.
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How many players usually play All Fours?
All Fours is a card game that can be played with two or more players. In the basic game, two players are dealt six cards each from a 52-card deck. However, there is a variation called Cinch that involves four players in partnerships.
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What kind of deck is used to play All Fours?
All Fours is played with a standard 52-card deck. In the basic two-player game, each player gets six cards dealt in sets of three. The top card of the remaining pack determines the prospective trump suit.
The game's title comes from its four principal scoring points: High, Low, Jack, and Game. The goal is to win as many of these points as possible. All Fours is also known as "seven up" because seven points are needed to win the game.
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What are the basic rules of playing All Fours?
All Fours is a trick-taking card game where players aim to score points by winning tricks containing specific cards. Here are the basic rules:
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Objective The goal is to reach seven points by scoring in four categories: High, Low, Jack, and Game.
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Dealing Two players are dealt six cards each from a 52-card deck. The top card of the remaining pack indicates the prospective trump suit.
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Trump Selection The non-dealer can accept the turned card as trump or "beg" for a new trump. If they beg, the dealer can either give them a point and accept the trump or refuse, leading to a new card being turned for trump.
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Playing Tricks The non-dealer leads the first trick. Players must follow suit if possible; otherwise, they can play a trump or discard. The highest card of the suit led or the highest trump wins the trick.
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Scoring
- High: Awarded to the player who was dealt the highest trump card in play.
- Low: Awarded to the player who was dealt the lowest trump card in play or wins it in a trick.
- Jack: Awarded to the player who captures the jack of trumps in a trick.
- Game: Awarded to the player who captures the greatest value of counting cards (Ace = 4, King = 3, Queen = 2, Jack = 1, 10 = 10) in tricks.
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How do players score points in All Fours?
In All Fours, players score points in these ways:
- High One point is scored by the player who is dealt the highest trump card in play.
- Low One point is scored by the player who is dealt the lowest trump card in play or wins it in a trick.
- Jack One point is scored by the player who captures the jack of the trump suit in a trick.
- Game One point is scored by the player who captures the greatest value of counting cards in tricks. Card values are assigned as follows: ace (4 points), king (3 points), queen (2 points), jack (1 point), 10 (10 points), and all other cards (0 points).
If the jack is the only trump in play, it scores three points, one each for high, low, and jack. Seven points are needed to win the game, which is why it is also called "seven up".
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Where is All Fours popular, and are there any special variations of the game?
All Fours, a card game with roots in 17th-century England, gained popularity among African Americans on slave plantations. The game's name refers to its four principal scoring points: High, Low, Jack, and Game.
Variations of All Fours include cinch, pitch, smear, and don, which incorporate partnership play, bidding, or additional scoring cards. In the basic two-player game, each player gets six cards, and points are awarded at the hand's end. Seven points wins the game.
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all fours, ancestor of a family of card games dating back to 17th-century England and first mentioned in The Complete Gamester of Charles Cotton in 1674. The face card formerly known as the knave owes its modern name of jack to this game. Originally, all fours was regarded as a lower-class gameāit was much played by African Americans on slave plantationsābut in the 19th century it broadened its social horizons and gave rise to more-elaborate games such as cinch, pitch, smear, and don, which include partnership play, bidding, or additional scoring cards.
Basic game
The title of the game refers to its four principal scoring points:
- High. One point scored by the player dealt the highest trump in play.
- Low. One point scored by the player dealt the lowest trump in play or, in some later versions, winning it in a trick.
- Jack. One point scored by the player capturing the jack of trump in a trick.
- Game. One point by the player capturing the greatest value of counting cards in tricks.
As not all cards are dealt, it is possible for the jack to be the only trump in play, in which case it scores three points, one each for high, low, and jack. In descending order, the ranks and values toward the point for game when taken in tricks are ace four, king three, queen two, jack one, 10 index value, and other ranks zero. This makes a total of 80 points, though some value cards are usually out of play.
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In the basic two-player game, each player is dealt six cards, three at a time from a 52-card deck. The top card of the remaining pack is then turned faceup as a prospective trump suit. If it is a jack, the dealer scores one point. The aim is to win as many as possible of the four scoring points listed above.
The nondealer may accept the turned card as trump by saying, ā(I) stand,ā in which case play begins, or refuse it by saying, āBeg.ā If the nondealer begs, the dealer may accept by saying, ā(I) give you one,ā in which case the other player scores one point and play begins, or may ārefuse the gift,ā in which case the exposed card is turned down, each player is dealt three more cards, and another card is exposed for trump. This process continues until a different suit appears. This new suit is automatically trump, and, if the turned card is a jack, the dealer scores one point. If no new suit appears before the cards run out, the deal is scrapped, and the same dealer deals again. Otherwise, the players then reduce their hands to six cards by discarding the extras facedown before play begins. (This is often ignored if the first run produced a new trump, so there are nine tricks instead of six.)
The nondealer leads to the first trick, and the winner of each trick leads to the next. The second player to a trick may freely follow suit or play a trump, as preferred, but may discard from another suit only if unable to follow suit. The trick is taken by the highest card of the suit led, or by the highest trump if any are played. Points are awarded at handās end, and seven points wins the game (which is why the game is also called seven up).
Cinch
Cinch, also known as pedro, is a variant of all fours that includes partnerships and bidding, two features that favour more-skillful players. This modern version of a 19th-century derivative of all fours is still popular in the southern United States.
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Four players, with partners seated opposite one another, are dealt nine cards, three at a time from a 52-card deck. Card ranks are the same as in basic all fours except that between the 5 of trump (right pedro) and the 4 of trump there ranks a card called the left pedro, which is the other 5 of the same colour as the trump suit.
There is one round of bidding. Starting with the player at the dealerās left, the players each in turn may pass or bid on the number of points they propose to take. A bid can be any number from 7 to 14, no suit being mentioned, and each bid must be higher than the last. The highest bidder declares the trump suit and, in partnership, is obligated to win at least as many points as bid.
Points are scored for the following:
- High. One point for the partnership that captures the highest trump in play.
- Low. One point for the partnership that captures the lowest trump in play.
- Jack. One point for the partnership that captures the jack of trump.
- Game. One point for the partnership that captures the 10 of trump.
- Right pedro. Five points for the partnership that captures the 5 of trump.
- Left pedro. Five points for the partnership that captures the off-suit 5 of trump.
The highest bidder having declared trump, all but the dealer discard all their nontrump cards and are then dealt enough cards to restore their hands to six cards. The dealer then discards his own nontrumps, sorts through the undealt cards, and places all the remaining trumps in his own hand, finally adding as many off-suit cards as necessary to bring his hand up to six cards.
The winning bidder leads to the first of six tricks played exactly as in the basic game of all fours. Anyone holding more than six trumps must play the excess to the first trick, leaving five in hand. These are played faceup in a stack, of which only the top card counts toward contesting the trick. The concealed cards may not include a counting card.
The nonbidders score what they make. So do the bidders if they take at least as many as they bid; otherwise, their bid is deducted from their total.
Game is 62 points. If both sides have 55 or more, the next bidders win the game if they make their bid, regardless of the nonbiddersā score, but lose it if they fail and the nonbidders reach 62. If both sides reach 62 when one of them previously had less than 55, another hand is played, and the side reaching the higher total wins. If there is a tie, the bidders win.