Welcome to Canadian Smear!

Have you ever played the fun and exciting card game called Canadian Smear? It’s a game that can be played by four people, and the goal is for you and your partner to reach a score of 15 before your opponents do.

Before we dive into the details, let me tell you a little bit about how this game is played. Canadian Smear is a game of partnerships, meaning that you and your partner will be playing as a team. You will be sitting across from each other during the game, so make sure you choose your partner wisely!

Getting Started: Setup

So, who gets to deal the first hand? Well, the dealer is chosen randomly, and after each round, the deal will pass to the left.

Once the dealer is determined, the deck of cards is shuffled and each player is dealt 6 cards. The dealer will keep the remaining deck for later.

Understanding Card Rankings and Point Values

Now, let’s talk about how the cards are ranked in Canadian Smear. The Ace is the highest-ranking card, followed by the King, Queen, Jack, and then the numbers 10 through 2.

During the game, there will be opportunities for players to earn points. These points can be earned by winning certain cards or meeting specific criteria. Keep an eye out for these opportunities!

When playing a card game, you can earn points by winning specific cards or meeting certain criteria. These points include the high trump, low trump, right Bauer, left Bauer, joker, and Game.

The high trump point is given to the team that plays the ace of trump. The low trump point is given to the team that plays the 2 of trump. The jack point is awarded to the team that wins the jack of trump in a trick. Lastly, the game point is given to the team that accumulates the most points throughout the game.

For the game point, players add up their score based on the cards their team wins in tricks. Each ace is worth 4 points, each king is worth 3 points, each queen is worth 2 points, each jack is worth 1 point, each 10 is worth 10 points, and the joker is worth 1 point.

A total of 4 points will be available for scoring.

BIDDING

Okay, so here’s the deal: we all got our cards, right? Great. Now let’s start the bidding. The player to the left of the dealer goes first, and then we go around, each of us trying to outbid the previous player or pass. But here’s the catch: you only get one shot at it, so make it count. The bids are all about how many points you think you can win in this round, so choose wisely.

Now, the minimum bid is 2 and the maximum bid is 4, so keep that in mind. If everyone passes, don’t worry. We’ll just throw the cards back in and let the same dealer shuffle and deal again. But if someone makes a bid, the bidding continues until the dealer either makes a bid or passes, or until someone makes a bid of 4. Got it? Good. The highest bidder becomes the bidder for this round.

So, Let’s Play!

Alright, now it’s time for the bidder to lead the first trick. The card they play will determine the trump suit for this round. And from there, we all take turns playing our cards in a clockwise direction. If you have a card in the same suit as the one that was led, you have to play that suit if you can. But if you don’t, no worries—you can play any card, even a trump card. It’s all fair game. Let the games begin!

When it comes to winning a trick in a card game, there are a few rules to keep in mind. The first rule is that the trick is won by the highest-ranked trump card, if there is one. If there are no trumps in play, then the trick is won by the highest card of the suit led. It’s important to remember these rules as they determine who gets to collect the trick and lead the next one.

Once all six tricks have been played, the round comes to an end. It’s a simple yet thrilling process that keeps players engaged and eager for the next round.

SCORING

Scoring is an integral part of the game and happens after each round. The bidder’s team has a crucial role in determining whether they have successfully completed their bid. If they have, they score the number of points they won, which may be more than their bid. However, if they were unable to meet their bid, then the number they bid is subtracted from their score. It’s worth noting that a negative score is possible. The opposing team also has a chance to earn points and add them to their score.

END OF GAME

The game continues until one of the teams reaches a score of 15 or more. At that point, the team with the higher score emerges as the winner. It’s an exciting moment that marks the culmination of strategic gameplay and careful decision-making.

In a game, if multiple teams reach a score of 15 during a single round, the team with the higher overall points is the winner. In the event of a tie, the team that made the bid will be declared the winner.

Hey there! I’m Amber (They/Them), an Austin-based writer and gaming enthusiast. I consider myself a gaming prodigy and have a deep affection for dogs, plants, and Dungeons & Dragons.

Hey there! I’m Amber (They/Them), a writer from Austin who loves gaming. I think I’m pretty great at gaming, and I’m also a big fan of dogs, plants, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.