ONE AND THIRTY: A Renaissance Bidding Game

Welcome to the world of One and Thirty, a renaissance-era card game that bears striking similarities to blackjack, but offers a unique gameplay experience.

Join me as I dive deeper into the game mechanics, and explore a thrilling variation known as Bone Ace. This variant introduces strategic elements that make it a more skill-based game, while also adding an extra dose of luck to the mix.

The Setup: Getting Started

In One and Thirty, the first step is to select a dealer. To do this, all players draw one card from a shuffled deck, with the lowest ranking card holder assuming the role of the dealer. Once determined, the dealer reshuffles the deck and commences dealing.

Before the game begins, players must agree upon the bidding amount.

Each player, including the dealer, receives a hand of three cards, all facing down. The dealer is the last one to deal to themselves, adding an intriguing twist to the game.

Card Rankings and Values

Have you ever wondered how cards are ranked in a game? Well, let me break it down for you. In card games, the cards are ranked from highest to lowest. The King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and Ace, in that order. It’s important to note that each card also has a value.

When it comes to values, the face cards – King, Queen, and Jack – are all worth 10 points. The numeric cards, on the other hand, are worth the value associated with their card. For example, a 6 of hearts is worth 6 points. And finally, the Aces are worth 1 point. No matter the suit, the values remain the same in the base game.

GAMEPLAY

Once the cards are dealt, the dealer will start with the oldest player and ask them if they want to “stick it” or stay in blackjack terms, or “have it” and take another card. If they decide to stick with their current hand, they will not receive any more cards. However, if they choose to have another card, the dealer will deal them one from the bottom of the deck. The player can keep requesting cards until they decide to stick with their hand or if they go over 31 points. After that, the dealer moves on to the next player, going around until they eventually deal to themselves last.

If all the other players go out of the game before the dealer is reached, the dealer automatically wins. If any player manages to reach exactly 31 points, that player wins automatically. In some versions of the game, this player wins double the stake.

Scoring

Once everyone has taken their turn and either decided to stop playing or stick with their hand, the scores will be calculated. The player who has the highest score without going over 31 is declared the winner. If there’s a tie, the older player takes the prize.

GAME OVER

The game continues until all players have finished bidding and no longer wish to play.

BONE ACE

In order to play Bone Ace, a few modifications are required. During the dealing phase, each player receives three cards, with the final card being revealed. The player with the card of highest rank becomes the first to play.

The ranking system remains the same, and suits are still irrelevant, but the ace of hearts now holds the highest rank. All other rules remain unchanged.