Let’s Play Scotch Whist!

Hey there! Have you ever heard of Scotch Whist? It’s a super fun card game that you can play with just a couple of friends or a big group. Believe it or not, even though it’s called Scotch Whist, it actually originated in Germany! Interesting, right? Those clever Germans really know how to make a great game!

Scotch Whist is sometimes known as “Catch the Ten” because you can score big by capturing the 10 of trumps during the round. It’s like a treasure hunt for points!

Let’s Talk About the Cards and the Deal

So, to play Scotch Whist, you need a special deck of cards. It’s made up of all the cards from 6 to Ace. But here’s the thing – the number of cards you need and how you deal them depends on how many people are playing.

Number of Players	How to Arrange	Number of Cards	Hands per Player
2	Individual Play	6’s to Aces	Deal three 6-card hands to each player, and play them one hand at a time
3	Individual Play	6’s to Aces	Deal two 6-card hands to each player, and play them one hand at a time
4	Individual Play or Teams of Two	6’s to Aces	Deal 9 cards to each player
5	Individual Play	6’s to Aces, Remove 6 of Spades	Deal 7 cards to each player
6	Individual Play or Teams of Two	6’s to Aces	Deal 6 cards to each player
7	Individual Play	6’s to Aces, Remove 6 of Spades	Deal 5 cards to each player
8	Individual Play or Teams of Two	7’s to Aces, Remove all 6’s	Deal 4 cards to each player

When it comes to playing cards, there’s an important moment that determines the course of the game. The final card dealt to the dealer is turned face up for everyone to see. It’s a suspenseful moment that decides the trump suit for the round.

Once the deck of cards has been shuffled and dealt, it’s time to begin. The player on the left side of the dealer has the privilege to make the first move. It’s an exciting position to be in, holding the power to kick off the game.

THE TRUMP SUIT – A GAME CHANGER

The trump suit changes everything. It becomes the highest valued suit for the hand, carrying more weight than the others. But that’s not all. The Jack of the trump suit takes the crown as the highest valued card in the game. Picture this: if hearts becomes the trump suit, the Jack of hearts reigns supreme, surpassing all other cards. It’s a game of ups and downs, where even the lowest heart card outshines the Ace of any other suit.

THE PLAY – LET THE GAMES BEGIN

When I sit down to play a card game, the first thing I want to know is how the game actually works. Luckily, I have all the instructions right here. I’ll explain it to you, too.

So, here’s how it goes: the player on the left side of the dealer gets things started. They can play any card they want. Then, it’s the next player’s turn, and so on, moving to the left.

Now, when it’s your turn, you have to follow the suit that was led. In other words, if the player before you played a heart, you have to play a heart too, if you can. But, if you don’t have any hearts, don’t worry! You can play a trump card or any other card you want.

Now, pay attention to this part because it’s where things get really interesting. When all the players have played a card, the highest card in the suit that was led wins the trick. And you know what? That player gets to lead the next trick. Pretty cool, right? It’s a big deal to win tricks!

Okay, so we keep playing like this until all the tricks have been played. Simple enough, don’t you think?

Now, before you get too excited about playing cards, let me tell you something about two or three-player games. In these games, each player gets dealt more than one hand. But wait, there’s a catch! You can only look at one hand at a time. The other hand(s) have to stay face down. Once you’re done playing one hand, it’s time to pick up the next one and play it. The round ends when all the hands have been played. Got it?

SCORING

In this game, I’m trying to get the best tricks that have the top five trump cards. I earn points based on the value of those cards. Let me break it down for you:

– The Jack is worth 11 points.

– The Ace is worth 4 points.

– The King is worth 3 points.

– The Queen is worth 2 points.

– And the 10 is worth 10 points.

That’s how you score in this game, but there’s more. I also earn points for the number of cards I capture. For every card beyond the original number I was dealt, I get one point. For instance, if I started with six cards and I captured eight cards, I would earn two points.

Now, let’s talk about winning. The first player or team to reach 41 points or more wins the game. Exciting, right? Now you know how to play and how to win. Have fun and good luck!