SIXTY SIX: A Trick-Taking Game for Two Players

Hey there! Have you ever heard of Sixty Six? It’s a super cool game that came from an older German game called Marriage. Believe it or not, Marriage has been around since the early 1700s, and in the mid-1800s, Sixty Six was born as a variation of that game.

What’s so special about Sixty Six, you ask? Well, let me tell you! This game is all about taking tricks, but scoring points can be a bit tricky too. There are actually two different ways to score points, and it gets really interesting! In each round, the goal is to accumulate 66 points. Once you reach that magic number, you earn game points that count towards your overall score. But wait, there’s more! Every round, you start from scratch and try to reach 66 points all over again. The first player to earn 7 game points becomes the big winner of the game!

Now, here’s a twist that makes Sixty Six even more exciting. You need to remember a special card ranking for this game. Aces are the top dogs, the kings of the deck, with the 10s following closely behind in second place.

THE CARDS & THE DEAL: Setting the Stage

Hey there! Let me tell you about a cool card game called Sixty Six. It’s played with a special deck of cards – you take out all the cards except the 9’s through Aces in each suit. This leaves you with a deck of 24 cards.

Now, to figure out who goes first and keeps score for the whole game, each player picks a card from the deck. The person who gets the lowest card gets to be the first dealer and scorekeeper. And then, every round, the dealer role switches to the next player.

Alright, now that we’ve got that sorted, it’s time to start the game. The dealer shuffles the deck really well and deals out six cards to each player, giving them three cards at a time. The remaining cards are placed face down to make the draw pile. Then, the dealer flips over the top card and puts it next to the draw pile. This card will determine the trump suit for the round.

Now, Let’s Start Playing!

When playing a card game, the first person to go is the non-dealer. They can choose any card from their hand and play it on the table. This starts the trick. The other player is not required to play a card of the same suit. They can play any card from their hand. The person who played the highest card of the same suit or the highest trump card will win the trick. The winner of the trick gets to draw the top card from the draw pile. The other player then gets to draw a card from the draw pile as well. The person who won the trick will then be the one to start the next round.

If a player has the trump-suited 9 in their hand, they have the option to swap it with the trump card that is placed next to the draw pile. However, this can only be done after the player has won a trick and drawn a card from the draw pile. The swap must be completed before the next round starts.

When I’m playing a game of Marriage, I can announce my marriage by leading with a King and Queen that are from the same suit. To do this, I show one card to my opponent while leading with the other. By announcing a marriage, I can earn points that count towards my total of 66.

As the game progresses, I need to keep track of the points I’ve earned in my head. Writing down the score is not allowed.

Once all the cards in the draw pile have been used, I need to follow the suit that was led if I have cards of that suit. If I don’t have any cards of the led suit, I must play a trump card. And if I don’t have any trump cards either, I can play any card I want. After the draw pile is empty, I can no longer announce marriages.

Now, let’s talk about how the round ends. There are a few ways for a round to end. One way is if I think I have 66 points, I can announce it, and the round will end right away.

Once I have control of the lead, if I believe I can earn 66 points with the cards in my hand, I can close the round by flipping the trump card face down. At this point, there are no more draws and the rules that happen after the draw pile runs out go into effect. In this case, the last trick doesn’t score any points.

The last way a round ends is when the players play all of the cards.

SCORING

While playing a round, I earn points for accomplishing certain things and capturing certain cards. One of the challenges of Sixty Six is keeping track of my points in my head during the round.

Trump Marriage = 40 points

Non-Trump Marriage = 20 points each

Aces captured = 11 points each

Tens captured = 10 points each

Kings captured = 4 points each

When it comes to playing card games, it’s always important to know the scoring system and how you can earn points. In the game of Queens, there are specific ways to earn points and game points that can help you win.

First, let’s talk about the points you can earn during each round. Queens captured are worth 3 points each, while Jacks captured are worth 2 points each. Winning the last trick of the round will give you a big boost of 10 points.

Now, earning game points is where things get really interesting. If you manage to accumulate 66 or more points and close the round, you will earn 1 game point. But wait, there’s more! If you reach 66 points before your opponent reaches 33 points, you will earn 2 game points. And if you close the round before your opponent even captures a single trick, you will earn a whopping 3 game points.

However, if you close the round but fail to reach 66 points, your opponent will benefit and earn 2 game points. And if you not only fail to reach 66 points but also close the round before your opponent captures a trick, they will earn 3 game points.

But here’s an interesting twist. If a round is played out until the end, as if someone closed the round, the player with 66 or more points will earn 1 game point. And if their opponent has less than 33 points, the winner will earn 2 game points. And if, on top of that, the opponent didn’t even manage to capture a single trick, the winner will walk away with a generous 3 game points.

So, as you can see, understanding the scoring system in Queens is crucial to your success. By following these rules and accumulating points strategically, you can increase your chances of winning the game and earning those valuable game points.

In a game where both players fail to score 66 points in a round, the game point is not lost. Instead, it is rolled over to the next round, waiting for someone to claim it. The next round becomes a chance for both players to not only win the round but also snatch that carried-over game point.

ACHIEVING VICTORY

The ultimate goal in this game is to be the first player to accumulate 7 game points. That’s the magic number that signifies triumph. If you can reach that number before your opponent, victory will be yours. Keep your eyes on the prize and play your best!

The ultimate goal in this game is to be the first player to accumulate 7 game points. That’s the magic number that signifies triumph. If you can reach that number before your opponent, victory will be yours. Keep your eyes on the prize and play your best!