Let’s Play Twenty-Five!

Hey there! Have you heard of Twenty-Five? It’s a really cool card game that can be played by 3 to 9 players. If there’s an even number of players, you can even form teams of two. And if you have 6 or 9 players, you can split them into teams of three. How neat is that?

So, in teams of two, partners sit opposite each other. And in teams of three, players should sit between two members of the opposite team. This positioning makes the game more interesting and strategic!

The aim of Twenty-Five is simple: score 25 points! You and your team can achieve this by winning tricks during the course of the game. It’s all about having the right strategy and playing your cards wisely.

Now, here’s an exciting twist! Sometimes, Twenty-Five is played as a bidding game. This means players can place bets on who they think will win. And if you’re feeling extra competitive, you can even discuss your bets before the game starts. It adds a whole new level of excitement!

Ready, Set, Go!

When we start a game, we randomly pick someone to be the first dealer. Then, for each new round, the dealer passes the deck to the person on their left. Before dealing, the dealer offers the deck to the player on their right to cut. Next, the dealer distributes 5 cards to each player in a clockwise order. If you prefer, the dealer can deal the cards in batches of 2 and 3.

Once all the players have their hands, the remaining cards are placed in the center. Then, the dealer flips the top card from the deck. This card determines the suit that will be the trumps for this round.

When you flip the card, and it’s the ace of the trump suit, you have the chance to steal it. To steal the card, all you have to do is put one of your own cards face down next to the remaining deck, then take the flipped card and add it to your hand. If the flipped card is the ace of the trump suit, the dealer can also steal it using the same method. However, if no one has the ace of trumps, stealing is not possible. You have until you play your first card in the first trick to make the steal or pass up the opportunity.

Card Ranking and Values

The ranking of the trump suit depends on the suit itself. Each suit, including the trump suit, has a specific ranking.

Trumps

If hearts are the trump suit, their ranking is as follows: 5 (high), jack, ace, king, queen, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, and 2 (low).

If I were to play a game with a deck of cards, the ranking of the cards would depend on the type of place trumps. Let me explain.

If diamonds are the trumps, then they are ranked in the following order: 5, jack, ace of hearts, ace of diamonds, king, queen, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, and 2 (with 2 being the lowest).

If clubs are the trumps, then their ranking is as follows: 5, jack, ace of hearts, ace of clubs, king, queen, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 (with 10 being the lowest).

And if spades are the trumps, then their ranking goes like this: 5, jack, ace of hearts, ace of spades, king, queen, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 (with 10 being the lowest).

Non-trumps

Now, let’s consider the ranking for non-trump cards.

In the hearts suit, the cards are ranked in the following order: king (the highest), queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 (with 2 being the lowest).

For diamonds, the ranking is as follows: king (the highest), queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and ace (with ace being the lowest).

In clubs, the ranking goes like this: king (the highest), queen, jack, ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 (with 10 being the lowest).

Finally, in spades, the ranking is: king (the highest), queen, jack, ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 (with 10 being the lowest).

GAMEPLAY

When playing the card game 25, the first person to start is the player sitting to the dealer’s left. This player has the freedom to play any card they choose.

For the following players, there are two options when it comes to playing their cards. If the card led by the first player is a non-trump card, the others can either follow suit by playing a card of the same suit or play a trump card if they don’t have a suitable card to follow suit. In the game of 25, you are always allowed to play a trump card, even if you have a card that can follow suit.

If the card led by the first player is a trump card, the following players must play a trump as well, unless they have one of the three highest ranked trumps (5, jack, and ace of hearts). These three cards can be played, but it is not mandatory if they are the only trumps you have. The only time you are forced to play them is when another player leads a higher trump card than you have in your hand. If you don’t have a trump card, you can play any card you like.

It’s important to note that when you follow suit, the ace of hearts is considered a trump card, not a hearts card.

When it comes to playing card games, understanding the rules is essential. Let me break down the key points for you:

The highest trump card, if applicable, wins the trick. If there are no trumps, then the highest card of the suit that was led wins the trick. It’s important to keep in mind that the winner of a trick is the one who leads the next one. Each won trick should be kept in a player’s score pile.

SCORING

After the round is over, players and teams need to tally their scores. Every trick won is worth 5 points.

END OF GAME

The game comes to an end when a player or team reaches 25 points. This can happen even in the middle of a round. Once someone reaches 25 points, they become the winner of the game. Keep in mind that if there are any bidding stakes, they will be paid out to the winners. In some games, if a player or team manages to reach 25 points before anyone else scores, they are awarded double stakes.