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[ Sheepshead Variations ]
Playing with other than 5.
- Two player rules
This version emphasizes luck over skill.
It's a time-waster for those occasions when you and one friend are very
bored. There is no blind. Each player receives 16 cards, as follows.
A row of four cards is placed face down
before each player. A second round of four cards per player is dealt face
down, stacked on the first rows. A third round of four cards per player
are placed face up on the stacks. Each player is also dealt four cards to
hold. (You may deal these in any order, so long as the result is as
described.)
The player opposite the dealer leads,
either from his hand or from his face-up row. The dealer then plays a card
from his hand or from his face-up row. After taking the trick, any cards
played from the stacks are replaced by the card below, which must be
turned up. Play then continues, with the lead by the person who took the
previous trick. Since half one's hand is a surprise, one's strength varies
unpredictably. But having some of both hands exposed also eliminates some
of the strategy, and this game can be rather mechanical.
- Three player rules
Each player gets 10 cards, with two left in
the blind. Three-player sheepshead reduces the emphasis on trump and
shifts some of it to the fail aces. With only three cards per trick an ace
has a good chance of taking a trick. Quantity of trump and aces becomes
almost as important as quality. With ten tricks to play, stamina becomes a
factor. It's quite possible to lose a three-handed game despite holding
all four queens. One rule of thumb is to pick when you have seven or more
trump and aces combines.
As a defender, you want to set up a
crossfire between you and your teammate. Try to keep the lead in front of
the picker.
Cut Throat
Each player gets 7 cards, with four left in the blind. 3 against 1.
Burying 4 cards is a strategy in itself. People can risk picking on weak
trump hands and bury points.
OR
Partners
Another option is to have Queen of Clubs and 7 Diamonds partner. No blind.
OR
First 2 Queens Played
Another option is partners are determined when the first 2 queens are
played. If player plays the first 2 queens he/she goes alone. This
requires alot of card counting on all players. There is a lot of stragety
on who you want as a partner. It is played as double on the bump so if you
are holding a lot of trump you want not want to be on of the first 2
queens played to win double.
OR
Birish
Similar game as it is played with 32 cards, 8 cards each and no bury.
Each player in turn has opportunity to "pick" and call an ace as partner.
If instead they go alone or someone makes an overcall, then it is 3 on 1
as overcalls are just variants of going alone.
Hands play normally and points scored
normally, but there are 5 different ways to go alone.
Overcalls in ascending order
1. Standard, diamonds trump
2. Call another suit, same style of play, but picker calls either clubs,
spades, or hearts as trump
3. Just Queens and Jacks are trump, all other cards play as suits
4. Just Queens are trump, all other cards play as suits
5. Just Jacks are trump, all other cards play as suits
When someone picks, another player has option to overcall before play
begins, other players or original picker may continue to overcall until
Just Jacks is called or no one wishes to make additional overcalls. Then
hand it played out.
Five player rules
Call an Ace as partner
OR
Jack of Diamonds is partner
- Six player rules
5 Handed - Dealer Sits
There are several ways to play. The first way to play when you have 6 is
to play 5 handed Sheepshead and the "dealer sits." (Meaning doesn't play
the hand they dealt.)
OR
Jack of Diamonds/Player To Right are Partners
Another way to play is each player gets five cards, with two left in the
blind. Typically the jack of diamonds identifies one partner. The player
to partners right becomes a second partner. If the picker of the player to
his right also has the jack of diamonds, they play two-against-four.
- Seven player rules
This is quite a crowd, and it makes for an
odd game. The picker has two partners, one who holds the jack of diamonds
and one who is determined by the roll of a die. If the picker or randomly
selected partner holds the jack of diamonds, they play two-against-five.
Each player is dealt four cards, with four
left for the blind. When someone picks he takes just two cards from the
blind. He then rolls one die. The number that comes up identifies one
partner, as counted clockwise from the picker. That player receives the
remainder of the blind, and must bury two cards as well.
The game then proceeds as normally as
possible. With only four tricks of seven cards, don't rely on aces to take
tricks.
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