News & Updates:

Like the website?
Recommend Us To a Friend

PLAYING THE CARD GAME SIXTY SIX

Number of Players: 2, but variants for 3 and 4 are given below. Cards: A deck of 24 cards: A-K-Q-J-10-9 of each suit. (Discard all 2's to 8's from a regular deck.) Each player receives 6 cards, dealt 3 at a time. The rest of the deck is placed face down in the middle of the table, to form the stock. The top card of the stock is turned face up and placed partly underneath the stock. This trump card decides the trump suit. Rank: The cards in each suit rank

(Highest) A 10 K Q J 9 (Lowest)

Early Play: The nondealer leads first. The cards are played out in tricks. A trick is won by the higher trump or by the higher card of the suit led. The winner of a trick draws the top card of the stock, and his opponent draws the next card. Thus each hand is restored to 6 cards after each trick. During this early play (before the stock is exhausted), you do not have to follow suit to the lead: you may play any card. Objects of Play: To meld marriages, to win counting cards in tricks, and to win last trick. Marriages: A marriage is a King and Queen of the same suit. In the trump suit, a marriage counts 40; in any other suit, 20. To score a marriage you must show it after winning a trick, then lead one of the two cards. If nondealer wants to lead a King or Queen from a marriage for the opening lead, he may show the marriage and do so. But he does not score the marriage until after he has won a trick. Trump Card: A player having the 9 of trumps may exchange it for the trump card (to get a higher trump). You may make this exchange only after winning a trick, before making the next lead. Closing: At any turn to lead, a player may turn the trump card face down. This signifies that he closes, that is, stops any further drawing from the stock. The hands are played out as in Later Play (below), with the difference that marriages may still be melded. Later Play: After the stock is exhausted, the 6 cards in each hand are played out. At this time, a player must follow suit to the lead if he can. Counting Cards: Cards won in tricks are counted as follows:

Each Ace ________________ 11

Each ten_________________ 10

Each King _______________  4

Each Queen_______________ 3

Each Jack________________ 2

(No count for 9's)

For winning last trick _______ 10

Scoring: The player who first reaches a total of 66 or more wins a game. Marriages are scored on paper whenever melded. Points taken in tricks are not entered on paper until a hand is finished, but an important feature is to keep mental track of these points as they are won. In your turn to play, you may claim that you have reached 66. Play stops at once and the cards are counted. If you are right, you score 1 game point— or 2 if your opponent has less than 33, or 3 if he has not even won a trick. If you are wrong, not having 66, your opponent scores 2 game points. It is important to realize when you have won a game, and to claim it, because you may lose by playing out the hand. If you and your opponent both get more than 66, or if you tie at 65, neither wins. But the winner of the next hand gets 1 additional game point. Usually, at least 1 game point is won by somebody each deal. The one who first scores 7 game points wins an overall game.

Related terms include phase 10 card game and wizard card game.