They will then declare if they or their partner will lead the first trick. The pitcher will be able to determine trumps and which player will lead the first trick. The player with the higher card will be the pitch player. One player from each team should draw a card off the top of the shuffled deck. To score points players will try to win certain cards which will be scored at the end of the round.Ī couple of things will need to be determined before the first deal can begin. It is similar to another game called Big Three. The goal of the game is to reach an agreed-upon score total of either 91 or 121 points. Partners will sit across from each other. Nine Card Don is a game played by 4 players in 2 fixed partnerships. MATERIALS: A 52-card deck, a way to keep score, and a flat surface. Award a negative score of -25 points, for four equal cards arranged in two columns (for example two columns each containing two sevens.OBJECTIVE OF NINE CARD DON: The objective of Nine Card Don is for your team to score either 91 or 121 points first. After turning up the three cards, you may rearrange the cards of your layout (without looking at any of the face-down cards) so as to place your face-up cards in any desired positions. A card may be used in more than one pairing (such are the case where you have three 3s in a triangle wherein the 3 in the corner would be paired both horizontally and vertically.) For example: Variant rules under consideration: Pairs of horizontally and vertically adjacent cards are considered to be zeroed out.

End of the gameĪt the end of the play, any remaining face-down cards in each player's layout are turned face-up. The remaining single cards are scored as follows:Įach numeral card scores face value (Ace=1, Two=2, etc.)Įach Joker scores -2 points. A card may be used in more than one pairing (such are the case where you have three 3s in a triangle wherein the 3 in the corner would be paired both horizontally and vertically.) For example: Eaxample with the three 3s creating 2 pairs, zeroing them all out. ScoringĪt the end of the play, any remaining face-down cards in each player's layout are turned face-up. Ending the PlayĪfter a player's last face-down card is exposed, each of the other players plays one more turn before the hand is scored. However, if you chose to take the discard, you must use it to replace one of your layout cards - you cannot simply put it back on the discard pile, leaving the situation as it was. NOTE: If you drew the card from the stock and decide that you do not want to use it in your layout, you may simply discard the drawn card face up on the discard pile, and it is then the next player's turn. You place the drawn card face-up in your layout, and discard the card that previously occupied that position, putting it face-up on top of the discard pile. You may choose to replace one of the face-down cards of your layout, but you are not allowed to look at any of your layout cards before deciding which to replace. The drawn card may be used to replace any of the cards in your layout. At your turn you must either draw the top card of the face-down stock, or draw the top discard. The player to the dealer's left begins, and the turn to play passes clockwise. After this, remaining face-down layout cards may not be looked at until they are turned over or discarded during play or are scored at the end of the play.

The top card of the stock is turned face up and placed beside the stock to start the discard pile.īefore play begins, each player turns any three of their layout cards face-up. The remaining undealt cards are placed face-down in the center of the table to form a drawing stock. Each player's cards are arranged face down in a three by three square in front of each player like this: The dealer deals nine cards to each player, one at a time. We suspect that another deck may need to be added if there are more than five players. We've played with two, three and four players with three decks. Three standard 52-card decks with Jokers are used.

Play nine card game rules