Spoil Five is a fun game of Irish descent. It supports a wide number of players
(from 2 to 10), but is optimal for five or six. Spoil Five is also sometimes
known as Five Fingers or Forty-Five, although the latter name is usually reserved for a partnership version of this game (see
the variations section below).
This game uses one standard 52 card deck. The specific ranking of the cards in the deck are dependent on which suit is set as the Trump suit for the hand. The following chart shows the ranking of the cards dependent on the final trump suit determined for the hand:
| Trump Suit for the Hand | Ranking of Cards in Spades (High to Low) | Ranking of Cards in Clubs | Ranking of Cards in Hearts | Ranking of Cards in Diamonds |
|---|
| Spades | 5, Jack, Ace of Hearts, Ace, King, Queen, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 | King, Queen, Jack, Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 | King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 | King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace. |
|---|
| Clubs | King, Queen, Jack, Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 | 5, Jack, Ace of Hearts, Ace, King, Queen, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 | King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 | King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace. |
|---|
| Hearts | King, Queen, Jack, Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 | King, Queen, Jack, Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 | 5, Jack, Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2 | King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace |
|---|
| Diamonds | King, Queen, Jack, Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 | King, Queen, Jack, Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 | King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace | 5, Jack, Ace of Hearts, Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2 |
|---|
In order to determine the first dealer, any player should pick up the shuffled deck and begin dealing one face-up card around the table in a clockwise rotation, starting with the player to his immediate left. The first player to be dealt any Jack becomes the first dealer. Thereafter, for each hand, the deal rotates in a clockwise direction around the table, from the last dealer. The dealer has the first choice of seating positions at the table. If there is any dispute amongst the remaining players they can draw for high cards (using conventional ranking) with the highest cards having first selection of seats at the table.
Before the hand begins, each player should be provided an equal number of counters or chips used to keep score. At the start of each hand, each player must place one chip in a pile in the center of the pile.
After the first dealer is selected and the players seated, the dealer thoroughly shuffles the pack. he offers the deck to the player at his right to cut. After the cut the dealer begins dealing the cards face-down to each player in a clockwise direction, starting with the player to his immediate left (eldest hand). He deals in three cycles of cards dealt. He first deals a packet of three cards to each player and then a packet of two. After each player has the requisite five cards, the dealer then exposes the top card of the deck to determine the trump suit for the hand.
At this time, a player who has the Ace of the suit of the card turned for trump may elect (but is not obligated) to exchange any card from his hand for the exposed trump card. If he elects to do so, he simply takes the card and replaces it, face-up with any card from his hand. If he elects not to make the exchange, he must announce this by requesting the dealer to "turn down the trump card". In this case, the dealer turns over the trump card, and the Ace of that trump suit automatically becomes the lowest card of the trump suit (regardless of which suit is the trump suit for the hand). If the trump card initially exposed is any Ace, the dealer then exchange this Ace for any card in his hand, however he can only do this after the first trick of the hand has been played. If he elects not to take the Ace, he must announce this intention as well after the first trick has been played. This procedure is called Robbing the Trump.
The player to the immediate left of the dealer then leads to the first trick by playing any card from his hand face up to the table. Play continues with each additional player, in a clockwise order, playing a card from his hand to the trick. If a player has a card of the card led to the trick he must play it. If he has multiple cards of this suit he may choose which to play. If he does not have a card of the suit led to the trick he may play any card from his hand, including a card of the trump suit. There is one specific exception to this rule, however, for requiring a trump card to be played to a trick in which a trump card was initially led:
- If a trump card lower than the Ace of Hearts is led to a trick, other players
are not obligated to play a higher trump card to the suit if they elect not to, and may instead play a card of another suit to that trick if having such a card. However, if he has a lower trump card he must play that card to the trick. This is called reneging.
After each player has played one card to the trick, it is then determined who has won this trick. The highest trump card played to the trick wins the trick. If no cards of the trump suit have been played to the trick, the highest card of the suit originally led to the trick wins the trick. The player winning the trick should take it and set it aside, face down and out of play. The winner of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.
If a player manages to win three tricks during the hand, he immediately takes the entire center pile of chips and add it to his own collection. In doing this, the hand immediately ends and the player takes the chips. However, if a player manages to win the first three tricks of the hand, he may opt to continue play in an attempt to win all five tricks. If he does win all five tricks, he wins not only the center pile of chips, but each other player must also give him one additional chip. However, if the player elected to continue after winning the first three, but does not manage to win all five tricks in the hand, he does not win any chips and does not take the center pile.
In a hand in which the center pile is not won, the next dealer must add one chip to the pile. In a hand in which the center pile is won, each player must place one chip into the pile.
After a predetermined amount of time or number of hands, the player with the highest number of chips is declared the winner of the game.
Forty-Five: Forty-Five (also sometimes called Forty Fives) is a partnership version of Spoil Five. Although originating in Ireland, the game is also popular in many parts of Eastern Canada. Forty-Five can be played by two, four, six, eight or even ten players. The players should thus be divided into two partnerships of an equal number of players. The partnerships should be seated at the table in such a manner that each player has a player from the opposing partnership on each side of him. Partnerships can be determined in a number of ways, with players randomly drawing cards from the shuffled deck. The players drawing the highest ranked cards (as per the conventional card ranking) would play in a partnership against an equal number of players who
had drawn the lowest ranking cards.
Other then the addition of partnerships to the game, the only other difference in this game as opposed to Spoil Five is in how scoring is conducted. Instead of using chips, an actual ongoing accumulated score is kept for each partnership. The following list details the scores that can be gathered by a partnership during the game:
- If a partnership is able to win 3 or 4 tricks amongst them, they score 5 points.
- A partnership that manages to win all five tricks on a hand scores 10 points.
An alternative scoring scheme is also sometimes used in this variant. In this case, each trick won by a partnership is worth a differing number of points. Three tricks would score 5 points, four tricks 15, and winning all five tricks scores 25. Winning fewer than three tricks would score 0. However, only one score is calculated for the hand. The partnership scoring the most tricks subtracts the total they have won for the hand from the total for the hand won by the partnership scoring the least tricks during the hand. All other partnerships would score 0 for the hand.
Regardless of which scoring method is used, the first partnership to score 45 points or higher at the end of a hand is declared the winner of the game.
Auction Forty Fives: Auction Forty Fives is another partnership variant of Spoil Five. This variant is said to be the National card game of the Canadian Province of Nova Scotia.
This variant is designed to be played by four or six players, in two partnerships, consisting of 2 or 3 players in each partnership. The partners should be seated at the table such that each player is seated between players from the opposing partnership.
Determination of partnerships can be done similarly as for Forty Five, with all players drawing a card, and the players drawing the highest ranking cards playing in a partnership opposed by the players drawing the lowest ranked cards. Any tied cards should be redrawn.
Determination of first dealer, ranking of cards, and the deal are all done identically to the standard game, with the exception that no card is turned to establish the trump suit for the hand. Instead, the right to name the trump suit is by way of an auction (thus this game's name).
The bidding starts with the player to the dealer's immediate left, and continues around the table in a clockwise rotation. Bidding is in multiples of 5, with 5 being the lowest allowable bid and 30 the highest. A player is not required to bid but may pass instead. To be considered a valid bid, the bid must be higher than the previous high bid. Generally there is just one round of bidding. However, the dealer is not required to bid higher than the last previous high bid, but may simply match it by saying "I Hold". If doing this, all other players (who did not previously pass) may elect to make a higher bid. The dealer may again state "I Hold", which then again allows another round of all players who had been active in the last round. A partnership who has scored 100 or more points must pass or make a legal bid of 20 or higher on their bidding turn.
After the high bid has been determined, this high bidder then declares the trump suit for the hand. After doing so, each player, starting with the player to the dealer's immediate left may discard any number of cards from his hand, face-down. The dealer then provides him a number of replacement cards to replenish that player's hand to five cards total.
After the discard phase, the player to the immediate left of the high bidder then leads the first card to the first trick. The play of the hand is identical to Spoil Five.
After all tricks have been played and won, the scoring occurs. Each partnership wins 5 points for each trick it manages to win. In addition, winning the trick with the highest trump card found in the hand scores another five points. If the partnership who had the high bid and declared the trump suit manages to score at least as many points as bid, they score all points earned for the hand. However, if they were unable to score, during the hand, at least as many points as bid, they must subtract from their score a number of points equal to their bid. The opposing partnership scores all points made for their bid whether the high bidder was able to fulfill his high bid or not. If a side bids 30 (bidding to win all tricks) and manages to do so, they win 60 for the feat. If they fail, they would lose the normal amount of the bid (which is 30 points in this case).
The first partnership to reach or exceed 120 points at the end of a hand is declared the winner of the game.
Twenty-Five: Twenty-Five is a close variant of Spoil Five and is
sometimes considered the National game of Ireland. The game is also sometimes titled Twenty Fives, or Irish 25's. It is played by from
two to ten participants each playing independently and uses one standard 52 card deck. This game uses the same unusual ranking of cards as does Spoil Five, which can take some getting used to for players new to these games.
Determination of seating positions and first dealer can be performed using the same methods as in Spoil Five. After each hand the role of dealer rotates in a clockwise direction around the table.
To begin each hand, after the cards have been shuffled and cut, the
dealer then begins dealing the cards in a clockwise direction around the
table, starting with the player at his immediate left. He deals in such
a way that each player ultimately receives five face-down cards. He thus
can start by dealing a three card packet and then a two card packet to each player, or instead first a two card packet,
followed by a three card packet. After each player has the requisite five cards, the dealer then exposes the next card from the deck and places it face-up in the center of the table, and then places the remainder of the deck face-down on the table, partially covering the exposed card. All cards in the same suit as that of the exposed card set as trump cards for the current hand.
If any player has, in his initially dealt cards, the Ace of the same suit as that of the exposed card he may discard any card of his choice from his hand (setting it aside out of play), and take this
exposed card of the trump suit into his hand. This is called robbing. If the card exposed is itself the Ace, the dealer may take this Ace, discarding any card of choice, face-down to the side and out of play. This card exchange must be done before the player doing so plays his first card to the first trick during that hand.
The player to the immediate left of the dealer leads the first card to the first trick, and each other player in turn in a clockwise rotation around the table, plays one card to the same trick.
The leader to a trick may play any card from his hand to start the
trick. Each other player, if that player has a card of the suit
originally led to the trick may play a card of that suit or a card in
the trump suit to the trick. If a player does not have a card of the
suit originally led to the trick, he may play any card from his hand to
the trick, including, if he prefers, a card from the designated trump
suit for the hand. If a card from the trump suit is led to the trick,
players must play a card from the trump suit to the trick, if they have
such a card. The one exception to this is a player having one or more
of the top three cards of the trump suit (Five, Jack, or the Ace of
hearts) prefers not to play this card to the trick (and has no other
cards from the trump suit to play), he is not required to play that card
and may play a non-trump suited card instead. This is called reneging.
After each player has played one card to the trick, it is determined who won the trick. If the trick contains any cards of the trump suit, the player of the highest such card is declared the winner. If the trick contains no cards in the designated trump suit, the player of the highest card in the suit originally led to the trick wins the trick. Cards won in tricks are set aside out of play, and the winner of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.
Each trick a player scores entitles that player to immediately add five points to his ongoing cumulative game score. If any player reaches 25 points, the game immediately ends and that player is declared the game winner. If a player manages to win all five tricks in a hand, this is called Jinking, and that player is said to have won a double game.
In addition to the individual play version of Twenty-Five, the 4, 6, 8 and 10 player versions can also be played in partnerships. The game is played the same as the cutthroat version, with the only difference being that the players are divided into a number of teams, each with the same number of players. The scores for each player in that partnership are added together, with a score retained for each participating team in the game.
Fifty-Five (55): Fifty-Five is a game which has it's roots in the older games Twenty-Five and Spoil Five. It is designed for play by two to nine players, each playing independently, and uses one standard 52 card deck. The game uses the same card ranking (both in the trump suit and the other suits as well) as in Twenty-Five and Spoil Five.
Any method can be used for determining seating positions and the first dealer, with a for high cards a common method. After each hand, the role of dealer rotates around the table in a clockwise direction.
As in other games of this type, each player will receive a total of five face-down cards, dealt in a packet of three followed by a packet of two, or a packet of two followed by a packet of three cards. During the deal, the player also deals one extra hand, as if it were one extra player. This extra hand is called the kitty, and is dealt to the middle of the table. After each player and the kitty has a total of five cards, the dealer then places the remaining cards from the deck face-down in the center of the table.
After the cards have been dealt, there is then a round of bidding. The player to the immediate left of the dealer has the first opportunity to bid and the bidding continues around the table in a clockwise direction around the table in a clockwise direction. The bid, which represents the number of points the player expects to win during the hand, can be one of the following denominations: 10, 15, 20, 25, and 60. In order to be considered a legal bid, a player's bid must be higher than any previous player's bid during the current hand. A player is never obligated to bid, and may thus also elect to Pass. Once a player passes during a hand, he may not later opt to make a bid. The one exception to the requirement that a bid be higher than any previous bid, is that of the dealer. If there has been at least one bid, the dealer is entitled to equal that current high bid, thus "taking" the bid. Of course, subsequent bids may again outbid this bid. Once a high bid has been followed by consecutive passes by every other player (than that high bidder), the bidding ends with the player making the high bid set as the "bidder". A bid of 60 is a specific bid to win all five tricks during the hand.
After it is determined who the bidder is for the hand, that player then takes the five card kitty directly into his hand, and then discards any five cards from his ten card hand, to reduce his hand back down to five total cards. Discarded cards are set face-down to the side, out of play. After this discard, the bidder than announces any of the four suits, of his choice to be set as the trump suit for this hand.
The player to the immediate left of the dealer leads the first card to the first trick, with each other player in a clockwise direction around the table also playing one card to that same trick.
The leader to each trick may play any card from his hand to start that trick. Each other player, if having a card of the suit originally led to the trick may play a card of that suit to the trick or a card in the trump suit. If the player does not have a card of the suit originally led to the trick, he may play any card from his hand to that trick, including a card from the trump suit set for the hand. If a card from the trump suit is led to any trick, the other players must play a card from the trump suit to the trick, if they have one. The exception to this rule is for a player having one or more of the top three cards of the trump suit (the five
in the trump suit, the Jack of the trump suit, or the Ace of hearts) prefers not to play this card to the trick (and has no other cards from the trump suit to play), he is not required to play that card, called reneging.
After every player, in turn has played a card to the trick, it is determined who has won that trick. If the trick contains any cards from the trump suit, the player of the highest card of the trump suit in that trick is the winner of the trick. If the trick contains no cards of the declared trump suit for the hand, the trick is won by the player of the highest card of the suit originally led to that trick. The winner of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.
After all five cards have been played and won, scoring for the hand occurs. Each trick won during the hand has a value of five points, and the player who was dealt the highest card in the trump suit during the hand earns an additional five points. The opponents of the bidder are entitled to earn the points earned during the hand to their ongoing accumulated score. If the high bidder manages to earn at least as many points during the hand as bid for that hand, he is entitled to add the number of points won during that hand to his current ongoing score. If he wins fewer than this number of points, he must subtract from his ongoing score the amount of his bid (and earns no points for tricks won during that hand). If the high bidder bids 60 and wins all five tricks, he earns 60 points, but if he loses one or more tricks during the hand, he must subtract 60 points from his current accumulated score, instead.
At the end of each hand, after the scoring occurs, the scores are compared. If any player has managed to earn 55 or more points during the hand that player is declared the winner. If two or more players have a score of 55 or more, the player who, during play would have been the first to exceed this score is declared the winner of the game.
One Hundred Ten (110): One Hundred Ten is played exactly the same as Fifty-Five, with the sole difference being that the game continues until one or more players reaches or exceeds 110 points.
Two Hundred Twenty (220): Two Hundred Twenty is also played exactly the same as Fifty-Five with the only difference being that the
total accumulated score by a player needed to win the game is 220 points or higher.
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