Forty five (original) (raw)
Forty five is a trick taking card game played in Ireland. The description here describes how the game is player in Bruff Co. Limerick.
The game is played with a standard deck with with a single joker included.
Appears very similar to the game "forty fives" played in the Massachusetts area.
A game is normally played with six players arranged in three teams of two with parners sitting opposite each other. In fact most people who play this way
hate to play with any number less than six. With six the game becomes a game of strategy whereas with less players it is mostly a game of luck.
Single games are unusual and if six people are playing in a pub then it is common to play a "rubber" which is won by first pair to three games. An example of this
can be seen in Howards in Bruff on a Friday or Saturday night. A wager such as two Euro per rubber is common. In large halls progressive forty five is played.
For instance in the Convent Hall in Bruff every winter Tuesday night at 8:30 such a tournament is held with up an average of twelve tables each containing three teams
of two. A single game is played at each table and the winners write their name on a card and "progress" to the next table. After sixteen games the team with the most
games is declared the winner. The entry fee is five Euro and all proceeds go to the parents association.
The instructions below sound complicated but you will get the basics after a few hands. The strategy takes much longer.
Dealing
It is common to cut for the right to deal. The deck is shuffled and one player from each team cuts the deck. The player with the lowest card wins the deal.
In the event of a tie try again. After the first deal the deal moves around the table clockwise. In progressive forty five the players who won the last game start the deal for the next game.
Before dealing the cards are shuffled and offered to the person on the dealers right. That person may either cut the deck or knock on the top card to acknowledge that they dont want to cut.
Cards are dealt in two rounds for a total of five cards to each player. Dealer gives same number of cards to each player in each of the two rounds but can give a different number in each round to themselves. If it is found somebody has an incorrect number of cards then the "hand" is over and the dealer must redeal.
When everybody has five cards the dealer turns over the next card. If the card is the joker then the dealer must put down one card and pick up the joker. They then turn the next card to indicate "trumps". If the card is an ACE then the the dealer puts down their worst card and takes the ACE. It is relatively common for the dealer to turn a joker followed by an ACE.
A hand of cards
The general rule is higher in red lower in black. Remember only 31 cards out of 53 in play so number of good cards in play can vary
dramatically from hand to hand.
If a black card is trump then the best card is
Five of trumps, Jack of trumps , Joker , Ace of hearts , Ace of trumps , King , Queen , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 followed by non trumps.
If a red card is trump then the best card is
Five of trumps, Jack of trumps , Joker , Ace of hearts , Ace of trumps , King , Queen , 10 , 9 , 8 , 7 , 6 , 5 , 4 , 3 , 2 , 1
Note that the ACE of hearts is the fourth most important card regarless of the trump suit.
All other cards follow similar rules.
For a non trump black suit
King , Queen , Jack , Ace , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7, 8, 9, 10
For a non trump red suit
King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
General play
The player to the left of the dealer leads and the the next player to their left plays next until finally the dealer plays.
Each player must follow suit or play a trump.
The player with the best card wins the trick and gets five points.
After all five cards cards have been player the player with the best card in that hand is awarded a bonus five points for having best trump.
The winner is the first pair to get to forty five points or to "jink" the game.
Sometimes it is necessary to keep playing to decide who has won since a player who wins a trick with say the Jack of trumps doesnt know
whether they got five or ten points for that trick until the end of the hand when best trump is known. Having the best trump is of no use if you
dont get a chance to play it. You dont get you ten poiints until it is player but by then somebody else may have reached ten points.
A common question among players who are not paying attention is to ask "what was led".
A common answer to this question is something of the form "heart led, spades up".
Robbing
If the dealer turns an ACE then they must put a card face down and take the ACE.
Otherwise each player can rob for the trump if they have the ace of trumps and take the trump, when it comes to their turn, by placing a card face down alongside the stack of cards and taking the trump. Alternately if they have so many good cards that they dont rob then can turn the trump card back down.
Forgetting to rob or robbing without the ACE are breaches of the rules and generally up to the opposing four players to decide if you must throw in your hand or if you can continue.
Renaging
In general you must follow suit or play a trump. The only exceptions are the five of trumps, jack of trumps, joker and ACE of hearts. These cards may be held back provided a higher card wasnt led. You may want to do this if for instance you are forty and only need a single trick and the you are second to play. You may not want to chance your ace of hearts to the three oponents who are to play after you waiting instead for the trick to "come into you".
If you have a "lone joker" or other similar good card it is good to have a "cover". A "cover" is a card of small value which you can throw out if somebody plays a higher card than your good card so that you dont renage. The penatly for "renaging" is to "throw in" your cards.
The count
After each hand of cards there is a discussion to decide the count. This is the tally of each teams score.
Some common counts are
Three tens
Thirty two halves ( thrity and two fifteens )
Thirty , twenty ten
Three forties
Variations
Twenty five is played in some parts of the country
110 is another variation but I am not sure of the rules.
Please Contact Author with any details.
Various
Partners who play with one another for a long time seem to know what cards their partners have and there are rumours that some people pass signals to each other to indicate the cards they have.
The person two out from the dealer is expected to "Stick" the dealer. This involves playing a good card to make it harder for the dealer to take their trick.
If one player is high, the "high man", the other pairs will generally cooperate to stop the "high man" from getting more tricks.
If there is "forty on board" then whoever has the lead will normally lead out their best card to sweep the tables of trumps in case the "high man" tries to hold one good card in order to get a handy trick.
A "jink" is when one pair win all 5 tricks. The game is then over.
Links
Wikipedia description of "forty fives"