How to Play Pitch
How to Play Pitch
Four-point partnership Pitch is a lively trick-taking game for four people split into two teams. You need a normal deck of cards, and you can find a regular deck of playing cards from Playmore. This guide uses one common version of the rules; house and regional rules can vary.
Quick facts
| Players | 4 players in two teams of two |
|---|---|
| Deck | One standard 52-card deck, with aces high |
| Cards per player | 6 cards |
| Points each hand | High, Low, Jack, and Game |
| Goal | Reach at least 21 points after making your bid |
What you are trying to do
Your team tries to win valuable cards and tricks after one player bids how many points the team expects to earn. The player who makes the highest bid becomes the pitcher, meaning the player who names the trump suit and leads the first trick. A trick is one round in which each player plays one card. The winning team earns points for four targets: High, Low, Jack, and Game.
High goes to the team holding the highest trump card that was dealt, usually the ace. Low goes to the team that wins the trick containing the lowest trump card dealt, usually the two. Jack goes to the team that wins the trick containing the jack of trump, if that card was dealt. Game goes to the team with the greater total card value in its tricks.
What you need
Use a standard 52-card deck. Card order from high to low is ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. You will also need paper and a pencil, or a notes app, to record each team’s running score. Choose seats so teammates sit opposite each other, not next to each other.
Set it up
Choose a dealer. The dealer shuffles and deals three cards to each player, then three more to each player, moving clockwise and beginning with the player on the dealer’s left. Everyone should have six cards. The remaining cards are set aside and are not used in that hand.
The deal moves clockwise after every hand. Before bidding, each player may look at their own cards but should keep them hidden from everyone else. The player on the dealer’s left bids first.
How to play
- Bid or pass. Starting on the dealer’s left, each player may pass or bid 2, 3, or 4. A bid means the number of the four possible points the player expects the team to win. Each new bid must be higher than the previous one. The dealer, who bids last, may match the highest bid and take the contract. If the first three players pass, the dealer must bid at least 2; this is called a forced bid.
- Name trump by leading. The highest bidder becomes the pitcher. The pitcher leads any card from their hand. The suit of that card becomes trump, the special suit that beats cards from other suits. The pitcher leads the first trick.
- Play one card each. Play proceeds clockwise. If the lead card is a trump, a player who has a trump must play one. If the lead is not a trump, a player who has a card of the led suit must either follow suit or play a trump. Following suit means playing the same suit as the first card. If you have none of that suit, you may play any card. This version allows a player to trump even when they could follow suit.
- Decide who wins the trick. The highest trump played wins. If nobody plays trump, the highest card in the suit led wins. The winner collects the four cards, keeps them face down as a team pile, and leads the next trick.
- Continue for six tricks. Every player will play all six cards. Keep the tricks in separate team piles so you can count the point cards and card values afterward.
- Count High, Low, and Jack. Look at the trump cards in the tricks. The team with the highest trump earns High. The team that won the trick containing the lowest trump earns Low. The team that won the trick containing the jack of trump earns Jack. If a particular card was not dealt, that point may be unavailable; for example, if the two of trump was not dealt, the lowest trump actually dealt determines Low.
- Count Game. Add card values in each team’s tricks. Each ace is worth 4, each king 3, each queen 2, each jack 1, and each 10 is worth 10. Cards from both teams’ tricks count, not only trump cards. The team with the higher total earns Game. A tied total earns no Game point.
- Record the score. The non-pitcher team scores every point it earned. The pitcher’s team scores its points only if it made at least the number it bid. If it fell short, subtract the bid from that team’s score; this is being set or set back. A team’s score may become negative. Then pass the deal to the left and play another hand.
How you win
A team wins when it has at least 21 points at the end of a hand in which it made its bid. Simply reaching 21 while defending does not finish the game. For example, a team can pass 21 because of points earned against the pitcher, but it must wait until it makes a bid successfully at the end of a later hand.
Only four points are available in this beginner version: High, Low, Jack, and Game. A bid of 4 means your team is promising to win all four. The highest bidder should consider both the strength of their trump cards and whether the team can collect enough valuable cards for Game.
Easy first-game tips
When judging a bid, count your likely trump winners first. A strong ace, king, or several trump cards can make a bid of 2 sensible. Do not assume that holding the ace automatically wins High: another player may have a higher trump only in unusual variants, but the ace is normally the highest card, so the real challenge is protecting it and winning the lead.
Pay attention to the two, jack, and 10 of trump. The two and jack can produce Low and Jack, while 10s are especially important for Game because each is worth 10 points. If your partner wins a trick, notice what they lead next; that card may help you understand which suit they want you to play.
Do not rush to spend a trump. Trumping can win a trick, but it can also use the card you need later to capture the jack or a valuable 10. When you cannot follow suit, choose a card that is unlikely to help the other team unless it protects one of your own scoring targets.
Quick questions
Can I play trump when I can follow the led suit?
Yes. In this common version, you may follow suit or trump when you hold a card of the suit led.
What happens if the pitcher misses the bid?
The pitcher’s team is set back by the amount of its bid, while the other team keeps any points it earned.