How to Play Sixty-Six
How to Play Sixty-Six
Sixty-Six is a quick, clever two-player card game about winning valuable tricks and reaching 66 points before your opponent. 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; house rules and regional versions can vary.
Quick facts
| Players | 2 |
|---|---|
| Cards | 24 cards: ace through nine in each suit |
| Goal | Reach 66 card points in a hand |
| Game length | First player to 7 game points |
| Main idea | Win tricks, announce marriages, and manage the stock |
What you are trying to do
Each hand is a race to collect at least 66 card points. You collect points by taking tricks, which are pairs of cards played one by each player, and by announcing a marriage, meaning the king and queen of the same suit held together. A marriage is worth 20 points in an ordinary suit or 40 points if it is in the trump suit.
The hand ends when someone correctly says that they are “out” after reaching 66 or more. Then the winner earns game points. A full game is usually played until one player reaches 7 game points.
What you need
Start with a standard 52-card deck. Remove every card from 2 through 8, leaving the ace, ten, king, queen, jack, and nine in each of the four suits. This makes 24 cards. In Sixty-Six, the card order from highest to lowest is ace, ten, king, queen, jack, nine.
Card values are simple: an ace is worth 11 points, a ten 10, a king 4, a queen 3, a jack 2, and a nine 0. You will also need paper or a notes app to record game points between hands.
Set it up
- Choose the first dealer randomly. The dealer changes after each hand; the player who wins the hand deals next.
- Shuffle and deal six cards to each player, commonly in two groups of three. Deal to the non-dealer first.
- Turn the thirteenth card face up beside the undealt cards. Its suit is trump, meaning that cards of this suit can beat cards from other suits.
- Place the remaining eleven cards face down across the face-up trump card. Together, these cards form the stock, also called the talon. The non-dealer leads the first trick.
How to play
- Lead and respond. The leader plays any card. During this opening phase, the other player may answer with any card; they do not have to follow the suit that was led. If both cards share a suit, the higher card wins. A trump beats a non-trump card. If the cards are different non-trump suits, the leader’s card wins.
- Draw after each trick. The trick winner takes both cards and keeps them face down. That player draws the top card of the stock first, then the other player draws the next card, so both hands return to six cards. The trick winner leads the next trick.
- Use a nine exchange. If you have the nine of trumps and have already won a trick, you may exchange it for the face-up trump card beneath the stock before leading. Put the nine face up in the trump card’s place. This is useful when the exposed trump is strong.
- Announce a marriage. When you are leading and hold the king and queen of one suit, show both cards and announce “20” or “40,” depending on whether that suit is ordinary or trump. Then lead one of those cards. The points count only if you win at least one trick in the hand. A marriage can be announced only while the stock is still available, normally no later than the lead to the sixth trick.
- Notice the phase change. When the stock runs out, take the face-up trump card as the final draw. From then on, the responding player must follow suit if possible. If possible, they must also beat the led card; if they cannot beat it, they play a lower card of that suit. If they have no card in the led suit, they must play a trump if they can. If they have neither, they may play any card.
- Close the stock when ready. If you are leading and believe you can reach 66 without drawing again, you may close the stock by turning the exposed trump card face down. No more cards are drawn, and the strict follow-suit rules begin immediately. Closing is a promise, so do it only when your plan is strong. No new marriages may be announced after closing.
- Say “out” at the right moment. As soon as winning a trick or announcing a marriage brings your total to 66 or more, say “out” immediately. You cannot simply wait and declare later if your opponent goes out first. Count the card points in your won tricks, then add any valid marriage points.
How you win
The player who correctly reaches 66 wins the hand. That player normally earns 1 game point. They earn 2 game points if the opponent has fewer than 33 card points, or 3 game points if the opponent has not won a trick. Keep the score after every hand; the first player to reach 7 game points wins the game.
If a player closes the stock but cannot actually reach 66, the opponent wins the hand and usually receives 2 game points, or 3 if they had not yet won a trick. If nobody says “out” and all cards are played, the winner of the last trick receives an extra 10 card points. The player with more card points wins that hand. A tied hand gives no game points.
Easy first-game tips
Remember that aces and tens are the treasure cards, so try to win tricks containing them. Do not spend a trump too early unless it captures something valuable or gives you the lead. Keep track of which high cards have appeared, especially the trump ace and ten. A marriage is powerful, but it is not automatically safe: you still need to win a trick for its points to count.
During the stock phase, use low cards to learn what your opponent may be holding. Once the stock is empty, look carefully before you play. The follow-suit rules become strict, and a careless discard can give away a valuable trick. Finally, keep a running total and announce “out” promptly. Forgetting that last step can cost an otherwise winning hand.
Quick questions
Can I play any suit during the first phase?
Yes. Until the stock is empty or closed, you may play any card when responding, even if you hold the suit that was led.
What happens if neither player reaches 66?
Play all the cards. Add 10 points to the winner of the last trick, and the player with the higher total wins the hand.