200 (Two Hundred)


200 two Hundred

OBJECTIVE OF 200: The objective of 200 is to score 200 points to win the game.


NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  4 players


MATERIALS:  A modified 52-card deck, a way to keep score, and a flat surface.


TYPE OF GAME: Point-Trick Card Game


AUDIENCE: 13+


OVERVIEW OF 200 (Two Hundred)

200 is a point-trick game where 4 players play in two partnerships. These partnerships compete to be the first to earn 200 or more points and they complete this goal by making bids and winning tricks with card value.

SETUP

To set up for 200 a 52-card deck will need to be modified. The cards bearing 2s, 3s, 4s, and 6s are removed leaving a 36-card deck of Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, 10s, 9s, 8s, 7s, and 5s. 

Then a dealer should be chosen at random and will pass after each round to the next player on the left. The dealer will shuffle the deck, and have it cut by the player to their right. Hands will be dealt, 3 cards at a time, until all players have a hand of 9 cards. 

Card Rankings and Values

The ranking for 200 is traditional with Ace being the highest followed by King, Queen, Jack 10, 9, 8, 7, and 5 the lowest ranking card. 

Cards have values attached to them as well, which players will score at the end of the round. Aces are worth 10 points, 10s are worth 10 points, and 5s are worth 5 points. All other cards are worth zero points. This means there is a total of 100 points available each round. 

BIDDING

After hands are dealt players will bid on who will get to determine trump for the round. Players bid on how many points they believe their partnership can take in the round. The minimum bid is 50 and the maximum is 100.

The bidding begins with the player on the dealer’s left. Players have the option of outbidding the previous player or passing. Once a player passes, they are out of the bidding for this round. If all 4 players pass with no bids made, then cards are taken and redealt by the next dealer. 

Once a bid is made and all other players pass or a player bids maximum, the bidding is over, and the game can begin.

A player is not mandated to start the bid at 50 but all players can bid in intervals of 5. This means once a minimum bet of 50 is made the next lowest bid would be 55. 

GAMEPLAY

Now that the bidding is over the winner of the bid can declare the trump suit, otherwise the card they lead the first trick with will determine the trump suit. 

The declarer leads the first trick and all other players must follow suit. If not able, they may play any card, including trumps from their hands. The highest trump wins the trick, but if not applicable the highest-ranking card of the suit led wins the trick. The winner of the previous trick leads the next one. 

Players will try to win tricks containing point cards for scoring and all tricks won are kept face down in front of the player who won them. 

SCORING

Scoring happens once all nine tricks have been won. Each team will find the total of their scores and will follow the guidelines below to see what they will do with that total. 

If the winning bidder’s team met their bid then they score the points acquired to their total game score, if not then the points scored are subtracted from their total game score. Teams can have negative scores. 

The opposing team will score the points acquired from the round to their total with one exception. If the bidding team has 100 or more points, then the opposing team must have had at least one teammate participate in the bidding before passing to score these points. 

END OF GAME

The game can end two ways either a team reaches 200 points and wins the game or a team reaches negative 200 points and loses. If both teams reach 200 points in the same round the team who was the winning bidder’s team wins the game. 

Nakoa Davis
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