OBJECTIVE OF GOOD LITTLE TRICKS: Avoid collecting completed suits from the Display Area
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3 players
NUMBER OF CARDS: 27 cards
RANK OF CARDS: (low) 1 – 7 (high)
TYPE OF GAME: Trick taking
AUDIENCE: Adults
INTRODUCTION OF GOOD LITTLE TRICKS
Good Little Tricks (GLT) is a print and play card game created by Brett J. Gilbert and Matthew Dunstan. Although it can be played with 2 – 5 players, GLT is best with 3. The rules below describe how to play with that particular player count. For access to the free printable cards and rules, click here.
There are many aspects of gameplay that separate GLT from other trick taking games. The number of suits, the way trump changes throughout the round, and how the points are collected are just a few of the things that make this game worth checking out. Each round, players will play cards to the trick and carefully try to avoid collecting points. At the end of the game, the player with the lowest score is the winner.
THE CARDS & THE DEAL
The GLT deck is made up of 27 cards. There are six different colored suits, and each suit has a different number of cards in them. The orange suit has two cards, purple has three, green has four, pink has five, blue has six, and red has seven. Each suit ranks 1 as the lowest card and ascends in numerical order.
Cut the deck to determine the dealer. The highest card deals first. Shuffle and deal nine cards to each player.
THE PLAY
THE FIRST TRICK
The player left of the dealer gets to go first. They begin the trick by playing a card from their hand. Players are not allowed to lead the trick with a trump card unless it is the only suit in their hand. At the start of the game, the orange suit is trump. Following players must follow suit if they can. If the player cannot match the lead color, they can play any card they wish. The highest card in the color that was led or the highest trump colored card wins the trick.
BUILDING THE DISPLAY
Once a trick is complete, its cards are sent to the Display Area and organized by suit. The trick is not collected by the player who wins it. As the game progresses, spread the Display Area cards in such a way that everyone at the table can tell which cards have been removed from play.
CONTINUING PLAY
Whoever wins the trick leads next. Play continues as described until all of the cards in a single suit have been placed in the Display Area.
COLLECTING CARD POINTS
As soon as a trick is complete, if all of the cards from a single suit are in the Display Area, the player that wins the trick collects those cards. It is possible for the trick-winner to collect multiple suits at one time. At the end of the game, players will earn penalty points for each card they collect.
CHANGING TRUMP
The game begins with the orange suit as trump. If both cards in the orange suit are put in the Display Area and collected, the next smallest suit still in play becomes trump. For example, if any cards from the purple suit are still in play, that suit becomes trump. If that entire suit has been removed from play, the green suit becomes trump. The new trump suit goes into effect on the very next trick.
FINISHING THE ROUND
Once all of the tricks have been played, and all of the cards are collected, the round ends. It is time to tally up the score. Deal passes left for the next round. Play six rounds for a complete game.
SCORING
Players earn 1 penalty point for each card they capture during the round.
SWEEPING THE BOARD
If a player manages to capture all 27 cards, they have swept the board. In this case, that player earns zero points, and the other two players earn 27.
WINNING
At the end of the sixth round, the player with the lowest score is the winner.
- TRIPLE SNAKES - February 15, 2021