OBJECTIVE OF PIQUET: Reach 100 points.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 Players
NUMBER OF CARDS: 32 card deck
RANK OF CARDS: A (high), K, Q, 10, 9, 8, 7
TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking
AUDIENCE: Adult
INTRODUCTION TO PIQUET
Piquet is a two player trick-taking game that uses a 32 card deck, which omits 2-6 number cards. The game has 6 deals, which are referred to as a partie. Piquet is well over 400 years old, with it being well established in the 1600s and possibly referred to as early as 1535 in Rabelais’ Gargantua and Pantagruel.
THE SCORING
Players announce their running total score for that hand each time they score points. After a hand, totals are recorded and added to their score for the partie. Winners have the highest score at the end of the partie (6 deals), In the event of a tie, two more hands are played to settle the score. If there is a tie after two more hands the partie is considered a draw. The main objective is to score 100+ points and ‘get over the Rubicon.’
After the 6 deals, if the loser of that partie scored at least 100 points, they pay the difference between the winner and loser’s score + 100. If playing another partie, scores are reset to 0. If the loser does not reach 100 points, they pay the sum of their scores + 100.
EXAMPLE
Player A: 99 points, Player B: 120, Player A pays B 319 points. (99+120+100)
Player A: 101, Player B: 120, Player A pays B 119 points [(120-101)+100]
THE DEAL
The deal goes back and forth between the two players. Players cut the deck after shuffling for high card, the winner (who has the highest card) chooses who deals first. Re-shuffle cards thoroughly and deal 12 cards to each player, 8 are left over as a talon. The dealer can deal in sets of 3s or 2s as long as it is consistent. The talon is placed face-down in the center of the playing table.
The player who is not dealing is called the elder hand, the player who is dealing is the younger hand.
If any player has a hand with no face cards (J, Q, K) they can declare carte blanche (white card) and receive 10 points. This should be done immediately. This is done by quickly dealing the hand face-up on the table after the opponent has discarded. If the elder has carte blanche they announce how many cards they are discarding so the younger hand can pick their discards prior to seeing the elder’s hand.
THE EXCHANGE
The elder hand exchanges cards first. They must first discard 1 to 5 cards, face-down. After, they pick up an equal number of cards from the talon. The younger player repeats this. However, they can only discard between 1 and the number of cards left in the talon. So, if the elder discarded five cards the younger player can only discard up to 3. Exchanges of fewer than the maximum must be announced and discards are kept beside the player on the table.
When the elder takes less than 5 cards they may look through the talon. The younger player can expose the talon after the elder leads, granted they took less than 5 cards.
THE DECLARATIONS
There are three kinds of combinations that score points. The player with the best hand in the combination takes the points.
Points
Greatest amount of cards in a single suit. The amount of cards in that suit are announced (i.e. “point of 4”) and the player scores that number.
Sequence
Run of cards in sequence, the minimum run size is 3 consecutive cards.
- Tierce – 3 cards, 3 points
- Quart – 4 cards, 4 points
- Quint – 5 cards, 15 points
- Sixième – 6 cards, 16 points
- Septième – 7 cards, 17 points
- Huitième – 8 cards, 18 points
Set
A collection of cards of equal rank, there are two kinds:
- Quatorze – Four of a Kind with either Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, or 10s, 14 points
- Trio – Three of a Kind with either Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, or 10s, 3 points.
Sets with 9s, 8s, and 7s do not count.
The Elder hand starts, they announce their best hand per category. After, the younger hand either responds “good” or “not good.” If the younger hand says, “good,” the elder has a better hand and it can be scored. However, if they say, “not good,” the younger hand has a better combination in hand. The younger hand may also respond with, “equal,” in which they have hands that are exactly equal and there is no scoring.
If players have sequences of equal length they are compared by the value of each card (10=10, face cards=10, ace=11). Sequences are then compared by the highest card starting the set, i.e. and Ace sequence of 3 beats a King sequence of 3. Quatorze always beats trio. Higher ranking quatorzes and trios beat lower ranking quatorzes and trios.
The player with the highest ranking sequence may score other sequences that may be in hand, while the other player scores 0 for the category. This applies to all other categories.
After the elder declares, the younger hand may declare combinations in which the elder was “not good” or did not delcare.
NOTE, it is not complusory to declare anything if you believe your cards are better left secret for the trick taking. This is called a sinking delcaration.
REPIQUE & PIQUE
Players who score at least 30 points during declarations before the opponent scores any points receives a repique of 60 bonus points. Players who score 30 points in declarations and play before their opponent scores any points receives a pique of 30 bonus points. Points are declared in this order:
- Carte Blanche
- Point
- Sequences
- Quatorzes & Trios
- Points during play
The elder hand always scores 1 point for leading in the first trick, so, only the elder can score the pique.
THE PLAY
There are no trumps in this trick taking game, players must follow suit. A single point is scored for the card the leads a trick, another point is gained for taking a trick lead by the opponent. There is another single point won for taking the last trick. Tricks are won by playing the highest ranking card in the suit led.
Whoever wins more tricks receives 10 points for the cards. If all 12 tricks are won, that player receives 40 points for the capot. If players win 6-6 tricks, there are no points given for the cards.
The game ends after a player reaches 100 points, follow the scoring mechanism above under “Scoring” for more information.
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