Objective
All Fours is a traditional card game played with four players in partnerships. The goal is to reach a predetermined number of points (usually 14 points) by winning scoring cards in each hand and effectively using the game's rules.
Setup
- The game uses a standard 52-card deck.
- The ranks of the cards in the trump suit are in descending order: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, ..., 2.
- In non-trump suits, only the Jack and Ace are considered for scoring purposes.
Gameplay
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Dealing: The dealer shuffles the cards and deals 6 cards to each player. The remaining cards form the talon.
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Establishing the Trump Suit: The dealer turns the top card of the talon face up to indicate the trump suit. This card remains face-up on the talon.
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Rounds and Tricks: Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player plays one card in turn. Players must follow suit if possible. If unable to follow suit, a trump card may be played to potentially win the trick.
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Scoring Cards:
- High: Awarded to the party with the highest trump taken during the play.
- Low: Awarded to the party with the lowest trump taken during the play.
- Jack: Awarded to the party capturing the jack of the trump suit.
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Game: Points collected from cards that are worth game points: Ac e (4 points), King (3 points), Queen (2 points), Jack (1 point) from all captured cards—regardless of suit.
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Scoring: Points for High, Low, Jack, and Game are tallied, and the first partnership to reach a total of 14 points wins the game.
Key Details
- Optimal Card Play: The order and choice of cards played are crucial, especially in terms of conserving trump cards.
- Avoiding Crosses: Players should aim not to waste high-ranking trump cards unless they can secure a win.
The game combines strategy, observance, and the ability to anticipate and influence opponents' actions.
