Forty-fives - Card Ranks

Card Ranks

The rank of cards depends on a number of factors. A basic way it is commonly thought of is "red is high, black is low."

  • For red (hearts and diamonds) trump cards: 5 of suit, Jack of suit, Ace of Hearts (even if trump suit is diamonds), Joker, Ace of suit (if trump is diamonds, void if trump is Hearts), K, Q, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2 (all of suit)
  • For black (spades and clubs) trump cards: 5 of suit, Jack of suit, Ace of Hearts, Joker, Ace of suit, K, Q, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
  • When a non-trump suit is led, a trump suit will always beat it. If no trump card is thrown to beat it, the suit that is led is the only suit that can win the trick. However, the Ace of Hearts and Joker are always considered trump. The orders are as follows:
    • Red non-trump: K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A (Ace only in Diamonds)
    • Black non-trump: K, Q, J, A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Read more about this topic:  Forty-fives

Famous quotes containing the words card and/or ranks:

    “In the game of “Whist for two,” usually called “Correspondence,” the lady plays what card she likes: the gentleman simply follows suit. If she leads with “Queen of Diamonds,” however, he may, if he likes, offer the “Ace of Hearts”: and, if she plays “Queen of Hearts,” and he happens to have no Heart left, he usually plays “Knave of Clubs.””
    —Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)

    “Next to our free political institutions, our free public-school system ranks as the greatest achievement of democratic life in America ...”
    —Agnes E. Meyer (1887–1970)