Forty-fives - Game Rules

Game Rules

  • Players must always follow the suit if a trump is the leading card. If off suit leads you are not forced to follow suit.
  • The leading card can only be bettered with a better card in the same suit or with a trump.
  • Any trump suit card beats every non-trump suit card (except the Ace of Hearts, which will be explained below).
  • The only time in which a player may choose not to follow trump suit is when the only trump card he has is the five or if he does not have any cards of the trump suit. A player might wish to save the most powerful card (the five of trump) if he believes that another player is saving another strong card, or until he believes the other trump cards have been exhausted so that he can have the advantage of leading the remaining tricks. The action of holding a card in this fashion is known as "reneging."
    • Other variations allow the jack of trump and the Ace of Hearts to be similarly reneged, unless a better card has been led, or if you have a remaining card of the played suit.
  • Points are added from round to round until a player or team reaches 120 and wins.
  • Once a player has revealed his card to players, that card is deemed to be played.

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