Forty-fives - General Game Play - Merrimack Valley Variant

Merrimack Valley Variant

Merrimack Valley (southern New Hampshire, southeastern and northern Massachusetts) play is different. A very similar style is also played in Madawaska County of northwestern New Brunswick.

• There are three styles of play.
  • Heads Up: Two players, one on one.
  • Cut-throat: Three players, in this game after a player wins the bet and calls the Trump, the other two players form a temporary unspoken truce to try to 'Shoot' the bidder. Players who do not honor this truce are seen as selfish and called 'Nickel Grabbers' (each 'Trick' is worth 5 points)
  • Five-Way Cut-throat: Similar to normal 3 man cut throat. In this game it is much harder to make your bid as it tends to be 4 vs. 1 and the bidder is often shot.
  • Partners: Either four or six players, with partners sitting opposite. Partners points are pooled towards overall score, and towards bid.
• The Joker is not used.
• Three cards are dealt to the kitty after each player has three cards. (Games are often played 'No Kitty' and are considered to be more legitimate)
• Instead of the top card being turned over after the deal and determining trump, players bid based on the strength of their hand. Bidding is done before a trump suit is declared. Players bid 15, 20, 25, or 30 points based on how many points they think they can earn with their hand if they get to call the trump suit. Bidding goes in the same order as the deal. If no one bids, choosing instead to pass, then the dealer automatically bids 15 and play resumes as normal. When this happens the dealer is said to have been "bagged".
  • Common variation: A player can outbid a 30 point bid by bidding '30 for 60'. This means that if the player doesn't make 30 points, they lose 60 points. Depending on the rules, they could stand to win 60 points if they make their 30 point bid. Some variations also allow a '60 for 120' bid. Even if this rule is respected, it is still very uncommon.
• The player who wins the bid announces the trump suit.
• After trump is called (it is important for trump to be called prior to this step), the person who called trump adds the kitty to their hand.
• Players then discard any unwanted cards (usually non-trump suited cards except for the Ace of Hearts). Players must keep at least one card in their hand. If it is a six player game, then each player must keep two cards to ensure cards don't run out. The winning bidder may not keep more than five cards.
• In the same order as the original deal, the dealer replenishes each player's hand so that all players have five cards.
  • Common variation: Players may discard all five cards, but when being replenished, the fifth card is dealt face-up. This is known as "four and a flip".
• Winning bidder gets first play.
• Each round, where every player plays a card, is called a "trick".
• In most games, it is considered appropriate to ask if a player is "booked." To be "booked" is to have only cards of the trump suit. In this case, the asking player may then choose to fold or stay in the game.
• The first card thrown is said to have been "led". If the card led is in the trump suit, then each player must play a card of the trump suit if possible. The Ace of Hearts is always considered part of the trump suit. If a player breaks this rule they are said to have "reneged".

• • Common variation: The three highest ranking cards(5, J, AoH) are allowed to be reneged, if and only if a lower card is led.
• Cards are valued in the following order, depending on trump suit, where AoH is the Ace of Hearts. If no trump card is played during the trick, the value is awarded according to the off-suit rules listed below. In the absence of a trump card, the winning suit is always the suit led.
  • Diamonds: 5, J, AoH, A, K, Q, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2
  • Hearts: 5, J, A, K, Q, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2
  • Clubs: 5, J, AoH, A, K, Q, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
  • Spades: 5, J, AoH, A, K, Q, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
  • Off suite diamonds: K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A
  • Off suite hearts: K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
  • Off suite clubs: K, Q, J, A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
  • Off suite spades: K, Q, J, A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
• When points are counted at the end of the round, the winning bidder adds their point total only if it equals or beats their bid. If they do not "meet their bid" they instead subtract their bid amount. This is known as being "set", "shot", or "setting the bidder" The object for the players that did not win the bid, therefore, is to make as many points as possible while at the same time preventing the bidder from making their bid.
  • "Common variation": Any player whose score hits exactly "45" is set back to Zero—The dreaded Forty-Five Rule.
• The trick with the highest ranked card of the hand is the bonus trick, and is worth 10 points.
  • Common variation: Only the 5 is worth 10 points. If the 5 isn't dealt and played, then the hand only has a total of 25 points.
• A player who is within 30 points of 120 is said to be "on the green". This means they are one hand away from winning the game.
• 120 points wins the game. Winning the game is referred to as "going out". If multiple players go out on the same hand, then the player who bid that hand wins. This is referred to as "Bidder goes out".
  • Common variation: If more than one player is on the green, then you must bid on your winning hand in order to win the game. If you reach 120 points without bidding, then the game is not over. This variation is commonplace within and outside of the Merrimack Valley and despite its widespread use is not considered the proper way to play the game.
  • Common variation: The "bidder goes out" rule states that if multiple players go out on the same hand then the player who won his bid, wins the game provided that their score is at least 120 points. This rule is considered to be the proper way to play the game the closer you get to its place of origin (i.e., Dracut/Lawrence/Methuen).