In Wisconsin, the game is Sheepshead

The Deck

Sheepshead players never play with a full deck.

32 cards. 2s-6s are removed. Fourteen cards are designated as a fixed trump suit. The trump "suitors" contains the four queens, four jacks, and the remaining diamonds. The remaining six hearts, six clubs and six spades are known as the "fail" suits. The six cards in each fail suit are ranked like the six lowest suitors: A, 10, K, 9, 8, 7. Suitors take (beat) fail and are ranked from highest to lowest as follows:

The Deal

Five players six cards each.

remaining two cards are the "blind"

It is customary to deal the cards two or three at a time, dealing the "blind" cards between rounds. It is considered poor form to deal the blind from the bottom of the deck.

Pick and Bury

Starting with the player at the dealer's left and circling the table clockwise, each player has the opportunity to "pick." Picking up the blind signifies that one intends to challenge the other players.

If somebody other than the picker has the jack of diamonds it will be picker & partner vs defense. 2 vs 3.

If the picker has the Jack of Diamonds it is 1 vs 4.

The picker may exchange the blind cards for some of those dealt, but must "bury" 2 cards. The picker adds the blind to hand before burying, and the buried cards may include cards that came from the blind. Neither the blind cards nor the buried cards are shown to the other players. If aces, tens, or face cards are buried, their points count [in favor of the picker] as a head start toward the goal of 61.

If no one picks the blind, play a leaster.

Identify the Partner

The holder of the jack of diamonds is automatically the picker's partner. Nobody is certain, besides the player holding the "J.D." The partner may play the jack any time it is allowed (ALWAYS follow suit) but the cards the partner may play prior to "showing" will often make it obvious.

Table rules: if the picker has in their hand, or finds the jack of diamonds as an unpleasant surprise in the blind they are NOT allowed to "call up" the next higher-ranking jack. For the wedding only, we don't allow picker to call off Jack of diamonds, otherwise if the picker feels their hand is particularly strong, could opt to go alone, and announce this before the lead to the first trick. In that case, picker has no partner and jack of diamonds is on defense. There are also rules where if the picker finds the jack of diamonds in the blind, they can call up to the weakest jack not in their hand.

Keeping Score

Each hand ends with points being won or lost. There can be a score keeper, generally an accountant (contact Dan Martin for spreadsheet) or least drunk / most trustworthy & mathematically inclined individual at table. Coins/tokens can be used to settle up after each hand if such a person doesn't exist.

The picker and partner combine their tricks and the blind then sum points together. The defense combines tricks they won & sums points.

Aces, tens and face cards have point values associated with them.

A =11

10 =10

K =4

Q =3

J =2

120 points in the deck.

The total score for the hand is then determined by the following multipliers

1x picker team needs 61 points to win

a tie 60/60 goes to defense

2x if no schneider

defense has <30 points

or picker has <31 points

3x for a no-tricker

That is it for Sunfish level

In Walleye level: there can be up to four marks which would represent 16x. 2 cracks and 2 re-cracks.

A crack signifies the player is on defense and doubles the score. A re-crack can only come from the partner or picker and would re-double the score.

In Musky level: a player can show 2 red queens or any combination of jacks to blitz. The max multiplier is 64x or 6 marks.

A blitz doubles the score and requires a player show two cards.

The marks are then applied to the basic score above.

An example: the picker blitzes by showing jack of spades and hearts. The defense cracks and also blitzes with 2 red queens. Then the partner makes themselves known by re-cracking. The base score would be 16x or 2^4. If the end result is the defense loses and has no schneider, the score would be 2x16 or 32. If playing for dimes, this hand would result in 320 cents paid by each of the 3 players on defense. $3.20 to partner and $6.40 for picker.

The 30 point threshold is commonly called 'schneider', for reasons that some German historian may someday explain. The picker is obligated to take one more point beyond the threshold, i.e. 31 points to achieve "schneider" in the event of a loss. Some people do double on a bump, we don't since cracking serves the purpose.

The score won is deducted from the scores of the losers, scoring is a zero-sum exercise. The losers "pay" the winners. The picker is allocated 2x the score of the partner. When going alone the picker gives/receives 4x vs score of the defense. Thus some players' scores must be negative numbers. When keeping a ledger, the score should always add to ZERO. If it doesn't the score keeper pays to make it whole or rounds up the positive mis-balance to allocate to all other players. If nobody has a piece of paper then coins may allow players to settle up as the game progresses. A nickel per point was old currency as Ron Martin would play for over his entire career at the Wisconsin DNR. Now we use dimes.

Playing a hand

The player at dealer's left (who had the first opportunity to pick) leads the first card, and play continues clock-wise. The winner of each trick leads the first card of the next trick. Once a card is led, subsequent players must follow suit if possible. (Remember that trump cards are a suit in themselves, and so must be followed when led). If a player does not have a card of the suit which has been led he has two options. He may "fail off", that is, play a card from one of the fail suits, or he my play a trump card. The choice is a matter of tactics and strategy, of course.

Each trick is taken by the person who played the highest ranking card [that is, the highest trump if any were played, or if not, the highest card of the fail suit that was led; cards of fail suits different from the led suit can never win]. 10s take Ks. That winner of prior trick then leads the first card of the next trick. After all tricks have been played the offensive (picker and/or partner) and defensive teams count the points in the tricks they have taken to determine the winners of the hand. Then the cumulative score is adjusted (or tokens are exchanged) and players analyse each other's skill while the next dealer shuffles and deals another hand.

Tactics

Sheepshead can be a game of considerable subtlety. Fortunately there are some helpful rules of thumb to guide one's decisions. Naturally none of these guidelines is absolute. There are occasions when one must abandon conventional wisdom. These tactics probably cover 80% of one's decisions, however.

• Offensive players lead trump; defensive players lead fail.This fundamental principle is fully appreciated only after trying the opposite approach. Leading to a trick is an opportunity to exert control over the other players. They must follow suit when possible, which limits their choice of cards, or they must decide whether to try to wrest control away from the leader. Leading trump means one is trying to control the power cards. Leading fail means one is conserving trump or trying to harass the offense by forcing the picker (and partner) to decide whether the trick merits a high trump card.The application of this guideline signals which players are on the offensive and defensive sides. Until the jack of diamonds is played, the identity of the picker's partner is not known to anyone but the partner. When a player other than the picker leads trump, it is a sign that the player holds the designated card and is playing along with the picker.It is possible to break this rule of thumb with brilliant skill. More often, however, one incurs the wrath of one's teammates by straying from this principle.

• Pay attention.In particular, try to count the number of trump that have been played. The game tends to revolve around the fourteen trump cards. If you know there are many, one, or none left to be played, you can choose your play accordingly. Watch who plays trump, and when, for clues about who is the picker's partner.

• Position is power.Your position with respect to the first (or next) lead will affect your play. When you are at the dealer's left, with the first chance to pick, you do not have the luxury of knowing how many other players might pass or wish to pick. On the other hand you also have the chance to set the pace of the game with your initial lead. At the end (as the dealer) you may be able to pick with a weaker hand than usual. The other players have all indicated some degree of weakness by passing. The fact that no one will pick may also indicate that crucial high trumps are in the blind. But beware the mauer who passes despite a strong hand.As a picker or partner, you want to be at the lead or on the end. At the lead you can dictate the choices of the defense. On the end you can survey a trick before making a decision. As a defender, you want to keep the offense in the middle. Then you can force the picker to make a difficult decision, knowing that your hostile teammates await their turns to validate or overturn the picker's choice of card.

• Sacrifice points before power.Regardless of which side you play on, you will usually obtain a greater return by taking a trick with a high-ranking card later than by hoarding your points. When forced to play trump, for example, and you have only a queen and the ace of diamonds, but you know you cannot take the trick, it may be better to sacrifice the ace. The queen may take a trick with more points later or win the lead at a crucial moment. You may wish to bend this rule when you know you would be giving away the game-winning points.

Leasters

If no one picks the blind, the hand may be played as a "leaster". Least is a cut-throat game in which the goal is reversed. There are no partners. Each player tries to take as few points as possible rather than the majority of the points. A player must take at least one trick to qualify to win. This does allow the possibility of taking every trick and winning with 120 points. Such behavior is frowned upon, however. The winner of a least hand receives one cumulative point (or token, coin, or what have you) from each of the other players.

The group that would play with late father of the groom - Ron Martin had an alternative: simply throw hands down in disgust and chide the player with the strongest hand as a mauer. They would deal again & double the points.

"Leasters" annoy some players so much that they refuse to play them at all. Skillful card players find the sudden shift of tactics to be stimulating.

Tactics: it is often tempting to dump one's aces and tens on a trick that is already won by an unfortunate rival. This can make later tricks much cheaper, however. It is often prudent to ration one's "schmier" (aces and tens) by doling out the points to players who seem to be getting by too easily. It can be disastrous to have a lone ("bare") ace or ten of a suit, however. Then it's wise to dump those counters whenever one has an opportunity. A leaster is often won by the player who spends a high-ranking trump card to buy a relatively cheap trick.

Don't have 5 players? Other versions.

3 players / 10 cards each, 2 in the blind. The picker is alone 1 vs 2

4 players / 7 cards each, 4 in the blind. The picker is alone 1 vs 3

6 players. Play 5 handed, dealer sits. The rotating person sitting out prepares deal for next hand when they will be "on the end" and person to left is next to sit out.

7 players / 4 cards each, 4 to the blind. The picker takes all four cards from the blind, and buries four. Jack Diamonds partner 2 vs 5

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