The All-Fours Group
The All-Fours family of games can trace its history back for at least three hundred years. Of English origin, the name “All-Fours ” refers to the four major points that players try for in play . while some variants give other points in which it is possible to score, the all-fours original feature still persists in all members of this closely related family.
SEVEN – UP
Seven-up was possibly the first of the All-Fours family to migrate to America from England in the early 1700’s. Also known as High-Low-Jack and Old Sledge, it is a true form of All-Fours (it is still called by that name in some parts of the world) and remains popular today. It receives its name from the fact that it takes 7 points to win.
Requirements
- Two or three play individually. With four players, it is a partnership game, two against two.
- A regular 52-card deck. In each suit the cards rank: ace (high), king, queen, jack, ten, nine, eight, seven , six, five, four, three, two (low), in descending order.
The object of the Game. To be the first player to score 7 points and win the game.
Beginning of the Game. The selection of the dealer, seating positions, changing seats, shuffle, and cut are as provided under the General Rules for Card Games, chapter 1.
The Deal. After the deck has been shuffled and cut, dealer gives each player a hand of six cards. He deals three at a time, beginning with the players at his left and going in clock-wise rotation. The next card is then turned up and proposes the trump suit. It is placed on top of the remainder of the deck (stock). If this card is a jack, dealer scores one point. The turn to deal in subsequent hands rotates clockwise.
Determining the Trump. The player at the left of the dealer, after looking at his hand, has the first right to “stand” or “beg.” To stand means that he is satisfied with the turn-up card as trump and play begins immediately. To beg is to pass the decision to the dealer. The latter must either give the player who begged 1 point as a gift to let the trump stand, or deal three new cards to each player, plus a face-up card as a proposed new trump. The original trump card remains face up on the table. If this trump is the same suit as the one first turned, the same process is repeated, until a different suit is reached. The last card of the deck cannot be turned for trumps. If the whole deck is exhausted, without arriving at a different suit for trumps, the cards are gathered, shuffled, and redealt by the same dealer. No player but the dealer and the player to his left may look at his cards until the first trump turned has been decided upon. If a jack is turned for the new suit, the dealer scores 1. But the dealer never scores for the turn of a jack in the suit of the first rejected
turn-up.
The Play. Once the trump has been set, each player reduces his hand (if necessary) to six cards, by discarding superfluous cards face down. Then the player to the dealer’s left leads any card. If this is a trump, the other players must follow suit if possible; if not a trump, they also must follow suit, but if unable to do so, they may trump or discard. The highest card of the suit led wins, unless the trick is trumped, in which case the highest trump wins. The poker winner of each trick leads to the next.
Scoring. The object of play is to win points in tricks. There are at the maximum 4 points, as follows:
High: highest trump in play; player to whom dealt.
Low: lowest trump in play; player to whom dealt.
Jack: jack of trumps, to dealer turning it for trump, or player taking it in a trick.
Game: highest total of point values of cards taken in tricks in which the count is a follows: each ace, 4; each king, 3; each queen, 2; each jack, 1; and each ten, 10 (lower cards have no value).
If there is only one trump in play, it scores 2 as both high and low (or 3 if it is the jack). The 1 for game is not scored if there is a tie for the highest count.
The Game. The player or side first to reach a total of 7 points wins the game. If more than one secure points to win the game in a single hand, the points are scored in this order, to determine the winner: high; low; jack; game. The player who first scores out wins. If the dealer needs but one point to win game, and on the deal turns up the jack for trumps, he wins.
Additional Rules
Misdeal. If the dealer gives any player an incorrect number of cards, he loses the deal, which passes to the next player in turn. If the dealer exposes a card, the player to whom it is dealt may decide to let the deal stand or to have a new deal by the same dealer. If a card is faced in the pack, there is a new deal by the same dealer.
Revoke. Failure to follow suit (or trump) when able is a revoke. It may be corrected before the lead to the next trick, but each player in turn after the revoked may withdraw his card and substitute another. If not corrected in time, the revoke trick stands and the offender cannot score for jack or game, and each opponent scores 1 point if the jack is not in play; 2 points if the jack is in play.
Exposed Card. In partnership play only, a card exposed except in legal play must be left face up on the table and must be played on demand of either opponent (provided that its play is legal).
All Fives
Follows the rules of Seven-Up except that points are also scored by a player winning any of the following trumps in a trick: for the ten, 10 points; five, 5; ace, 4; king, 3; queen, 2; jack, 1. The count for game is as in Seven-Up. The player first to reach a total of 61 wins the game. For convenience in scoring some players peg points on a cribbage poker board .
California Jack
In this two-handed variation, which is some- times called California Loo or Draw Seven-Up, each player receives six cards, dealt face down one at a time, and the remainder of the deck-the stock-is placed face up on the table. The top card of the stock indicates the trump suit; or the trump suit may be established by cutting before the deal. The non- dealer makes the first lead.
The winner of the first trick takes the top card from the stock and his opponent takes the card underneath. The winner of each trick leads to the next, and play proceeds as described until all cards in the stock and hand have been exhausted. A trick consists of two cards, one from each player, and rules of tricks in Seven-Up apply.
At the end of play, each player goes through his trick pile and scores 1 point for having high (ace of trumps), 1 point for low (deuce of trumps), 1 point for jack of trumps., and 1 point for game, which is figured exactly as in Seven-Up. (Note: “Low” scores for the player taking it, not the player holding it.) Game consists of either 7 or 10 points, and should both players go out in the same deal, the order of precedence is handled as in Seven-Up.
Variation. California Jack can also be played three–and four-handed. For three hands, remove any deuce from the deck, while for four hands, play with a full 52-card deck. Each player draws from the stock in turn both play and draw go to the left. Otherwise, three-and four-hand draw poker variations are the same as two-hand California Jack