Setback is the Name of the Game

Setback, sometimes called Pitch, is a card game played with a standard 52-card deck. The variation we will be playing for this event is two vs. two.

For each hand each player will be dealt 6 cards with the opportunity to draw 4 after the bid. 

Complete directions for play are linked below.

Please note, that there are many, many variations of this game, and not all directions found online may represent the version of the game we will be playing this tournament. Please use the link below.

Game Play Summary

Each hand consists of six rounds, called tricks, i.e. each player playing one card in a clockwise fashion.

A round of bidding proceeds counter clockwise from the dealer, will allowable bids from 2 to 4, based on a teams ability to catch high, low, jack, and game. The dealer can steal the bid by bidding 4. The winning bid selects trump. 

Play starts with the winning bidder and proceeds clockwise, with each player playing one card.  Each player must match the suit of the lead card, called following, if they can. If they can't follow, they can play any other card.  Trump can be played at any time.

After the trick, the high card matching the suit of the lead card played wins, or, the high card of trump wins if a card in the trump suit is played.  The team that has the appropriate high card takes the trick, and takes all played cards to score points.

One point is awarded for taking each of the high card of trump, the low card of trump, the jack of trump. An additional point is earned by taking the game point. The game point is awarded to the team that takes cards with the highest total game value according to the value of these cards: A = 4, K = 3, Q = 2, J = 1, and 10 = 10.

If a team fails to earn enough points to cover the bid they are set, with its bid subtracted from its score. Winning the bid is not required to earn points.

First team to reach 11 points with the bid wins.

This is just a summary. Complete directions for play are linked below.

Again, there are many, many variations of this game, and not all directions found online may represent the version of the game we will be playing this tournament.

Contact

Contact Andy DePalma with any questions at andy.depalma@gmail.com.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Blessed Sacrament Parish for the use of the church hall and its continuing support of K of C events. Vivat Jesus!