thirteam

Four or six player card game based on the original game "thirteen", but with a team-based twist.

Game is hosted at https://thirteam.lauraandvictoria.com

Basic Rules

The base game requires four players. Each player is dealt 13 cards. Whoever is dealt the 3♠ starts the first hand.

A player begins a given hand by playing any trick out of their hand. A trick must have one of the following patterns:

- A single card
- Two of a Kind
- Three of a Kind
- Four of a Kind
- A Run of three or more

Play then continues clockwise. Each player has a chance to play on the trick, but can skip if they want. In order to play on the trick, they must play a trick with the exact same pattern (including the number of cards in a run), but with a better high card.

In the case of the same high card, the high card with the better suit wins. Suit order, from best to worst, is:

♥ Hearts
♦ Diamonds
♣ Clubs
♠ Spades

2s are unique - instead of being the low card in the game, 2s are the highest. Because of this, 2s can only be played with other 2s and cannot be part of a Run.

If everyone else skips after a player players, that player "wins" the hand and gets to start the next hand with a new trick. If that player is out of cards, the player with the most remaining cards begins the next trick.

Since 2s are the high card, 3♠ is the lowest card. Whoever, then, is dealt the 3♠ goes first to start the game.

The first player to run out of cards wins, but the round is not over! Each player will earn (or lose!) points based on the order in which they go out.

Scores are cumulative across rounds. Games are played until any player reaches a predefined threshold (usually 10 points).

Scoring: 1st (+3) 2nd (+1) 3rd (-1) 4th (-3)

Six Player Variant

In a six player game, each player starts with 9 cards instead of 13. Two Jokers (a Red Joker and a Black Joker, represented as ☆) are added to bring the total number of cards to 54. The Jokers are now the highest card in the game, beating 2s. However, Jokers can only be played solo - not as a pair, not as part of a run. 2s can still only be played with other 2s. The Red Joker can beat the Black Joker.

Six-player Scoring: 1st (+3) 2nd (+2) 3rd (+1) 4th (-1) 5th (-2) 6th (-3)

Team Play

Note: A team game can only be played with six players.

In a team game, before the game begins, each player gets one minute to memorize their hand. After one minute, each player will swap hands with their teammate, the player sitting across from them. Then, without communication, each player gets to trade one card from their new hand back to their original hand (which their teammate now holds). Neither teammate can look at which card their teammate is trading before selecting a card to trade. Ideally, a player can use this opportunity to improve their teammate's hand.

Once trades are complete, play continues as normal with the player with the 3♠ going first. When a round ends, however, each player earns the sum of their team's scores. For example, if one teammate finishes first and earns 3 points, and the other teammate finishes fourth and loses 1 point, both teammates will instead earn 2 points.

After a round finishes, the teams change. Whoever finished first now pairs with whoever finished sixth, second pairs with fifth, and third pairs with fourth.

Tips and Tricks

Since 2s and Jokers cannot be part of a run, the best runs in the game end in A♥
A run must have at least three cards in it, but can have up to 12
If you skip during a round, you can still play if play returns to you - you do not have to skip again
If everyone skips after a player goes out in a team game, the team with the most remaining cards goes next
- The player in that team with the most cards goes first between them

Play Examples

If the current trick pattern is Two of a Kind, you can only play Two of a Kind tricks - not three of a kind, four of a kind, etc. If the trick patter is a Run of 5 cards, you can only play a Run of 5 cards - not a Run of 6 or more. If the trick is just a single card, you can only play a single card.