The rules of 120s

Players and partners

Four players play as two teams of two, with partners sitting across from each other. Two or three players can also play, each on their own.

On Growler Cards, computer players fill any empty seat, so you can always play a full table.

The deal

Use a standard 52-card deck. Each player gets 5 cards and 3 cards go face down in the middle. Those 3 cards are the kitty.

The deal moves one seat around the table after every hand.

Bidding

The player after the dealer bids first. You can bid 20, 25 or 30, and every bid has to be higher than the one before it. A bid is a promise: that is how many points your side will make this hand.

If you pass, you are out of the bidding for that hand. Bidding goes around until only one bidder is left.

If everyone passes, the dealer is stuck with it and has to bid. This is called stick the dealer.

Trump and the kitty

The winning bidder names the trump suit, then picks up the 3 kitty cards and throws away 3 cards to get back to 5.

Then, starting left of the dealer, everyone but the bidder may throw away any of their cards and be dealt the same number from the deck.

The player after the bidder leads the first trick. After that, whoever wins a trick leads the next one.

The trump cards, highest first

1. The 5 of trumps, the best card in the game
2. The Jack of trumps
3. The Ace of hearts, which is always a trump whatever suit is trump
4. The Ace of trumps, when trump is not hearts
5. The King of trumps
6. The Queen of trumps
7. Then the small trumps. In hearts and diamonds: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3 and 2. In clubs and spades: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

The 5 of trumps, the Jack of trumps and the Ace of hearts are called the big three. Red high, black low holds for the small trumps too.

Red high, black low

Cards that are not trump rank differently in red and black suits.

In hearts and diamonds the order is Ace, King, Queen, Jack, then 10 down to 2. A bigger number wins.

In clubs and spades the order is Ace, King, Queen, Jack, then 2 up to 10. A smaller number wins, so the 2 of clubs beats the 10 of clubs.

A card that is not the suit led and not a trump cannot win the trick.

What you may play

Growler Cards only lets you play a legal card, so nobody can renege by mistake.

• When a plain suit is led, follow that suit or play a trump. You may trump even when you could follow.
• If you have none of the suit led but you hold a trump, you must play a trump.
• If you have neither, play any card.
• When a trump is led, you must play a trump if you have one.
• Reneging: if the only trumps you hold are big three cards higher than the trump led, you may keep them back and play something else. The Ace of trumps cannot be kept back.
• On a bid of 30, if an opponent leads the first card of the hand, it must be a trump if they have one.

Scoring

• Every trick is worth 5 points.
• The trick won by the best card of the hand is worth 5 more. That is the highest trump played, usually the 5 of trumps. If no trump wins a trick, it is the highest card that won one. That makes 30 points in every hand.
• If the bidding side makes at least its bid of 20 or 25, it scores every point it took.
• If it falls short, it loses the amount it bid. Scores can go below zero, which is called being in the hole.
• Bidding 30 means taking all five tricks. Make it and you score 60. Miss it and you lose 30. This is 30 for 60.
• The side that did not bid always keeps the points it took.

Winning

The first side to reach 120 points wins.

Once your side has 100 or more at the start of a hand, you can only go out by winning the bid and making it. Otherwise your score stops at 115. This is bid to go out.

House rules

Every kitchen plays 120s a little differently. When you set up a table on Growler Cards you can switch these on or off. Each one is found in written 120s rules, and your choice is kept for your next tables:

• Throw away and draw (on to start). On: After trump, everyone but the bidder may throw away and draw. The bidder changes cards with the kitty. Off: Play starts as soon as the bidder has taken the kitty.
• Dealer can take it (off to start). On: The dealer can take the bid at the same amount, except at 30. Off: The dealer has to bid higher, like everyone else.
• Stick the dealer (on to start). On: If everyone passes, the dealer must bid 20. Off: If everyone passes, the cards are dealt again.
• Plain aces low (off to start). On: An ace that is not trump counts as one: below the Jack in clubs and spades, lowest in diamonds. Off: An ace that is not trump is the best card of its suit.
• Bid and make it to go out (on to start). On: Within 20 of winning, you only go out by winning the bid and making it. Until then you stop at 115 (5 short in a shorter game). Off: Any points can take you out.
• 30 for 60 (on to start). On: Bid 30 and take every trick to score 60. Off: A bid of 30 made scores 30.

Learn it at a real table

Reading the rules only gets you so far. The free lessons teach 120s one small step at a time, with the cards in front of you and a plain explanation for every trick.

Start the free lessons