Old Games Lead To New Ones

Oftentimes card play evolves as players invent ever-increasing variations on game play and end up with brand-new games altogether.  This is the case for Pitch, which has also been referred to as Setback or High-Low-Jack.  Originally Pitch began as the game All Fours, and after several variations of that game became in its own right.

All Fours was an Old English game, and in the United States it became unknown as Seven Up or Old Sledge.  The basic rules for Pitch have stayed the same as these earlier games, but Pitch has added the aspect of bidding into the game play.  There are two different ways to play Pitch, and several variations on the rules of game.  Partnership Pitch is used in family and social settings, in which there are generally four players in teams of twos.  Cutthroat Pitch is played by individuals.  

To play Pitch you'll need a standard deck of fifty-two cards, and the dealer deals each player six cards, three at a time.  Aces are high.  After the hands are dealt there is a round of bidding, and bids may be two, three, four, and smudge (which is really a bid of five).  Each player is required to bid higher than the player before if they bid at all.  The dealer may bid the same as the highest bid, however.  The final bidder becomes the "pitcher" and names the trump suit and leads the first trick.  The bids are based on four different criteria:  1) high, which refers to playing the highest card of the trump suit, 2) low, which refers to the team playing the lowest card of the trump suit, 3) Jack- won by the team gets the trick with the Jack of the trump suit played, and 4) Game - which is awarded to the team that has the highest total value of cards in its trick.  If a team bids smudge, they are asserting that they will accomplish all of the four criteria as well as successfully win all six tricks in the game play.

Pitch can be a lengthy game, as a team can only successfully win after reaching a score of twenty-one on a hand in which they have made their bid.  Just as in Hand 'n Foot, Pitch can be a competitive and entertaining game that passes the time well.