Deal
Each of the 5 players receives 6 cards. The remaining 2 cards go face-down to form the "blind."
Detailed Rule Guides
Card Hierarchy
Complete trump order explained
Point Values
How much each card is worth
Following Suit
What you must play when
Scoring
How points become game score
Called Ace Partner
The secret partner system
Jack of Diamonds Partner
Alternative partner method
Leaster
When everyone passes
Doublers
Double stakes, redeal variant
Blitz
Both black Queens variant
Cracking
Doubling the stakes
3-Player Rules
Three-handed variant
4-Player Rules
Four-handed variant
Free Tools
Card Hierarchy
Trump Cards (14 total)
Trump cards always beat fail cards. In Sheepshead, all Queens and Jacks are trump, plus all Diamonds. This is the key concept that makes Sheepshead unique among card games.
Queens (highest trump):
Qā£Qā Qā„Qā¦
Order: Clubs > Spades > Hearts > Diamonds
Jacks:
Jā£Jā Jā„Jā¦
Diamonds (lowest trump):
Aā¦10ā¦Kā¦9ā¦8ā¦7ā¦
Fail Cards (6 per suit)
Clubs, Spades, and Hearts (without Queens and Jacks) are "fail" suits. Each has 6 cards.
Each fail suit (Ace highest, 7 lowest):
Aā£10ā£Kā£9ā£8ā£7ā£
Key Points to Remember
- ā¢ All Queens and Jacks are trump, regardless of their printed suit
- ā¢ Suit ranking: Clubs > Spades > Hearts > Diamonds
- ā¢ Any trump card beats any fail card
- ā¢ The Qā£ (Queen of Clubs) is the highest card in the game
Point Values
Card Point Values
| Card | Points | Total (x4) |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 11 | 44 |
| Tens | 10 | 40 |
| Kings | 4 | 16 |
| Queens | 3 | 12 |
| Jacks | 2 | 8 |
| 9, 8, 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 120 |
120
Total Points in Deck
61
Points Needed to Win
Game Flow
Sheepshead is played with 5 players using a 32-card deck (7s through Aces). Here's how a typical hand plays out:
Pick or Pass
Starting left of the dealer, each player can "pick" (take the blind) or "pass." The first player who picks becomes the Picker.
Bury
The Picker takes the 2 blind cards into their hand (now 8 cards), then "buries" 2 cards face-down. These buried cards count toward the Picker's team points at the end.
Call Partner
The Picker calls a fail suit Ace (clubs, spades, or hearts). Whoever holds that Ace becomes their secret Partner. The partner's identity is revealed when the called Ace is played.
Play 6 Tricks
Players take turns playing one card each. The highest trump wins the trick, or if no trump was played, the highest card of the led suit wins. The winner of each trick leads the next one.
Score
Count the points in each team's tricks. The Picker + Partner team needs 61+ points to win. The 3 Defenders need 60+ points to defeat them.
Leaster: When Nobody Picks
If all 5 players pass, a "Leaster" is played. Everyone plays for themselves, and the player who takes the fewest points wins!
Following Suit
The Golden Rule
You must follow the suit that was led if you can.
If Trump is Led...
You must play a trump card if you have one. Remember: Queens and Jacks are trump even though they show club/spade/heart symbols!
If a Fail Suit is Led...
You must play that same fail suit if you have one. Queens and Jacks of that suit do NOT count as that suit - they're trump.
Example: If clubs is led and you have Qā£ and 7ā£, you must play the 7ā£ (the Queen is trump, not a club).
If You Can't Follow...
Play any card you want! You can trump to try to win, or "throw off" a card from another suit.
Who Wins the Trick?
- ā¢ If any trump was played: Highest trump wins
- ā¢ If no trump was played: Highest card of the led suit wins
- ā¢ Cards from other suits (not trump, not led) can never win
Scoring
Standard Scoring
| Result | Picker | Partner | Defenders (each) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win (61+ points) | +2 | +1 | -1 |
| Lose (<61 points) | -2 | -1 | +1 |
Schneider (2x)
If the losing team gets less than 31 points, all scores are doubled!
Schwarz (3x)
If the losing team wins zero tricks, all scores are tripled!
Going Alone
If the Picker doesn't call a partner (goes alone), they take on all 4 opponents. The Picker receives (or loses) all the points - higher risk, higher reward!
Game Variants
These optional rules add extra excitement and strategy to Sheepshead.
Cracking (Doubling)
After someone picks, any defender can "crack" to double the stakes!
- 1. Any defender can crack after the picker is determined
- 2. Cracking doubles all point values (2x multiplier)
- 3. The picker can then re-crack to double again (4x)!
Blitz (The Ma's)
If the picker has both black Queens (Qā£ and Qā ), they can declare a Blitz!
Qā£Qā = Blitz!
- ā¢ Blitz doubles the stakes (like a crack)
- ā¢ Requires cracking to be enabled
- ā¢ Called "The Ma's" because these queens are the two highest cards
Jack of Diamonds Partner
Instead of calling an ace, the partner is automatically whoever has the Jack of Diamonds.
Jā¦= Partner
- ā¢ Simpler than calling - no decision needed
- ā¢ Partner is revealed when Jā¦ is played
- ā¢ If the picker has Jā¦, they automatically go alone
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