Online Pitch

[robb]

So I did a Google search for Pitch, and came up with a few varients that are fairly close to what we play. I didn't see any multiplayer versions though.

How hard would it be do create a basic online version of Pitch where we can get together and play online?

[Wham Valdez]

What is this pitch you keep going on about?

[JBMoney]

A really good card game. :)

[robb]

Stolen from http://sky116688.tripod.com/pitch/rules.html and modified for ‘our’ version of pitch.

Rules for Pitch
The game of Pitch can be played with 4 players. The individuals sitting across from one another are partners and scored as a team.

Start of the game
The game starts by selecting a dealer and the dealer deals six cards to each player in no particular order. A regular 52 card deck with 1 joker is used, for a total of 53 cards.

The Bidding Process
Once all the players have been dealt six cards, the player to the left of the dealer will make a bid. The valid bids are Pass, 2, 3, 4, 5 or moon. After the first player makes a bid, each player to his left (moving clockwise) will make a bid in order. Once a player bids, the next player must bid higher than the current bid. The last person to bid is the dealer. If all the players have passed on their bids, the dealer may not submit a pass bid and must bid at least 2, or take an automatic set of 2. The player that bids the highest will win the bid.

Selecting the trump
Once the winning bidder is established, that person will need to select a suit that will be trump for this game. The trump suit is a suit that will have the highest priority over all other suits for that game. The trump suit is actually determined by the first card the winning bidder throws.

Playing the trick
A Pitch game is made up of six tricks. During each trick every player selects one card to play in order starting from the trick leader. After the bid process the trick leader is the winning bidder. After the first trick, the trick leader is whoever won the previous trick. The player that wins the trick will gain procession of all the cards thrown for that trick and the cards are keep face down.

Winning the trick
The lead suit for a trick is the suit of the first card that is thrown. The trick is won by the person throwing the highest value lead suit, unless a trump suit was thrown. If a trump suit was thrown, then the person throwing the highest trump suit value will be the winner of the trick. The value of the cards are 2 being the lowest and Ace being the highest. A joker is played as being higher than a 10 and lower than a jack.

Valid cards to throw during a trick
The trick leader (person throwing the first card) may throw any card in his hand. After that, players have certain restrictions on the cards they may throw. If the first card thrown is a trump suit, each player must throw a trump suit card if they have one, otherwise they may throw any other card. If the first trick card thrown is a not a trump suit card, then each player may throw a trump suit card or a card that matches the lead suit of the first card thrown. If a player has no cards in the lead suit, he may throw any card. A player may throw a trump card at any time. The Joker is always trump and may be played any time.

Ending the trick
When all the six tricks have been played, that game ends and the score for that game is tabulated.

Scoring a Pitch game
There are 5 points that are possible to be awarded for each pitch game. The points are calculated from the cards won by each player during the six tricks played during the game. One point is awarded to the person that has played the highest trump card. One point is awarded to the person that has played the lowest trump card. One point is awarded to the person that has won the Jack trump card. One point is awarded to the person that has won the Joker trump card. One point is awarded to the person that has won the most trick points.

Trick points are calculated as follows. An Ace is worth 4 trick points. An King is worth 3 trick points. An Queen is worth 2 trick points. An Jack is worth 1 trick points. A Joker is worth ½ trick points. A Ten is worth 10 trick points.

There are always at least 3 points awarded for each game (high trump, low trump and game trick points). The point for Jack of trump or Joker may not be awarded if no one has won that card. A tie for game trick points goes to the bidder.

The players (or team) that did not win the bid are automatically assigned the points that they won during the game. The winning bidder (or team) must have won enough points during the game to either equal or exceed their original bid to be credited with the points for that game. If the winning bidder (or team) does not win his bid, points are deducted in the amount equal to the original bid. The players cards are combined for each team and calculated accordingly. When a Moon is bid the team must capture all five points, if the team succeeds, they are awarded 15 points towards the round; otherwise they lose 15 points.

A Pitch round
After the pitch game is scored, the person to the left of the dealer of the last game becomes the new dealer. A new game is dealt. A pitch round is won when a player or team reaches 15 or more points. Winning bidders get to count their points first.


Got it?

[Wham Valdez]

I bid MOON !!

[robb]

Sorry, I had low.

Us You
1 -15

[Wham Valdez]

Curses.

It sounds similar to Hearts except with a random trump and that messed up Joker and the crazy scoring system.

Or maybe it sounds like Eucre.

OR maybe it's it's own game.

But I'll get you next time.

[robb]

It goes best with alchohol.

[JBMoney]

I heard it's also fun while looking at pictures of your Italy vacation, but I wouldn't know. :(

[robb]

Um, it didnt work the second time I tried to upload I guess. Will send you some in the mail like my original plan.

[jhans]

Do you need computer help Robb? I have a few friends in the business that say they are really good. Perhaps one of them could help you out. ;)

[JBMoney]

Is Spades close:

http://www.nabiscoworld.com/games/nw_shock_nwsp.htm

You can play against each other.