Q&A for How to Play Pitch

Yes, each player should try to follow suit.

Six cards are dealt to each player.

Yes, you only use one deck.

Each player is dealt 6 cards.

Yes, you do.

Cards from the deck are dealt out again if no players make bids.

Each player gets 6 cards, and you'll need at least 3 people to play, so you'll need at least 18 cards.

There probably won't be a tie, but if there is, you can extend the amount of points that wins the game.

Each player should try to follow suit.

Often, the point for the low card is awarded to the player would played the trick.

No game point is awarded if two or more players have the same highest number of game points.

One deck can support up to 8 players. Each player just needs to have at least 6 cards.

Deal from the entire deck of 52, 6 cards per person. Any cards not dealt are not used, you only play with the cards dealt, so once everyone has played their 6 cards, then you count the points.

No, you do not draw from the deck once you are dealt cards.

Play exactly the same as with 3 or more players except only 12 cards are in play. Because so few cards are in play, the dealer is not forced to bid. If the dealer passes, the cards are reshuffled and redealt by the same dealer.

Tie is unlikely to happen, but if it does, extend the winning point to 32.

Only if you have a card of that suit. If you don't, you can either play any "junk" card from another suit or "trump in" to try to win the trick.

Whoever captures the lowest trump card gets the low point. Everyone compares cards at the end to determine what the "low" was.

Yes, and you should play a trump card if you can't follow suit as well.

It depends on what the joker is replacing, as the joker typically is a stand in card for a deck that has a damaged/missing card in it. You would normally not use a joker in a standard game (as it has no suit or value on its own), but obviously "house rules" may vary on that.

You should play with the value you have in your hand.

The difference between a "4" bid and "Shoot-the-Moon" or "four and out" is that you (or you and your partner in partners) is that you need to take all six tricks and High, Low, Jack and the game. We do not allow players to bid Shoot-the-Moon if their score, at that time, is less than zero (in-the-hole).

All players are responsible for assuring that he or she has six cards before play begins. There is no penalty for misdealt cards.

Smudge bids are allowed only if the bidder has score zero or higher (referred to as: on-the-board).