How to Play Tripoley: Card Game Rules & Strategies

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Try this twist on classic card games with the official rules
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If you want the excitement of 3 card games in one, then Tripoley is a great choice to play with friends. Tripoley combines elements of Hearts, poker, and Michigan Rummy where you bet, play cards, and have a chance to win chips. The rules for Tripoley are so easy to learn, and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know! Keep reading for how to set up and play the game , plus what strategies to use to help you win.

Tripoley Game Rules Overview

Players start by adding chips to a pot and getting dealt cards. Earn chips for having specific Hearts cards in your hand. Then, make the best poker hand from your cards and bet chips to win the Pot. Finally, play suit cards in ascending order until one person runs out of their hand. The player with the most chips wins!

Section 1 of 6:

Tripoley Round Setup

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  1. 1
    Lay out the Tripoley board. A Tripoley board is split into a central Pot and 8 sections around the outside. Set the board out where all the players can reach it. [1]
    • If you don’t have a Tripoley board, mark off areas of the table or use small containers for each section of the board.
    • The 8 board sections are:
      • Ten of Hearts
      • Jack of Hearts
      • Queen of Hearts
      • King of Hearts
      • Ace of Hearts
      • King and Queen of Hearts
      • 8-9-10 Straight
      • Kitty
  2. 2
    Split the chips evenly between the players. Count out the chips in the game and divide them amongst the players. Give everyone the same number of chips. If there are any leftover, then put them back in the box.
    • You can play Tripoley with 2-9 players, but it works best when you have 4-7 people.
    • If you’re playing without the official game, use your own poker chips . Give each person about 20-30 chips so there’s enough to play a few rounds.
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  3. 3
    Players put 1 chip into each of the board sections. Each round starts with an ante that all the players need to make. Players each take 9 of their chips, and place 1 into each section of the board, including the pot in the center. [2]
  4. 4
    Shuffle and deal the cards to the players. Use a standard deck of cards with the jokers removed. Choose one person to be the dealer and have them shuffle the cards . Deal one card at a time to all the players until the deck runs out. Each time before the dealer gives themselves a card, they add a card to a “dead” hand that’s not used in the round.
    • It’s okay if some players have more cards than others.
    • Keep your hand secret from other players.
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Section 2 of 6:

How to Play Tripoley

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  1. 1
    Take chips from a board section if you have matching Heart cards. Each player checks their hand for the cards listed on the different board sections. Whoever is holding the card (or cards) takes all the chips from the section and adds them to their supply right away. [3]
    • You only get the “King and Queen of Hearts” section if you have both the King and Queen in your hand.
    • If multiple people have an 8-9-10 straight of the same suit in their hands, then they split the chips from that section evenly.
    • If no one has the King and Queen in the same hand or an 8-9-10 straight, leave the chips on the board for the next round.
  2. 2
    Make the strongest 5-card poker hand from your cards. All the players look through their hand and try to make the highest-ranking poker hand they can. Set aside any cards that aren’t used in the poker hand for now, but keep them close by. [4]
    • Poker hands from strongest to weakest are:
      • Straight flush (5 cards in sequential order in one suit)
      • Four of a Kind
      • Full House (a three of a kind and a pair)
      • Flush (all cards in the same suit)
      • Straight (5 cards in sequential order in different suits)
      • Three of a Kind
      • Two Pairs
      • One Pair
  3. 3
    Take turns placing bets on your poker hand. After all the players choose their cards, bets start with the dealer. They can choose to bet or pass. To bet, place any number of chips from your personal supply into the Pot. The next player to the left can match the bet, add more chips to raise, or fold to quit the round. Keep taking turns until the only remaining players have placed matching bets. [5]
    • You can only “pass” if no one else has placed a bet.
    • You can set limits on the maximum chips you can bet during the poker section of the game.
  4. 4
    Win the Pot if you have the best poker hand. Any players who haven’t folded reveal their cards, starting with whoever raised the bet last. Compare your hand strength, and take all the chips in the Pot if your hand is the strongest. [6]
    • If players have the same poker hand, whoever has the highest-valued cards wins the Pot.
      • Example: A player with a Four of a Kind of Aces beats a player with a Four of a Kind of Jacks.
    • No suit is considered stronger than the other. If the players have the same hand strength and highest-valued cards, they split the pot evenly.
  5. 5
    Play cards in increasing order for the Michigan Rummy phase. The dealer starts the next phase of the game by playing the lowest card in their hand. Whoever has the next highest card of the same suit plays it from their hand. If no one has the next card in sequence, then the count stops and the last person to play a card chooses the lowest card of a different suit to start the new count. [7]
    • Example: If you play a 3 of spades, whoever has the 4 of spades plays it next. If the 4 of spades is played earlier or in the dead hand, you could start the next count with a 5 of diamonds.
  6. 6
    Win the Kitty and chips from other players for playing all your cards. Keep playing cards in sequential order until one person plays their last card. They earn all the chips in the Kitty section of the board. They also earn 1 chip from each player for each card they have left. [8]
    • Example: If you play the last card and another player still has 3 cards in their hand, they pay you 3 chips from their personal supply.
  7. 7
    Place an ante and deal a new round. Collect all the cards and pass them to the next player to be the dealer. Everyone takes 9 chips from their supply and places them in the sections of the board for the starting ante. Then, the dealer shuffles and deals out the next hand of cards. [9]
    • If you don’t have enough chips to add one to all of the board sections later in the game, place your chips in as many sections as you can.
    • If you’re completely out of chips, then you’re out of the game!
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Section 3 of 6:

Ending and Winning the Game

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  1. 1
    End the game after a set number of rounds. You can play the game for as long as you want as long as players have enough chips for each round. You may choose to play rounds so everyone has a chance to be the dealer or until a player runs out of chips.
  2. 2
    Play a poker showdown hand for any remaining chips on the board. There’s a good chance that some chips are still in the King and Queen and 8-9-10 straight sections on the board. Deal each player 1 card at a time face-up. When everyone has 5 cards, give whoever has the highest-ranking poker hand the leftover chips. [10]
  3. 3
    Win the game if you have the most chips. Count how many chips each player in their personal supply. Whoever has the most wins the game! [11]
    • If there’s a tie for most chips, do another poker showdown hand and whoever has the strongest hand wins the game.
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Section 4 of 6:

Best Strategies for Tripoley

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  1. 1
    Hearts Phase strategies You only get chips if you’re dealt specific cards, so there aren’t any strategies to help you out. You’ll just have to get lucky to win chips during the first portion of the game.
  2. 2
    Poker phase strategies When you’re playing the poker portion of the game, pay attention to how much players are betting and how confident they’re acting about their hand. Try to save as many chips as you can so you don’t lose them in a bet.
    • Remember who revealed their Heart cards earlier in the round to know what other players have in their hands.
    • Be conservative with your chips. If someone is being aggressive and raising the bet a lot, it’s probably better to fold.
    • Try bluffing that you have a better poker hand to make other players fold. Keep a straight face, don’t react to your cards, and raise the bet to intimidate the other players.
  3. 3
    Rummy phase strategies During the last portion of the round, you have to play the next card in sequential order if you have it. However, you get to make a strategic decision if you get the chance to play a card from your hand.
    • Play Aces if they’re the only card you have in a suit to take another turn and play another card immediately.
    • Choose a suit that’s already been played so fewer players get to play their cards.
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Section 5 of 6:

Variations of Tripoley

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  1. 1
    Give the dealer a chance to swap cards with the dead hand. After dealing all the cards, the dealer has the option to take the dead hand instead. If they choose the dead hand, they set their old hand face-down on the table. [12]
    • Alternatively, the dealer can sell their hand to another player. Players may bid chips from their personal supply to swap hands with the dealer.
  2. 2
    Take chips for cards only if you play them in the Rummy phase. Leave the chips on the heart sections of the board instead of taking them at the start of the round. During the last Rummy portion of the game, if you play a card that matches a section on the board, then take the chips. [13]
    • There’s a chance some chips may get left on the board if players don’t all get a chance to play their cards.
    • Once someone plays all their cards, check your hands to see if anyone earns the chips for the King and Queen and 8-9-10 Straight sections.
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Section 6 of 6:

Other Games to Try like Tripoley

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  1. Check out these other fun card games when you want something new. If you had a blast playing Tripoley with your friends, keep the good times going with some more games. These games all only use a deck of cards, so they’re easy to set up and learn.
    • Hearts - play the highest card to win a round, but watch out for Hearts that are stronger than any other card
    • Poker - bet and bluff on who has the strongest hand of cards to win a pot of chips
    • Liverpool Rummy - play sets and runs of cards in a race to empty your hand the fastest
    • Cribbage - play cards to make specific totals and combos to move your piece to the end of the board first
    • Bridge - team up with a partner to bet on how many hands you’ll win by playing the highest cards

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      References

      1. ↑ https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91OYuOMWbWL.pdf?tag=wikihow14891916-20 https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91OYuOMWbWL.pdf
      2. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/stops/3in1.html
      3. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/stops/3in1.html
      4. ↑ https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91OYuOMWbWL.pdf?tag=wikihow14891916-20 https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91OYuOMWbWL.pdf
      5. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/stops/3in1.html
      6. ↑ https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91OYuOMWbWL.pdf?tag=wikihow14891916-20 https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91OYuOMWbWL.pdf
      7. ↑ https://gamerules.com/rules/tripoli-card-game/
      8. ↑ https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91OYuOMWbWL.pdf?tag=wikihow14891916-20 https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91OYuOMWbWL.pdf
      9. ↑ https://gamerules.com/rules/tripoli-card-game/
      1. ↑ https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91OYuOMWbWL.pdf
      2. ↑ https://gamerules.com/rules/tripoli-card-game/
      3. ↑ https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91OYuOMWbWL.pdf?tag=wikihow14891916-20 https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91OYuOMWbWL.pdf
      4. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/stops/3in1.html

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