The Rules of Poley
PLAYERS
CARDS
DEALING
BIDDING
THE PLAY
SCORING
STRATEGY
Players- It is a game primarily of four players with opposites playing as partners with each player facing his partner and having an opponent on each side
Cards- A pack of 22 cards is used, is A, K, Q, J, 10, 9 and 8 in each of three suits of Clubs, Hearts, and Spades with the rank of the cards in that order with the Ace the highest card. The other card usually used is the seven of diamonds known as the hot one or the good one. The seven of diamonds is the top card when the game is played in no trump of hot as it is called and takes any trick on which it is played. However when a trump is named it becomes an ordinary card in a suit and would win the trick led and not trumped but is not considered a trump card.
Dealing Five cards are delt to each player and may be delt one, two or three at a time as desired by the dealer. The remaining two cards are placed face down to the left of the dealer and are not used and must remain unknown to nay of the players. Thus it is rather important that the player to the right of the dealer cut the cards before they are delt so he too will not know there two cards.
The deal normally passes to the left except when a Horse is scored on the losers after which the deal passes to the member of the winning side that has not delt last. When the deal so passes it is known as a Schimpf (i.e. an insult) of the reason the deal is so passed.
Bidding-- The bidding is for the contract and is the number of tricks to be won by that side. The highest bid becomes the contract. Once having passed a player may not bid again. From the lowest to the highest, the possible bids are: one, one hot, two, two hot, three, three hot, four, four hot, five (also known as poley) and five hot(also known as shooter). The player to the left of the dealer often called vorhand, forehand, or leader, bids first, followed by the second player to the left of the dealer often called mittlehand, who either raises or passes. These two players continue to bid against each other until one passes. the first bidder each time , in this case vorhand is entitled to the contract if he matches the bid made by the second bidder, Thus between the two bidders, vorhand after mittlehand has bid may either pass, raise, of say the same, stay, me myself of similar words to show he will but the contract at the higher bid against each other until one has passed. The survivor then settles with the third player in position around the table in the same way until one of these two passes. Finally in the same manner the surviving bidder settles with the dealer as to who has the contract, bidding against each other in exactly the same manner. Only the older hand in the bidding can match a bid made by a player. Shooter is a shut out bid and the auction ends.
The winning bidder is entitled to the contract. He has the right to mane the trump suit unless he has bought the contract hot. After three players have passed the bid may not be raised.
The Play-- The object of the play is to win the number of tricks in the contract. Play ends when this is done of when a set of defeat of the contract occurs. The player to the left of the dealers vorhand always loads the first regardless of who wins the contract. He may lead any card. Each player in turn to the leaf thereafter plays a card to the trick and must follow suit if he can do so . Other wise he may trump if he so desires or play any other card. The high card of the suit led wins the trick, unless trumped in which case the high trump cards wins the trick. If the contract is being played hot the seven of diamonds wins the trick on any trick which it is used. However it is like a trump card in that it cannot be used if the player can follow suit to the card led. The seven of diamonds if played in a suit contract, wins if led and not trumped, but if trumped, loses.
Scoring-- A bid of 1,2,3 or 4 bid and made counts the amount of the contract. Contracts for 1 thru 4 are doubbled in the contract is played hot, no trump. A bid of five(poley) bid and made in a suit counts ten. A bid of five hot (poley hot) counts twenty. If the contract is made the score goes to the side making the contract. If the contract is not made the score goes to the other side. When a side reaches 20 Points they are said to have won a horse on the losers. This is designated on the score sheet by a circle or something more symbolic of a horse on the losers side of the page. All previous points won by either side are then disregarded and the scoring starts over. When one side has had a horse against them twice they have lost the game. The other side is the winner. The players are then ready to start a new game.
Strategy-- When making an opening bid, the first bidder of each side usually bids the number of aces he holds or if he holds the seven of diamonds, bids one for that card. In such case he would them make the bid hot. Thus, holding one ace and the seven of diamonds, a sure two tricks, he would bid two hot. The secong bidder adds his aces to the bid the frist player has made and raises the bid by that amount. If he holds an ace and the hot one he would raise one for the ace and add hot to the bid. Thus if his only real strong card is the hot one he would leave the bid at the same level, but add hot to it for his bid. In this manner each of the first two bidders on a side can convey to their partners information as to the aces they hold and if they are holding the hot one. In addition, holding an ace, king in a suit might raise their own bid in the auction back and forth between the first bidder and an opposing bidder during the auction.; Usually the first bidder shouldn't lie to his partner. Thus he would not bid or raise by two his partner. Thus he would not bid or raise by two if holding an ace, king in the same suit as the partner would assume that his bid would be showing two aces. As you see, raising bids generally indicates trick taking power. After the first bidder on a side has passed the other partner still in the bidding can bluff or bid as he sees fit without the danger of misleading his partner. there are times when it may be better to make a likely unsuccessful contract such as four for example rather than letting the opponents have the bid at three hot which would appear to give them a sure six points whereas going set on the four bid where a suit is named will lose only four points to the opponents. This is particularly true near the end of the game where the six points bid and made will give a horse on the losers.
