Game Rules

Up and Down the River

Overview

"Up and Down the River" is a trick-taking card game where players bid on how many tricks they believe they can win in each hand. The key challenge is that players must win exactly the number of tricks they bid - no more and no fewer - to score maximum points. The game follows a pattern of dealing a decreasing number of cards and then an increasing number of cards (hence the name "Up and Down the River").

Players

  • Number of Players: 3-7 players (best with 4-6)
  • Deck: Standard 52-card deck (no jokers)

Card Ranking

  • High to Low: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
  • Trump: A suit designated for each hand that outranks all other suits

Game Structure

The game consists of multiple hands. The number of cards dealt to each player changes with each hand, following this pattern:

  1. Start with a set number of cards (depends on player count)
  2. Decrease by one card each hand until reaching one card per player
  3. Increase by one card each hand until returning to the starting number

Starting Card Count

The maximum number of cards dealt per player depends on the number of players:

  • 3 to 5 players: 10 cards each
  • 6 players: 8 cards each
  • 7 players: 7 cards each

Hand Sequence Examples

  • With 4 players: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (19 hands total)
  • With 7 players: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (13 hands total)

Setup and Dealing

  1. Choose First Dealer: Players draw cards; highest card deals first
  2. Deal Cards: Deal the appropriate number of cards for the current hand
  3. Determine Trump: Turn over the next card after dealing to determine the trump suit
  4. Trump Card Placement: Place the trump card face-up on top of the remaining deck

Game Play

Bidding Phase

  1. Bidding begins with the player to the left of the dealer and proceeds clockwise
  2. Each player must bid the exact number of tricks they think they will win (0 is a valid bid)
  3. The dealer bids last and has a special restriction: The dealer cannot bid a number that would make the total bids equal the total number of tricks available in the hand
  4. This "hook" ensures that at least one player will fail to make their bid in each hand
  5. Players can change their bid only if the next player has not yet bid

Playing Phase

  1. The player to the left of the dealer leads the first trick
  2. Play proceeds clockwise
  3. Players must follow the suit led if possible
  4. If unable to follow suit, a player may play any card (including trump)
  5. Highest card of the suit led wins the trick, unless a trump is played, in which case the highest trump wins
  6. The winner of each trick leads the next trick
  7. Continue until all tricks are played

Scoring

There are several common scoring variations:

Standard Scoring

  • Making Exact Bid: 10 points + 1 point per trick taken
  • Missing Bid: 0 points (regardless of how many tricks actually taken)

Simple Scoring

  • Making Exact Bid: 10 points + number of tricks bid (e.g., bidding 3 and taking exactly 3 tricks scores 13 points)
  • Missing Bid: 0 points

Common Scoring

  • All Players: 1 point per trick taken (regardless of bid)
  • Making Exact Bid: Additional 10 point bonus

Penalty Scoring

  • Making Exact Bid: 10 points + 1 point per trick taken
  • Missing Bid: -1 point per trick over or under the bid

Game End

The game ends after completing all hands in the sequence. The player with the highest total score wins.