Piquet is a card game for two players. It is considered by many to be one of the best two player card games. Pronounced "pee-kay" in France, it is usually pronounced "picket" in English speaking countries.

History

Piquet is one of the oldest card games still being played. It originated over 500 years ago, with a written reference dating back to at least 1534, in Gargantua and Pantagruel by Rabelais.

Rules

Piquet is played with a 32 card deck. Start with a standard 52 card deck and remove all of the 2's through the 6's. This leaves all of the 7's through the 10's, the face cards, and the aces.

Each game consists of a partie of six deals (partie meaning part in French). The player scoring the most points wins (see the scoring section for further details).

The Cut

The player who draws the highest card on the initial cut may choose to deal the first hand. It is preferable to deal first so as not to deal the last hand. Dealing puts a player at a disadvantage.

The Deal

Cards are dealt 12 to each player, with the remaining eight forming the talon, which is placed face-down between the players. The talon may be split by the dealer into two piles of five and three cards, respectively.

The dealer is referred to as the Younger hand and the non-dealer, the Elder hand.

Carte Blanche

After the deal, players sort their cards in their hands. If a player has no face cards in their hand, then they may declare Carte Blanche, which is worth 10 points. This done by quickly showing their hand to the opponent while saying "Carte Blanche".

A hand of this type is fairly rare, and often scores poorly, so it is usually advantageous to declare it, despite the tactical disadvantage of giving information to the opponent.

Carte Blanche must be declared prior to exchanging cards. Only one player may declare Carte Blanche. The Elder hand exchanges their cards first, so they have the advantage here. The Younger hand must wait until the Elder exchanges their cards. If the Elder has not declared Carte Blanche, then the younger may.

Exchanging Cards

The goal of exchanging cards is to improve your hand before the declaration and the play.

The Elder hand exchanges first. This is done by taking one to five cards from the hand and placing them face down. An equal number is then drawn from the talon. The player must state how many cards they intend to exchange if fewer than the maximum. If the Elder chooses to take fewer than the maximum, they may then look at the remainder if they like (which are the first ones that the Younger will take).

The Younger hand exchanges next. Again, at least one card must be exchanged. The younger may also exchange up to five cards, depending on how many the Elder exchanged. If the Elder exchanged all five, then obviously the Younger may only exchange up to three.

The Declaration Phase

In the declaration phase, the players ascertain who has the better hand in each of three categories. This is done in an oblique sort of way that leads to some of the intrigue of Piquet. Elder hand declares first, with Younger responding.

In each part of the declaration, the Younger hand may choose to contest the Elder's claim. By doing so, the Younger may reveal information that would be useful during the trick-taking phase, called the play. Likewise, the Elder may choose not to reveal information in one or more parts of the declaration.

The Point

If the Elder has at least four cards in a suit, they may make a declaration. For example, "Point of four".

The Younger would then respond indicating that they had more, fewer, or the same number of cards in a suit. This is done by saying "Good" (the Elder has more and wins the point), "Not good" (the Elder has fewer), or by saying "Making?" or "How many?", indicating that the Younger has the same number of cards in a suit, which requires clarification.

If both players have the same number of cards in a suit, then they must tally the value of the cards. The values of the cards are: ace = 11, face cards = 10, and face value for the rest.

After adding the values of the cards, the Elder calls out the number. The Younger may then say "Good", if the Elder's value is greater, or "Not good" and the number that wins the point. For example: "Not good: 39" or "Not good, I have 39".

The winner of the point scores the number of cards in the suit, not their value.

The Sequence

The next part of the declaration is the sequence, in which the longest consecutive run of cards is valued. A sequence must have at least three cards and they must all be in the same suit.

Again, the Elder hand starts. For example, "Run of three" or "Sequence of four". The Younger then responds with "Good" or "Not good", in the same way as before, or by contesting. To contest, the Younger says "How high?", to which the Elder responds with the highest card in the sequence. For example, "To the queen".

In keeping with the game's ancestry, one may utilize the historical names for sequences in this part of the declaration, instead of the prosaic "Run of three", for example. The following are the proper names and their associated values:

• 3, tierces (pronounced tier-s) are worth 3 points
• 4, quarts (carts) are worth 4 points
• 5, quints (cants) are worth 15 points
• 6, sixieme (seize yem) are worth 16 points
• 7, septieme (set yem) are worth 17 points
• 8, huitieme (wheet yem) are worth 18 points

The person winning the sequence may declare any additional sequences that he has, if desired.

The Set

A set is three or four of a kind, ten or greater (7's, 8's, and 9's don't count). Sets of three are called trios (tree ohz) and are worth 3 points, and sets of four, quatorzes (cat orz), are worth 14 points.

Repique and Pique

If a player scores 30 points in the declaration phase, that player gains a repique, which is worth an additional 60 points. If the Elder scores 30 points before the Younger scores any, then the Elder gains a pique and scores an additional 30 points.

By the end of the declaration, each player will have a pretty good idea of each other's hand (to the degree that each chose to claim their points).

The Play

The play is the trick-taking part of the game. Players must follow suit and there are no trumps.

Play starts with the Elder hand placing a card face up. The Younger must play a card that follows suit, if possible. If not, they may discard anything they choose. The winner of the trick (the player with the highest card in the suit led), takes the trick, placing it face-down (usually--see variations) in front of them. The winner of the trick leads the next.

When forced to discard, it is important to choose the right card. See tactics.

After all 12 tricks have been played, the play is scored.

If all 12 tricks are won, the player scores 40 points for capot. Otherwise, the player with the greater number of tricks won scores 10. If there is a tie, then only the trick score is counted.

Trick score counts as follows:

• 1 point for leading a trick
• If the second player (the player who doesn't lead) wins a trick, they get a point.
• The winner of the last trick wins a 1 point bonus (see variations).

Crossing the Rubicon

When a player scores more than 100 points, this is known as Crossing the Rubicon and is important in scoring.

Scoring

If both players score at least 100 in a partie, then the score is winner - loser + 100. If, however, the loser fails to cross the Rubicon and score 100, then the loss is much more punishing: winner + loser + 100.

Variations

Players may choose to keep tricks face up in front of them.

The winner of the last trick may score 10 points instead of 1, making the choice of how to close the play more significant.

Tactics

Background

The following excerpt is from The Gaming Table : Its Votaries and Victims : Vol. 2 by Andrew Steinmetz

The card game Piquet is said to have derived its name from that of its inventor, who contrived it to amuse Charles VI of France. The game was played with thirty two cards, that is, discarding out of the pack all the deuces, treys, fours, fives, and sixes. Regular piquet-packs were sold. In reckoning up the points, every card counted for its value, as ten for ten, nine for nine, and so on down to seven, which was, of course, the lowest; but the ace reckoned for eleven. All court cards reckoned for ten. As in other games, the ace won the king, the king the queen, and so on, to the knave, which won the ten. The cards were dealt at option by fours, threes, or twos, to the number of twelve, which was the hand -- 'discarding' being allowed; but both the dealer and he that led were obliged to discard at least one card. When the cards were played out, each counted his tricks; and he that had most reckoned 10 for winning the cards; if the tricks were equal, neither reckoned at all. He who, without playing (that is, according to the various terms of the game), could reckon up 30 in hand, when his antagonist reckoned nothing, scored 90 for them; this was called a repic; and all above 30 counted so many, -- 32 counting 92, and so on. He who could make up 30, part in hand and part by play, before the other made anything, scored 60; this was called a pic.

The game was also played as pool precisely according to the rules briefly sketched as above, the penalty for losing being a guinea to the pool.

Piquet required much practice to play it well. It became so great a favourite that, by the middle of the 18th century, the meanest people were well acquainted with it, and 'let into all the tricks and secrets of it, in order to render them complete sharpers.' Such are the words of an old author, who adds that the game was liable to great imposition, and he explains the methods in use. Short cards were used for cutting, as in Whist, at the time. Of these cards there were two sorts, one longer than the rest; and the advantage gained by them was as the adversary managed it, by cutting the longer or broader, as best suited his purpose, or imposing on the dealer, when it was his turn, to cut those which made most against him. The aces, kings, queens, and knaves were marked with dots at the corners, and in the very old book from which I am quoting precise directions are given how this marking can be effected in such a manner 'as not to be discovered by your adversary, and at the same time appear plain to yourself.' With a fine pointed pen and some clear spring water, players made dots upon the glazed card at the corners according to the above method; or they coloured the water with india ink, to make the marks more conspicuous. The work concludes as follows: -- 'There are but 32 cards made use of at Piquet, so that just half of them will be known to you; and in dealing you may have an opportunity to give yourself those you like best; and if you cannot conveniently change the pack according to your desire, you will commonly know what you are to take in, which is a demonstrative advantage to win any one's money.'

Although much reduced in popularity these days, Piquet continues to enjoy a small but enthusiastic following, many of whom believe it to be the equal or even the superior of Cribbage as a card game for two. One famous enthusiast for the game is the author Richard Adams.