Games Magazine
John McCallion
February 2007
USA

English international bridge player Maureen Hiron, perturbed by the high average age of competitive bridge players, designed this game to entice a new generation. The result is an excellent game in its own right, offering some of the challenges of bridge without the complex bidding that intimidates so many newcomers. The four suits have cards, each of which have both a numerical rank and from zero to four pips. Pips represent a card’s power value. Partners sit opposite each other, and the cards are dealt evenly to all. Each player in turn has the right to declare that his partnership will win at least 10 tricks, which forces his partner to become the “dummy” by revealing his cards faceup. The declarer may nominate one color as trump. Everyone announces the total power value of his hand and the number of cards in the longest suit. During the traditional trick taking round, the declarer also plays from the dummy hand. If no player declares, everyone announces his total power and the partnership with the strongest hand automatically declares. The partner with the highest power declares whether the partnership will win at least seven or 10 tricks. Partners winning the minimum number of tricks gain points, plus bonuses for each trick in excess of the minimum. The opponents win points based on the number of tricks the declaring partnership failed to make. Rewards and penalties are greatest when one player declares to take at least 10 tricks. Highest score triumphs after 12 hands. We strongly recommend this relaxing but deep and challenging card game.

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