All Fours

Officially All Fours (English Origin)

One of the oldest surviving English trick-taking card games (17th century), ancestor of Pitch and Auction Pitch — 2-4 player game scoring 4 categories: High, Low, Jack, Game; still played in Caribbean (Trinidad national game), Britain, and Appalachia.

⏱~60 min🌤indoor

What is All Fours?

All Fours is an English trick-taking card game dating to at least the 17th century — mentioned in Charles Cotton's 'The Compleat Gamester' (1674) — making it one of the oldest surviving English card games. The name 'All Fours' refers to the 4 scoring categories: HIGH (highest trump played), LOW (lowest trump played, must be by winner), JACK (Jack of trumps captured), and GAME (highest cumulative pip count of scoring cards captured). Play uses a standard 52-card deck (or 32-card variant); 2-4 players (2v2 partnership or 3-4 individual). Widely exported through the British Empire, All Fours remained popular through the 19th century as Seven Up (US) + Old Sledge (US), then evolved into Auction Pitch + Pitch (still played in US Midwest + Appalachia). Trinidad and Tobago adopted All Fours as its national card game — it is a cultural cornerstone of Caribbean gaming culture, with the World All Fours Championship held annually in Trinidad.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Score the required target points (7 or 14 typical) across hands by capturing High + Low + Jack + Game categories.

Match structure

Deal 6 cards per player + turn top card as 'trump indicator' → play 6 tricks → score 4 categories → repeat until target reached.

Rules

Basic rules

Deal 6 cards to each player
6 cards each; top of deck turned face-up = trump suit indicator.
Beg / stand option
Non-dealer may 'beg' if unsatisfied with trump; dealer must accept (1 pt to non-dealer) or 'give one' + re-deal.
6 tricks played
Standard trick-taking; must follow suit if possible; highest trump/highest card of led suit wins.
Score 4 categories
HIGH (highest trump played in hand = 1 pt to team), LOW (lowest trump played = 1 pt, must be by winning team), JACK (Jack of trumps captured = 1 pt), GAME (higher cumulative pip count of scoring cards captured = 1 pt).
Max 4 points per hand
Each of 4 categories = 1 pt = maximum 4 pts per hand.

Advanced rules

Beg / Stand mechanics
Non-dealer may 'beg' → dealer either 'gives one' (1 pt to non-dealer, no re-deal) or 're-runs' the pack (redeal + new trump).
Pip count for Game
Ace=4, King=3, Queen=2, Jack=1, Ten=10, others=0; captured cards' pip total determines Game point winner.
Partnership variant (4-player)
Partners across table share captured cards + score; team target 7 or 14 pts.
Trinidad Championship variant
Trinidad All Fours has slightly modified rules — 14-point target, specific bidding, doubles emphasis.

Scoring

4 categories per hand: High + Low + Jack + Game = 1 pt each = max 4 pts per hand.

Action	Points
High (capture highest trump)	1
Low (winner captures lowest trump)	1
Jack (capture Jack of trumps)	1
Game (highest pip count of scoring cards captured)	1
'Beg' negotiation	1 (if dealer gives one)

Win condition · First to target score (7 or 14 points depending on rules) wins game.

Equipment

Standard 52-card deck
Full deck; suits + ranks A(high)-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2(low).
Score pad
Track 4-point-per-hand scoring across game.

Positions & roles

Player (2-4 seats)
×2
Individual or partnership.

Officiating

Casual play + Trinidad championships mostly self-refereed; referees at large Trinidad World All Fours Championship.

Self-refereed (casual + Caribbean championship)

Penalties & fouls

Penalties

Renege (failure to follow suit)
Hand loss + potential game penalty.
Miscount score
Redress by consensus.

Strategies

Beg strategically
Beg when trump indicator is unfavorable; dealer usually gives 1 pt rather than re-deal.
Preserve Jack of trumps
Jack of trumps captured = 1 pt (Jack point); protect it in hand OR force opponent to burn it.
Play for Low
Winner of Low must be the team that captures the lowest trump — lead lowest trump to capture Low + High.
Save high pip cards
Aces + Tens + Kings = high pip; capture them for Game point.
Track opponent trumps
Count trumps as played; force opponent's remaining trumps into unfavorable tricks.

Terminology

Trump: Suit of turned-up card at deal (unless 'begged').
Beg: Non-dealer's option to reject trump; dealer either gives 1 pt or re-deals.
High / Low / Jack / Game: The 4 scoring categories that give the game its name.
Pip count: Face-card value used for Game category (A=4, K=3, Q=2, J=1, 10=10).
Set: Failing to make expected tricks in Auction Pitch variant.

Major competitions

Trinidad and Tobago World All Fours Championship
annual · Trinidad (Port of Spain) · since 1985
Caribbean All Fours Championships
annual · Trinidad, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica · since 1990
Various regional US Pitch / Seven Up tournaments (Appalachia, Midwest)
annual (community) · US Midwest + Appalachia · since 1900

Where it is played

Governing bodies

Trinidad and Tobago Cardplayers Association
Founded 1970 · Port of Spain, Trinidad
No dedicated international body — folk game with regional variants
Founded 1650 · N/A

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Various Trinidad All Fours champions — culturally significant but not internationally famous
Historically featured in Charles Dickens novels + colonial British literature as social context

Records

Trinidad national card game
All Fours — Officially recognized as Trinidad and Tobago's national card game; annual World Championship in Port of Spain since 1985 (2023)
Oldest recorded English trick-taking game still played
All Fours — Recorded 1674 in 'The Compleat Gamester'; continuous play in Britain + Caribbean + US for 350+ years (2024)
Ancestor of modern American card games
All Fours — Direct ancestor of Seven Up, Old Sledge, Pitch, Auction Pitch, Setback — dominant US card game families 1800s-1900s (2020)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Play with a British / Trinidadian / Caribbean group
Trinidad + Barbados + Jamaica have thriving All Fours communities; Britain + Ireland still have pub players.
2
Learn the 4 scoring categories
High + Low + Jack + Game are the core — memorize what each requires + how to win them.
3
Play 2-player All Fours first
1v1 teaches fundamentals; 4-player partnership adds signaling complexity.

advanced

1
Compete in Trinidad World All Fours Championship
Annual event in Port of Spain; open to international competitors.
2
Learn variants (Pitch, Auction Pitch, Setback) for US play
Same core game with regional twists.

Frequently asked

Why is Trinidad All Fours the national card game?+

All Fours was introduced to Trinidad via British colonial rule in the 18th-19th century and became deeply embedded in Trinidadian culture — played in villages, cricket clubs, and family gatherings for 200+ years. Post-independence Trinidad recognized it as national card game; annual World All Fours Championship in Port of Spain is a major cultural event drawing 500+ competitors.

How is All Fours different from Pitch?+

Pitch is a US derivative of All Fours that added bidding — players 'pitch' (bid) how many of the 4 points they'll capture; highest bidder plays contract. Auction Pitch made bidding formal. All Fours original has no bidding — the trump is fixed by turn-up (with 'beg' option). US Pitch + Auction Pitch dominate Midwest + Appalachia; original All Fours dominates Trinidad + Caribbean + Britain.

Where can I learn All Fours online?+

Trinidad All Fours has active online communities via Facebook + WhatsApp groups. Pagat.com has detailed rulesets for All Fours + Pitch + Auction Pitch + Seven Up variants. Some Android apps offer AI All Fours (search 'Trinidad All Fours' in Play Store).

Sources & provenance

Trinidad and Tobago Cardplayers Association— TTCA (Facebook community)
Wikipedia — All Fours— Wikipedia
Pagat.com — All Fours— Pagat

Last verified 2026-08-29.verified