Variety
a game by by Robert Abbott

Needed: 4 Players, a Deck of Cards and the sets of rules (suplied below)

Overview: There are 4 or 8 hands played wherein each hand is played by one of the sets of rules. Each hand may have a different trump and a differnet way to score points. Each player plays on their own throughout the game, but for each individual hand, they will have a partner.

Object: To score the most points by accurately bidding your hand according to the cards you are dealt

To Begin: Deal out all 52 cards to the 4 players. Then the bidding begins

Bidding: Unlike other games where you bid how many points or tricks you are going to take, in Variety, the bid determines the rules of the game for that hand.
Once you are dealt your hand, you look at the 8 different sets of rules and decide which one suits your hand best. You bid the number of that set of rules. It is permisable to qualify your bid to a reasonable degree. The bidding starts left of dealer and continues to the left. When 2 players bid the same number, then the bidding ends and those two players are partners for that hand. These players are called the "Defenders." The other two players are partners also and are called the "Defenders."

The Play: After the bidding is over, the play begins. Note that the players do not change seats, so either set of partners for any given hand may be seated directly next to each other instead of across from each other. The trump and method of scoring (or losing) points had been determined by whomever won the bidding. If the Declarers fail to get more points than the Defenders, the the Defenders score a 10 point bonus for that hand.

Game NumberGood Cards to haveTrumpScoring
1High CardsNo TrumpThe team that takes the most cards in any suit scores 12 points
2Clubs Clubs Every Trick scores 1 point
3Hearts & SpadesHearts Every Spade scores 2 points
4Diamonds & Hearts Diamonds Every Red Card scores 1 point
Every Black Card subtracts 1 point
5Spades & Clubs Spades Each Black Ten and Jack scores 5 points
Each Red Ten and Jack subtracts 5 points
6Clubs & Low Cards
Lowball: Lowest card takes the trick		Clubs
Lowball: Lowest card takes the trick 		Every Red Card scores 1 points
Lowball: Lowest card takes the trick
7Hearts, Diamonds & low cardsSpades Every Club subtracts 1 point
8Low CardsNo Trump Every Trick subtracts 2 points