AUCTION PITCH, SELL OUT, OR COMMERCIAL PITCH.
This very popular round game derives its name from the fact that the first card led or “pitched” is the trump suit, and that the privilege of pitching it belongs to the eldest hand, who may sell it out to the highest bidder.
The number of cards and their rank is the same as at Seven-up; A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2, the ace being the highest in cutting and in play.
Players. Any number from four to seven may play, each for himself; five is considered the best game. The players cut for choice of seats, the highest cut taking the first choice and the deal.
Counters. Each player should be provided with seven white counters to mark the game. If stakes are played for, red counters are used to make up the pool, one player acting as the banker to sell and redeem all red counters.
Dealing. Six cards are dealt to each player, three at a time, but no trump is turned. All the rules for irregularities in the deal are the same as in Seven-up, but a misdeal does not lose the deal under any circumstances.
Objects of the Game. As in Seven-up, the object of each player is to get rid of his seven counters, one of which he is entitled to put in the pool for each of the following points: For holding the highest trump in play; for holding (having dealt to him) the lowest trump in play; for winning a trick with the Jack of trumps in it; for making the greatest number of the pips that count for the game point. The details of these points have already been explained in connection with Seven-up. If the count for Game is a tie, no one scores it.
Bidding. The eldest hand sells. If he pitches without waiting for a bid he must make four points, or he will be set back that number. Each player in turn, beginning on the left of the eldest hand, bids for the privilege of pitching the trump, naming the number of points he thinks he can make. If he will not bid, he must say distinctly: “I pass.” After a bid has been made, any following player must bid higher or pass. There are no second bids. The highest number any player can bid is four, which will require him to make High, Low, Jack, and the Game against the combined efforts of all the other players. The eldest hand must either accept the number bid, or pitch the trump himself, and make as many points as the highest bidder offered him. If the eldest hand accepts, he pushes into the pool as many counters as he is bid, and the successful bidder pitches the trump. If no bid is made, the eldest hand must pitch the trump himself.
A bidder is not allowed to give the seller enough points to put him out, and should he do so by mistake, he forfeits his right to bid at all for that deal. If the seller has only two to go, and a player is able to bid three or four, he loses nothing by bidding one only, for no one can overbid him, and he is entitled to count all he makes. The only risk he runs is that the seller can afford to refuse one, and will go out on his own pitch. To remedy this it is the custom in some clubs to allow a player to bid the full value of his hand. If the seller accepts, he scores to within one of game; but if he refuses, he must make as many as bid, even if he does not actually want them. It is one of the fine points of the game for the seller to refuse when the number of points offered would put the bidder out if he was successful.
There is no penalty for bidding out of turn. If a player chooses to expose to a preceding player what he is prepared to bid, that is usually to his own disadvantage.
Bidding to the Board. Modern players usually adopt the practice of bidding to the board, eldest hand having the first bid. In this form of the game the points bid count to no one, and anyone can bid up to four, no matter what the scores are. No one can claim the privilege of pitching the trump for as many as bid, as each in turn must bid higher or pass.
Playing. The successful bidder has the first lead, and whatever card he plays, whether by mistake or not, is the trump suit for that deal. After that, the winner of the trick may lead any suit he pleases. A player must follow suit in trumps if he is able to do so; but in a plain suit he may trump if he chooses, although holding a card of the suit led. If he does not trump, he must follow suit if he can. If he has none of the suit led, he may trump or discard as he pleases. The highest card played of the suit led wins the trick, and trumps win all other suits.
Scoring. At the end of the hand the various players claim the points made, and score them by placing white counters in the pool. If the bidder makes any points in excess of the number bid, he scores them. The first player to get rid of his seven white counters wins the pool, and takes down all the red counters it contains. The white counters are then redistributed, and the players cut for the first deal of the new game.
If two players can count out on the same deal, and one of them is the bidder, he wins the pool if he has made good his bid. If neither of the ties is the bidder, the points count out in their regular order, High first, then Low, then Jack, and finally Game. For instance: Seven are playing. A sells to B, who bids two. B and C have each two to go. B pitches a trump of which C has both High and Low; but if B makes Jack and Game he wins the pool, because he bid only two points, and made them. This is generally expressed by the rule: bidder goes out first.
Setting Back. If the player who pitches the trump fails to make the number of points bid, he is set back, and scores nothing for any points he may have made. A player who is set back, either for overbidding his hand, or for refusing to sell and failing to make the number of points offered him, must withdraw from the pool as many white counters as were bid, and add them to his own. For instance: It is A’s sell. A and B each have two to go. B bids three, which A refuses, pitching the trump himself. A makes only two points, B scoring one, and a third player D, another. B and D score one each, but A scores nothing for the two points he made, and must take three white counters from the pool, which will make him five to go. Had the bid which A refused been two only, he would have won the game, as he made two points. In many clubs it is the custom for a player who is set back to add a red counter to the pool.
Irregularities in Play. If any adversary of the player who pitches the trump leads or plays out of turn, he may be called upon by the bidder to play his highest or lowest of the suit led; or to trump or not to trump the trick. If any player but the pitcher has followed the erroneous lead, the cards must be taken back; but if the pitcher has followed, the error cannot be rectified.
In case of a revoke, the hand is played out as if the revoke had not occurred, and each player except the person in error counts whatever points he makes. If the pitcher of the trump fails to make the number of points bid, he cannot be set back, but must be allowed to score any points he makes. The revoking player is then set back the number of points bid, and forfeits a red counter to the pool. If no bid was made, he is set back two points.
SMUDGE.
In this variation of auction pitch, any player who is not in the hole wins the game at once if he can bid four and make it.