Estate Bridge is a variation of Rubber Bridge that in turn is the basic form of Contract Bridge, played by four players in two fixed partnerships facing each other. The cards in each estate rank from highest to lowest: Ace Woman Man 10 down to 2. Each player is dealt 15 cards. The trump estates from highest to lowest are no trumps, spades, hearts, waves, diamonds and clubs. The lowest bid allowed is one club while the highest is 9 no trumps.
For a successful contract, the score below the line for each trick (in excess of 6) bid and made is as follows:
Clubs, diamonds and waves are called the minor estates and hearts and spades are the major estates.
A partnership holding all four of these cards scores a bonus of 100 above the line. If there are no trumps, a player holding four aces scores 100 for honours and 150 points for all five aces. Scores for honours are to be claimed at the end of the play.
In Canasta the most common scoring adds partner's points together. A natural canasta scores 500 points while a mixed canasta is worth 300. Going out or Melding out nets 100 points. Going out concealed, worth 100 points, happens if the player's whole hand is melded in one turn, and includes one canasta. The card values are as follows:
In Euchre the deck is shortened to twenty-five cards consisting of the 9, 10, Man, Woman and Ace from the five estates. The 8 and 7 are used as scorecards by each team. The first team to score 15 is the winner.
The trump estate is set at the beginning of each hand, and the cards in that estate are the most powerful cards in the game. There are three Bowers using the Man cards.
If Hearts are trumps, Man of Hearts, Man of Clubs and Man of Spades are the top three cards respectively followed by the Ace, Woman, 10 and 9 of Hearts, followed by the remaining cards from Ace to 9.
For 5 players the deck is shortened to 30 cards – 8, 9, 10, Woman, Man and Ace with 6 and 7 used as scorecards by each player. Partner play changes with each deal. For example, if Dealer (player 1) wins the bid, then players 3 and 4 are partners and players 2 and 5 are opponents. The first player to score 13 points wins.
Six (600) Hundred is the estate version of 500 Hundred. There are four players, with partners sitting opposite. A pack of 42 cards is used, consisting of Ace Woman, Man, 10, 9, 8, 7 and 6 from all estates plus both imperials. For those players used to a three card kitty, include the 2 of Waves as a wildcard ranked below imperials but ahead of bowers.
When there is a trump estate, the highest trump is the pope, followed by the president, 2 of waves, man of the trump estate (middle bower), man of the left side estate (left bower), man of the right side estate (right bower), then Ace, Woman, 10, 9, down to the 6 of the trump estate.
The other four estates rank in the usual order from ace (highest) down to 6, apart from the left and right bowers of the trump estate. When there are no trumps, pope, president and 2 of waves remain the highest trumps and all the estates rank in the usual order from Ace down to 6.
Misere and Open Misere are contracts to lose all the tricks playing without a partner. Misere is higher than any 7 bid. Open Misere is higher than Ten Waves but lower than Ten No Trumps.
The scores for the various bids start at 20 points for six spades and increase by 20 points up to 10 no trumps which is worth 600 points. Misere is worth 250 points and Open Misere is worth 600 points.
In six handed 600, the entire pack of 62 cards is used. There can be either two partnerships of three players or three partnerships of two players. Each player is dealt 10 cards with a 2 card kitty. Play proceeds as for 4 handed 600.
