Pitch

About this board game

Pitch is a 2–4-player trick-taking card game with an average play time of 30 minutes. Using a standard 52-card deck, players form partnerships with the person opposite them and compete to capture valuable trump cards.

Each player receives a hand, and bidding begins to the dealer’s left. Players raise the bid according to how many points they expect their team to take. The highest bidder names the trump suit, leads the first trick, and manages the remaining cards before play begins.

In the 10-point version, players typically receive nine cards before discarding non-trump cards and drawing back up to six. Card strength runs from Ace to Two, with the Off-Jack and two Jokers positioned between the Jack and Ten. Players follow the trump-led play, while the highest card takes the trick and leads the next one.

• Bid strategically: A team that fails to meet its bid loses the number of points bid.
• Capture point cards: Aces, Jacks, special Jacks, Jokers, Tens, Threes, and Twos can contribute to the score.
• Choose your variant: Options include six-point Pitch, Shoot the Moon, and Jersey Pitch, where the trump Five is worth five points.

Several rulesets change the hand size, bidding minimum, scoring target, or which cards count. Some versions score High, Low, Jack, and Game, while others allow players to discard unwanted cards and draw replacements.

With its blend of partnership play, risk-taking bids, and shifting trump priorities, Pitch rewards careful judgment at every stage of the hand.