Hucklebuck

Hucklebuck, also known as Huckly Buck and sometimes as Sputnik, is an American trick-taking card game of the Rams group for three to seven players (four to six are best). The game is native to the states of Nebraska and Iowa,[1] although a variant called Huckley Buck is recorded in Nevada.[2] The game appears to have arisen in the early 1900s in the Midwestern United States and may be based on Bourré, a Louisiana member of the Rams group. The rules given here are based on McLeod.[1]

For the dance tune, see The Hucklebuck.
Hucklebuck
OriginUSA
Alternative namesHuckley Buck, Sputnik
TypeTrick-taking
FamilyRams group
Players3–7
Cards52 cards
DeckFrench
PlayClockwise
Playing time15 min.
Random chanceMedium
Related games
Rams, Bourré
Basic features: 5 cards, exchanging, declarer chooses trumps, game is 11 or 15 points

John McLeod notes that "in his article Die 100 Kartenspiele des Landes Salzburg in the 2004 edition of the journal Talon, Remigius Geiser includes an substantial section on the group of games... called the 'Rams group', after a famous 19th century French game... These are round games with a small number of cards dealt to each player. Players gain points or money by winning tricks, but anyone who takes no tricks at all suffers a penalty. Those who judge their cards too weak to be sure of winning a trick can avoid this penalty by dropping out of the play."[3]

Cards

A standard 52-card, French-suited pack is used, with the Jokers removed. Cards rank in their natural order, Aces high.[1]

Rules

Preliminaries

Between three and seven players may play, but four to six are best. Five cards are dealt and players bid in clockwise order the number of tricks they believe they can take. The minimum bid is two. Players must overcall the highest previous bid and there can be more than one round of bidding. The highest bidder declares trumps. Beginning with the player to the left of the highest bidder, players then decide whether to drop out of the current deal or stay in, in which case they state the number of cards they wish to exchange, from none to five. Each active player then discards the number of cards stated and the dealer then them the same number in exchange.[1]

Play

The highest bidder leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit; otherwise they may discard if unable to follow.[1]

Scoring

The active players score 1 point for each trick taken or -5 points if they take none. The bidder must achieve his stated number of tricks to score for them; if he fails, he is also penalised with -5 points. If, during the bidding, all pass, the dealer scores 5 points without having to play. Players with a negative score are 'in the hole'. The highest bid is a slam called Shoot the Moon and the bidder wins the entire game if successful and he started with a positive score. If he is in the hole when he bids it, his score returns to zero if successful. The penalty for failing, however, is -15 points. A player who scores -25 or lower is out of the game. Game is 15 points.[1]

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See also

Notes

    References
    1. McLeod 2005, p. 290.
    2. Game Rules at www.huckleybuck.com. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
    3. McLeod 2005, p. 288.

    Bibliography
    • McLeod, John. "Playing the Game: Schnellen, Hucklebuck & Donut" in The Playing-Card, Journal of the International Playing Card Society, volume 33, issue 4, pages 288-292, April-June 2005.
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