User:DavidTellier/sandbox

Tops Card Game created by David Tellier

TOPS Card Game Rules:

TOPS is a dynamic card game that combines elements of strategy and prediction, providing a unique and engaging gaming experience for 2 to 5 players or more. Enjoy the challenge of accurately bidding and mastering the card play to become the ultimate TOPS champion!

Objective: In TOPS, the objective is to accumulate the most points by accurately predicting and winning tricks over the course of 10 rounds of play.

Players: For 2-5 players all you need is a standard 52-card deck of cards. Add an additional deck for every 5 players beyond the initial five.

Setup:


 * 1) Begin with a shuffled deck(s) of cards.
 * 2) Deal out 10 cards to each player     in the first hand, 9 cards in the second hand,  8 cards in the third, and so on, down to 1 card for the final hand.

Bidding:


 * 1) At the start of each round, each player must make a bid, predicting the maximum number of tricks they believe they will take. Avoid underbidding as you will get zero (0) points should you take more tricks than you bid.
 * 2) The player to the left of the dealer initiates the bidding. In cases where 4 or more cards are dealt, the last bidder must ensure their bid doesn't result in the total number of tricks accounted for being equal to the number of cards dealt.

Card Play:


 * 1) Once the bidding is complete, the player to the left of the dealer begins the round by leading a card.
 * 2) There are no trumps, no need to follow suit, and the highest card played in each trick wins (see card ranking).

Card Ranking:

1.    Since there are 4 Aces, 4 Kings, 4 Queens, etc., it is necessary to establish a ranking to determine which card is highest, so Spades will always be highest, followed by Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs.


 * A spades - 1st highest
 * A hearts - 2nd highest
 * A diamonds - 3rd highest
 * A clubs - 4th highest
 * K spades - 5th highest
 * 2 of diamonds - 51st highest
 * 2 of clubs - 52nd highest or     lowest
 * 2 of clubs - 52nd highest or     lowest

2.    If multiple decks are used, the first card played in each rank takes precedence over any subsequent cards of the same rank played in the same trick.

Scoring:


 * 1) Scoring occurs at the end of each hand:
 * 2) * Players who take the exact number of tricks they bid receive 10 points.
 * 3) * Players who take more tricks than they bid receive 0 points.
 * 4) * Players who underbid receive 1 point for each trick taken.
 * 5) Accumulate and record the points at the end of each round.
 * 6) The player with the most points after 10 rounds wins the game.

Strategy:

The specific strategic elements of the game, including techniques for effective bidding, leading, and winning tricks, are to be determined by the players as they gain experience with the game.

History of the Card Game - TOPS:

The game of TOPS was invented by David Tellier from Plaistow, New Hampshire. On the morning of September 22, 2022, he woke up and told his wife Joan about a strange dream he had where he was playing cards with her and other family members. He proceeded to write down the rules for this card game while it was still fresh in his mind and the game of TOPS was born.