Forty Fives (45′s) – Rules

The following is the official rules for this web site. Forty Fives has many variations but this is the one that is played throughout New England’s Merrimack Valley. That is where I grew up and where I learned the game.

Objective:
To win tricks and score to 120 before your opponents do.

Players:
Two to five players in a singles game room or four players in a partners game room (2 pairs of partners) with partners in alternating seats.

Cards:
A regular deck of 52. The highest trump is the five; second is the jack, third is the A of hearts, no matter what suit is trump (Trump is the suit bid on.). For black suits, the cards from 2 to 10 score in reverse of normal order, leading to the saying “high in red; low in black.”. This means that a 2 will beat a 3 in black suits while a 3 will beat a two in red suits..

The full rank in the trump suit is:
Hearts:
5 (high),J, A of hearts, K, Q, 10, 9,. 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

Diamonds:
5 (high), J, A of hearts, A, K, Q, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

Clubs:
5 (high), J, A of hearts, A, K, Q, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

Spades:
5 (high), J, A of hearts, A, K, Q, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

In non trump suits the rank is:
Hearts or Diamonds:
K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, (A of Diamonds).

Clubs or Spades:
K (high), Q, J, A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
(note the order in the black suites low is high)

Deal:
Each player is dealt five cards in batches of 3cards to each player then 3 cards in the kitty, then 2cards to eacjh player.