The card game 1000 is a fun, trick-taking card game for three players. Score points by winning tricks with high value cards. Be sure to keep the 1000 quick guide close while playing for a reference to help you learn as you play! Find the video tutorial and written explanation below for how to play 1000.
1000 Tutorial
Needed
24 card deck (Aces down to the 9s in each suit); three players; pen and paper for scorekeeping
Deal
Each player is dealt seven cards, one card at a time. Three cards are also dealt into the middle, one card at a time, with the middle falling before the dealer. Stop dealing to the middle once there are three cards. Continue dealing to each player until they have a total of seven cards in their hand.
Objective
The objective of the game is to be the first player to win 1000 points. Points are scored based on the value of the cards won in the tricks taken. The total points possible by cards are 120 each round. Also, points can be scored by having a marriage of king and queen in the same suit and being able to lead one into a trick.
Card Rank
Highest to lowest - Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9
Bidding
Starting with the player left of the dealer, each player will bid how many points he/she thinks he/she can win or pass on bidding. The minimum amount that can be bid is 100. A player must raise the bid by at least five points or pass.
After bidding is complete, the three cards in the middle are flipped over for every player to see. The bid winner will add the three cards to his/her hand. At this point, the bid winner can raise the bid if wanted. Once the bid gets set, the bid winner will pass one card, face down, to each of the other players.
Game Play
The bid winner leads the first trick. All other players must play a card in the same suit as led whenever possible. The player with the highest ranking card in the lead suit wins the trick. The player that wins the trick leads the next trick. Play continues until all cards have been played.
A player can score for a marriage when having both the king and queen in the same suit and leading one of them into a trick. When a marriage gets played, the suit of the marriage becomes the trump suit for the rest of the round, or until a different marriage gets played.
A trump suited card will outrank any other suited card to win a trick.
Scoring
At the end of the round, players will count the card points won during the round, and add points for any marriage declarations made. If the bid winner scores the amount bid or more, they are awarded the bid amount. Non-bidding players win the amount of card points won rounded to the nearest five.
Card Point Values
Each Ace: 11 points
Each 10: 10 points
Each King: 4 points
Each Queen: 3 points
Each Jack: 2 points
Points for Marriages
Hearts: 100 points
Diamonds: 80 points
Clubs: 60 points
Spades: 40 points
Rules
If a bid winner fails to score the amount of points bid, the bidder’s score gets reduced by the amount bid.
If a player is dealt four 9s or has four 9s after the card exchange, the player can throw in the hand, and the round is re-dealt.
Players can only bid more than 120 points if they have a marriage in hand.
A marriage only gets scored for by leading the king or queen after winning a trick.
If the first two players pass on bidding, the dealer is forced to take the middle cards for a bid of at least 100.
If the bid winner knows they cannot win the amount bid, the bidder can give up without playing any tricks. The bidder scores a zero, and all other players score 60 points.
Every third time a player scores zero in a round, that player’s score is reduced by 120 points.
If a player gets to a total score of 880-995, it is known as being on the barrel, and the player’s score becomes 880. For example, a player with 850 points that scores 100 points in the previous round would only go to 880 points and is on the barrel. When on the barrel, the player has three rounds to become the bid winner and win at least 120 points to win the game. If on the third round, the player fails to be the bid winner and win 120 points, that player loses 120 points.