120s (Auction) Rules

A traditional Newfoundland trick-taking game with bidding

Objective

120s is a trick-taking game where teams or individuals compete to win tricks containing valuable cards. The goal is to reach 120 points through strategic bidding and play.

Setup

  • Players: 2-6 players (best with 4 in partnerships)
  • Deck: Standard 52-card deck
  • Partnerships: In 4-player games, partners sit across from each other
  • Deal: Each player receives cards depending on player count

Card Values

In 120s, only certain cards have point values:

  • Aces: 11 points
  • 10s: 10 points
  • Kings: 4 points
  • Queens: 3 points
  • Jacks: 2 points
  • Other cards (2-9): 0 points

Total: 120 points in the deck

The Auction (Bidding)

  1. Players bid on how many points they think they can take
  2. Minimum bid is usually 30 points
  3. Bids must increase by at least 5 points
  4. Players can pass once bidding starts
  5. Highest bidder names the trump suit
Trump cards: Cards of the trump suit beat all other suits, regardless of rank

Gameplay

  1. The bid winner leads the first trick
  2. Players must follow suit if possible
  3. If unable to follow suit, players may:
    • Play a trump card (which can win the trick)
    • Play any other card (which cannot win)
  4. Highest card of the led suit wins, unless trumped
  5. Winner of each trick leads the next
Example: If hearts are trump and the lead is K♠, players must play spades if they have them. A player with no spades could play 2♥ (trump) to win the trick.

Scoring

  • Count the point values of all cards won in tricks
  • If the bidding team makes their bid:
    • They score the points they took
    • Opponents score their points too
  • If the bidding team fails:
    • They score 0 (or go negative by bid amount)
    • Opponents score all 120 points
  • First team to reach a predetermined score (often 500) wins

Strategy Tips

  • Count cards to track which have been played
  • Save trumps for capturing high-value cards
  • Lead low cards to force out opponents' high cards
  • In partnerships, try to let your partner win tricks
  • Bid conservatively until you understand the game flow

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