Counting Trump
There are 14 trump. Start from that, subtract the trump in your own hand (and in your bury, if you picked), and subtract every trump as it falls. Track the queens and jacks by name; the diamonds you can usually just count. When the count of trump still out reaches zero, every fail ace you hold is a sure trick.
The method
- Before the first lead, count your own trump and subtract from 14. The picker also subtracts any trump in the bury.
- Each trick, note the trump that fell. A trump lead that everyone follows takes five out at once at a five-handed table.
- Note who could not follow. A player who throws a fail card on a trump lead has no trump left. That is often more useful than the number itself.
- Track the top eight by name: Q♣ Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ J♣ J♠ J♥ J♦. Knowing which of them are gone tells you when your own card has become the highest left.
An example
You are a defender holding Q♥ J♦ 9♦ and three fail cards, so 11 trump are in other hands or the bury. Trick one: the picker leads the Q♣, the others play the Q♦, the J♥ and a club, and you follow with the 9♦. Three of those 11 have fallen, so 8 are still out, and the player who threw a club has none of them. Of the top eight, the Q♣, Q♦ and J♥ are gone, which leaves exactly one card in the game that beats your Q♥: the Q♠. Once it falls, your queen is the boss.
Use the count
- Is my card the boss? When every higher trump has fallen, your card wins any trick it is played to, which tells you when to take a trick and when to save the card.
- When to cash aces. As a defender, cash fail aces before the count says the picker has drawn your side’s trump. As the picker, wait until it says the defense is out.
- When to lead the called suit. At call an ace, the picker did best waiting until at most one trump was unaccounted for before leading the called suit to bring the partner’s ace home.
- When to lay down. With no trump left out and only winners in hand, claim the rest; see the endgame page.
Count points too
The same habit works for points: aces and tens first, a running total for your side, and the other side’s total from 120. Knowing your side has 52 with two tricks left tells you exactly what the last two tricks are worth. The card points page has shortcuts.
Practice
Counting is a skill, not a talent, and it comes quickly with repetition. Replays at Sheepshead Club show every recent hand trick by trick, so you can check a count after the hand without holding up the table.
Related
Play a hand
Sheepshead Club is free, with no ads and no account needed. Play a first hand with the coach beside you (about three minutes), or sit down at a table with computer players or real people.