Four-Handed Sheepshead
Four-handed sheepshead deals seven cards to each player and four to the blind. The picker takes all four blind cards and buries four, then plays with a partner, chosen by the jack of diamonds or a called ace, two against two, or alone against the other three.
The shape of the hand
| Players | 4 |
| Deck | 32 cards, the same as always |
| Cards each | 7 |
| Blind | 4 cards |
| Bury | 4 cards |
| Tricks | 7 |
| Sides | Picker and partner against two, or picker alone against three |
| Target | 61 of 120 |
What changes from five-handed
- Bigger hands. Seven cards each means about 3.1 trump on average instead of 2.6, so hands look stronger and more players want to pick.
- A bigger blind. Four unseen cards hold 1.75 trump on average, so the blind can genuinely change a hand. Picking is more of a gamble on what is underneath.
- A real bury. Four cards down is a big decision. Burying two aces and two tens banks 42 points, more than a third of the way to 61, before a card is led.
- Partnerships are even. Two against two means neither side is the underdog by default. Losing the partner, by burying the J♦ or going alone, leaves the picker facing three.
Partners
Both partner rules work as they do at five: whoever holds the J♦, or the holder of a called ace. Going alone works the same way too. Some tables play four-handed with the picker always alone instead; that is a reasonable house rule, but it is not how this site deals it.
Scoring
| Result | Picker | Partner | Each defender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picking side wins | +1 | +1 | −1 |
| Picking side loses | −1 | −1 | +1 |
| Picker alone wins | +3 | none | −1 |
| Picker alone loses | −3 | none | +1 |
With two defenders there are only two units to share, so at Sheepshead Club the picker and partner take one each. Schneider, schwarz, cracks and blitzes multiply the hand as usual.
Strategy notes
Our measured picking guidance is for five-handed play, so take it as a starting point here rather than a rule. The general direction carries over: count trump and their quality rather than points, and expect the defense to hold more trump than at five, because each defender has seven cards instead of six. With a four-card bury, voiding a suit is easier, which makes trumping in on the picking side more common.
Play four-handed here
Open a private table and choose four players, with either partner rule. Bots fill any empty seat, so two or three of you can play a full game.
Related
- Three-handed sheepshead
- Five-handed sheepshead
- Six-handed sheepshead
- How many cards in sheepshead
- All variants
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.