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Ninety-Nine

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description Ninety-Nine Overview

Created by British game designer David Parlett in 1968, Ninety-Nine is a trick-taking card game intended for exactly three players. The game is distinguished by its unique and hidden bidding method, where players simultaneously discard three cards face-down to declare their contract. These discarded cards secretly indicate both the trump suit and the exact number of tricks the player intends to win during the round. The game uses a standard 52-card deck with specific low cards removed, emphasizing precise strategy and deduction.

help Ninety-Nine FAQ

Why do players discard three cards face-down in Ninety-Nine?

The three discarded cards secretly encode the player's bid, with clubs representing 3 tricks, hearts 2, spades 1, and diamonds 0. Each player then plays the remaining 9 cards to tricks. [Ninety-Nine rules](https://www.pagat.com/exact/99.html)

Who created the trick-taking game Ninety-Nine?

British game designer David Parlett developed Ninety-Nine in 1968, and it was first published in 1975. This three-player trick-taking game is unrelated to the separate adding game that also uses the name Ninety-Nine. [Ninety-Nine rules](https://www.pagat.com/exact/99.html)

What deck and player count does the original Ninety-Nine use?

The standard version is designed for exactly 3 players using a 36-card pack ranked A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, and 6 in each suit. Each player receives 12 cards and sets aside 3 for the bid. [Ninety-Nine rules](https://www.pagat.com/exact/99.html)

How is trump chosen in Ninety-Nine?

The first deal is played without trumps. On later deals, clubs are trump if all 3 players fulfilled their contracts, hearts if 2 did, spades if 1 did, and diamonds if none did. [Ninety-Nine rules](https://www.pagat.com/exact/99.html)

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