Editing Sheepshead (card game) (section)

==Variations in the number of players==
There are numerous variations in rules, so a discussion of house rules generally occurs before play begins. The following variations can be employed to accommodate different numbers of players.

===Two-handed===
1) Each player is dealt four cards in a row, face down. Then, four cards are dealt face up to each player and placed on top of the first four cards.  The eight cards in front of each player are referred to as their 'battery' in the text below. Then, eight cards are dealt to each player's hand. 

Every hand is played with no picking nor partner.  Whichever player gets the higher number of points wins the hand.

Each trick has four cards - one from each player's hand, and one from each player's battery (table cards).  The highest card, per normal rules, takes the trick.  At the end of the trick, any uncovered face down card is turned face up, and is in play for the next trick.

For the first trick, the non-dealer leads a card from their hand, then the dealer plays from their hand, then the non-dealer's battery, then the dealer's battery.  Whichever hand or battery takes the trick must lead the next trick.  Each trick is 'hand hand battery battery', or 'battery battery hand hand'.


2) Sixteen cards are dealt face down in a four by four rectangle. Players are not allowed to look at the face-down cards. Then, a card is dealt face-up on top of these. The sixteen cards (eight stacks of two cards) closest to the dealer are the dealer's cards. A card must be face-up to be played. The opponent starts the first trick by playing one of his face-up cards, and the dealer responds by playing one of his. After each trick is played, any face-down cards uncovered are turned face-up. Play continues until all 32 cards have been played. Players are not allowed to look at their own face-down cards.

===Three-handed===
1) Each player is dealt ten cards, with two going to the blind. The picker faces the other two players.

2) The sevens of clubs and spades are removed, leaving thirty cards. Nine cards are then dealt to each player, with three going to the blind. The picker faces the others.

3) The six non-trump sevens and eights are removed, dealing eight cards to each player, with two in the blind.

===Four-handed===
1) Seven cards are dealt to each player with four in the blind. Given the large blind, this variation required the picker go ''cut-throat ''(without a partner).

2) The seven of clubs and seven of spades are removed (''or ''the six of clubs and six of spades are added). Seven (or eight) cards are dealt to each player, with two in the blind. Either the jack or ace partner rules may be used.

3) Each player is dealt eight cards, with no blind. Either (A) the two players holding the black queens are partners, where the partners are secret until both cards are played, a player holding both black queens plays cut-throat against the three others; (B) the partners are the first two queens played; or (C) the partners are the first two played of any card agreed upon before the deal (7s, 8s, 9s, Ks, 10s, Js, Qs). In all these variations, the players with the agreed upon partner cards (black, red, or first two played) are considered the picker and partner for scoring purposes. In the latter variations, the timing of playing the agreed upon card is particularly important. For example, it may be worth it to waste the queen or play a card out of normal strategy to become partners with an individual who has already taken a good trick or two, or to avoid being stuck cut-throat or with a bad partner.

4) In this variation popular in southern Indiana (typically known by as "Sheephead"), jacks are higher than queens (still clubs-spades-hearts-diamonds), and hearts (rather than diamonds) are trump. Queens are worth 2 points and jacks are worth 3 points. The schneider (which is typically known as "frog") is 31 points, even for opponents. In the event of a tie (the hicker/partner and opponents both scoring 60 points), the opponents are victorious. All four players are dealt eight cards. Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, the player has the option to "hick" or pass. Once every player has been given the opportunity to hick, the players will announce what they wish to play in order starting with the first player to the left of the dealer. The options are to declare "call" ([[Sheepshead (game)#Partners|call a fail-suit ace for a partner]]), "The Best" (play normally against the other three), "side solo" (declare another suit rather than hearts to be trump, and then play against the other three), or "Billy" (plays against the three others but attempts not to take a trick). The suit of the called ace need not be declared until it is the winning hick.

The hick that is played depends on which hicks are made. The ranking of the hicks in ascending order is: ''call'', ''Billy'', ''side-solo'', ''the Best''. No cards of the same suit as the fail-suit ace are required in the player's hand when calling a fail-suit ace. Additionally, more than one Billy may be made and played simultaneously. In the event that both a Billy and a side-solo are called, the player who announced the Billy has the option to "lay it up", that is declare their intention to place their cards face up on the table and allow their opponents to see their hand. This allows the Billy to be ranked higher than the side-solo. A player who announces a side-solo may also decide to lay down their cards, once again out-ranking the Billy and allowing the side-solo to take precedence. A Billy may not be laid on the table without a side-solo being called, and a side-solo may not be laid on the table without another player offering to lay their Billy on the table. The Best always takes precedence, and the cards are never laid face up on the table. As such, the Best may be declared instead of hicking.

Scoring: Players play to 24 on the given system:

* Players who win a call (caller and partner) gain 2, 4, or 6 points (normal victory, no-schneider, and no-trick). If the calling team does not win the call, the opponents gain 4 points.
* The caller winning a Billy or side-solo gains 18 points, and opponents would gain 6 points if they win—and both are regardless of whether the opponents take a trick or get schneider. A laid-down Billy or side-solo wins the game outright, while opponents who win gain 8 points. 
**If multiple Billys are played at once that result in the hicker taking a trick, no points are awarded to any other players who are playing separate Billys, but opponents may win 6/8 points for as many Billys are tried and failed. If multiple players successfully make a Billy, they are each awarded 18 points.
* Winning The Best wins the game outright. Opponents who win gain 8 points.

An optional rule that some players employ is that, in the event that all players pass, "wilky" is played. In wilky, play begins with the player left of the dealer as normal with the goal to get as few points as possible. The player (or players if there is a tie) who scores the fewest points is awarded 2 points.

This variant may also be played with five players, in which case the dealer each round does not play or earn points.

===Five-handed===
Six cards are dealt to each player, with two to the blind. A partner may be chosen by either the ace or jack rules. The partner is the player with the called ace.

===Six-handed===
1) Five cards are dealt to each player, with two cards in the blind. The partner is automatically the jack of diamonds, and the game is played two against four. If the picker gets the jack of diamonds in the blind, he/she may call the next higher jack, not in his/her hand.

2) Five cards are dealt to each player, with two cards in the blind. The partner is automatically the jack of diamonds ''and ''the ace of the called suit, with the game played three against three. If the picker gets the jack of diamonds in the blind or the jack of diamonds has the ace of the called suit, it is played two against four.

3) Discard the sevens of clubs and spades.  Five cards are dealt to each player, with no blind.  Queen of clubs and queen of spades are partners, it is played two against four.

4) Discard the sevens of clubs and spades.  Five cards are dealt to each player, with no blind. Seven of Diamonds is the highest trump.  Queen of clubs, queen of spades, and jack of diamonds are partners. A player having both black queens or a black queen and jack of diamonds has the option to pass one of the cards to the player to the left for one of their cards. Passing must be done before the lead player plays out. Double on the bump is applied to this variation.

===Seven-handed===
1) Four cards are dealt to each player, with four to the blind. The picker takes all four cards from the blind, and buries four. The partner is automatically the jack of diamonds. If the picker has the jack, he/she may call up to the next highest jack, not in his/her hand.

2) Four cards are dealt to each player, with four to the blind. The picker takes two cards from the blind, and the player immediately behind him takes the other two blind cards; they bury together and then play as partners against the other five. Also known as Shit-On-Your-Neighbor sheepshead.

3) Four cards are dealt to each player, with four to the blind. The picker takes three cards from the blind, and the player immediately behind him take the other card. The partner is automatically the jack of diamonds. The player behind the picker is not automatically the partner, so his bury may count towards the picker's opponents.

4) Four cards are dealt to each player, with four to the blind. A die is rolled, and the partner is whatever number is on the die with 1 representing the player to the pickers left, and counting clockwise with six being the person to the picker's right. Each takes and buries two cards.

5) Four cards are dealt to each player, with four to the blind. The picker takes 0, 1, or 2 cards, the person behind him/her is partner and takes 2, 1, or 0 card respectively. The two remaining cards are not revealed and are automatically buried for the other team. The Dealer may go "nuclear" giving all 4 of his cards to the other team's bury and taking the entire blind, the person behind him/her is still a partner.

6) Four cards are dealt to each player, with four to the blind. The picker takes 2 or all 4 cards in the blinds. If the picker takes 2 he rolls a die to determine his partner, who will take the other 2. The number rolled correlates to the partner by counting players clockwise of the picker. If the picker takes all 4 cards from the blinds, they play alone. For the picker to take all four cards in the blind, they must do so by taking them all at once. Players are not allowed to look at 2 and then decide if they want the remaining 2 cards in the blinds.

===Eight-handed===
1) Four cards are dealt to each player. The two black queens are partners.

2) Four cards are dealt to each player. The queen of clubs, jack of diamonds, and 7 of diamonds are partners. If one partner has two of these cards, they can call the 8 of diamonds (if they have the 7 and the queen or jack) or jack of hearts (if they have the queen and the jack). If the other partner already has the 8 of diamonds or jack of hearts they can call again. It should always be 3 on 5 unless the partner chooses not to call another partner.

3) Four cards dealt to each player. First two queens played are partners.