Objective
Win the bid and make it, or keep the other team from making theirs. Partners sit across from each other and score together. Bids run from one trick up to six, and above that to two all-or-nothing bids called little pepper and big pepper.
Pepper is played mostly around the Great Lakes, with Iowa as its heartland, and rules shift from town to town. What follows is the most widely described version.
Setup
Strip a standard deck down to the 9, 10, J, Q, K and A of each suit: 24 cards. Partners sit opposite each other. Deal all the cards, so each player has six. The deal passes to the left after each hand.
When a suit is trumps, its jack (the right bower) is the highest card, and the other jack of the same color (the left bower) is second. The left bower belongs to the trump suit for the whole hand, not to the suit printed on it.
| Order | Trump suit |
|---|---|
| 1 (highest) | Right bower: the jack of trumps |
| 2 | Left bower: the other jack of the same color |
| 3 | Ace |
| 4 | King |
| 5 | Queen |
| 6 | 10 |
| 7 (lowest) | 9 |
The other suits rank ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9. The suit that loses its jack to the left bower simply has five cards that hand. In a no-trump hand there are no bowers, and every suit ranks ace down to 9.
How to play
Starting left of the dealer, each player gets one bid. Every bid must top the last one, or you pass. The bids are one through six tricks, then little pepper, then big pepper. Both peppers are bids to take all six tricks; big pepper means doing it with no help from your partner. If all four players pass, the cards are thrown in and dealt again.
The high bidder names trumps or calls no trump. Then, for any bid except big pepper, the bidder chooses how to play. With an exchange, the bidder discards one card face down, the partner discards one card face down without consulting, and the bidder takes the partner’s card. The partner then sits out, and the bidder plays alone against both opponents. Or the bidder can play with partner: no exchange, and all four play. For big pepper there is no exchange, and the bidder plays alone with the six cards dealt.
Before play starts, the opponents decide together whether to play or surrender. Then the bidder leads any card. Follow suit if you can, remembering that the left bower is a trump. If you cannot, play any card. The highest trump wins, or the highest card of the suit led, and the winner leads next.
- 1Bid once: one to six, little pepper or big pepper
- 2High bidder names trumps or no trump
- 3Swap one card with partner and play alone, or play with partner
- 4Opponents choose to play or surrender
- 5Bidder leads; follow suit if you can
Scoring
Score after every hand. The bidding team scores the amount of their bid if they take at least that many tricks, or if the opponents surrender. If they fall short, they lose the amount of their bid.
Opponents who play score one point for every trick they take. If they play and take no tricks at all, they lose the amount of the bid. If they surrender, they score nothing.
| Bid | Bidders make it (or opponents surrender) | Bidders fall short |
|---|---|---|
| One to six | Plus the bid | Minus the bid |
| Little pepper | Plus 7 | Minus 7 |
| Big pepper | Plus 14 | Minus 14 |
Against little pepper, opponents who play win 7 if they take even one trick and lose 7 if they are swept. Against big pepper the figure is 14. The first team to reach 42 wins. If both teams reach 42 on the same hand, play another hand.
Variations
Minimum bid: some tables require an opening bid of at least three or four, and if the first three players pass, the dealer must bid the minimum.
Score what you get: a team that makes its bid scores every trick it took, not only the number it bid.
Dirty clubs: when clubs are trumps, the opponents may not surrender and must play the hand out.
Simple scoring: some rule books use bids of one to five, little pepper for all six tricks and big pepper at double stakes, with one point per trick taken, a 6-point loss for a missed bid (12 for big pepper) and a game of 30.
Tips from the table
Count your bowers. Both bowers plus the ace of trumps are three tricks you can count on.
The exchange is a real edge. Your partner will usually send their best card, often a bower or an ace, so you can bid a little higher than your six cards alone would justify.
As a defender, play when you can see a trick between you. Surrendering scores nothing, and playing only costs you when you are swept.
Video Guides Are on the Way
We’re filming Game Guides that walk through full hands at the table, from the deal to the score.
Frequently asked
How is Pepper different from Euchre?
Euchre deals five-card hands, makers need three of five tricks, and trump is chosen by ordering up or naming a suit. Pepper deals the whole 24-card deck, six to a player, holds a full auction from one trick to six, lets the bidder swap a card with partner, and scores the bid itself.
What is the difference between little pepper and big pepper?
Both are bids to take all six tricks. Little pepper lets you swap a card with your partner first. Big pepper means playing alone with only the cards you were dealt, for double the score.
What happens if nobody bids?
The cards are thrown in and dealt again. Some tables instead make the dealer bid.
Does the bidder have to lead a trump?
No. The bidder may lead any card.
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