Objective
Each hand, the player who bids highest tries to win at least that many tricks, choosing trumps by their opening lead. If they make it, every other player pays them. If they fall short, they pay every other player. The pool sits on top of this: it grows until somebody bids Nap and wins all five tricks.
Setup
Agree the stakes first and give everyone the same supply of chips. To start the pool, every player puts in an equal number of chips. After that, each dealer adds the same amount again before dealing, so the pool grows by one dealer’s share every hand.
Choose a first dealer; the deal passes to the left. Deal five cards to each player, in a round of three and then a round of two (or two and then three). The rest of the deck is not used in that hand.
How to play
Starting to the dealer’s left, each player gets one chance to bid or pass. A bid is a number of tricks, from one to five, that you think you can win if you choose trumps. Each bid must be higher than the last. A bid of all five is called Nap. If everyone passes, the dealer must play for one trick.
The high bidder leads to the first trick, and the suit of that card becomes trumps. The opening lead must therefore be the trump you want. Everyone else must follow the suit led if they can. If you cannot, you may trump or throw away any card. The highest trump wins the trick, or the highest card of the suit led if nobody trumped. The winner leads to the next trick.
Extra tricks earn nothing, so many tables stop play as soon as the bid is made or beaten.
- 1Bid once, from one to five tricks, or pass
- 2High bidder leads; that card’s suit is trumps
- 3Follow suit if you can; otherwise trump or throw off
- 4Settle up, and pay the pool if a Nap was made or missed
Scoring
Every hand is settled in chips. The bidder deals with each other player one at a time, so a successful bid of three against four opponents collects twelve chips.
| Bid | Bidder wins (from each player) | Bidder loses (to each player) |
|---|---|---|
| One to four tricks | 1 chip per trick bid | 1 chip per trick bid |
| Nap (all five) | 10 chips, plus the whole pool | 5 chips, and must double the pool |
The first player to bid and make Nap takes the pool, then a new pool is started. A player who bids Nap and fails pays the normal Nap loss and, at most tables, also pays into the pool an amount equal to what is already there. Small penalties, such as playing out of turn or failing to follow suit when you could, are also paid into the pool.
Variations
Wellington and Blücher: some tables allow a bid of Wellington over a Nap (five tricks at double stakes) and Blücher over a Wellington (five tricks at higher stakes still). Either one also wins the pool.
Misère: a bid to lose every trick, played without trumps. It ranks between three and four and pays like a bid of three.
Softer pool: some older English rules do not make a failed Nap double the pool. The loser just pays the usual five chips to each player and the pool carries on.
Peep Nap and Purchase Nap add other pool rules. In Peep Nap, players pay a chip into the pool for a look at a spare card; in Purchase Nap, they pay to swap cards before bidding.
Tips from the table
Watch the size of the pool. When it is small, a Nap is worth the usual ten chips a player. When it is large, a risky Nap can be worth taking, but remember a miss doubles what is already in there.
Lead your strongest suit. Your first card both names trumps and starts pulling them out of other hands. Lead the ace or king of trumps if you have it.
When defending, work together. If you cannot beat the bidder on a trick, throw a low card and keep anything that might win a later one.
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 Pool Nap different from Napoleon?
The bidding and play are identical. Pool Nap adds a shared pool, fed by every dealer, that goes to the first player to make a Nap.
What happens to the pool if nobody makes Nap?
It stays on the table and keeps growing, hand after hand, until someone does.
Who names trumps?
Nobody names them out loud. The high bidder’s opening lead sets the trump suit.
What if nobody bids?
The dealer must play for one trick, paying or collecting one chip from each player.
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