Pepper
American partnership trick-taking game related to Euchre. Bid for tricks using a 24-card deck with bowers, or call Pepper to take all six for 14 points.
How to play
4 players play in two fixed partnerships (0 & 2 vs 1 & 3) using a 24-card deck (9, 10, J, Q, K, A).
Each player is dealt 6 cards.
Players bid in rotation from 1 to 5 tricks, or call Pepper (bid of 6).
The highest bidder names the trump suit; Jack of trump is Right Bower, Jack of same color is Left Bower.
Making your bid scores your tricks (Pepper scores 14 points); falling short loses the bid amount.
Defenders score 1 point for each trick they capture.
First team to reach the target score (default 30) wins.
About Pepper
Pepper is a fast-paced partnership trick-taking game related to Euchre and Bid Whist, played with a 24-card deck (9 through Ace). Players bid the number of tricks (1 to 5) their team will take, or call Pepper (a daring 6-trick slam bid worth 14 points). The Jack of the trump suit is the Right Bower (highest card) and the Jack of the same color suit is the Left Bower (second-highest card). If the bidding team makes their contract, they score their bid; if they fail, they are set and lose the bid value. First partnership to reach 30 points wins.
Pepper at a glance
| Players | 4 players |
|---|---|
| Type | Table game: play online with friends, or with bots in any seat |
| Family | Trick-taking |
| Bot levels | Easy, medium and hard |
| Options | Target Score: 30 or 42 |
| Turn timer (online) | 30 seconds |
| Cost | Free, no download |
Tips for Pepper
- Only bid Pepper when you hold both Bowers, the trump Ace, and reliable side winners, as being set on Pepper loses 14 points.
- Lead trumps immediately after winning the bid to exhaust opponents' defenders and protect your partner's side-suit cards.
- Pay close attention to whether the Left Bower has been played; forgetting which Jack is trump leads to costly trick losses.
Questions about Pepper
How many people can play Pepper?
Pepper is played by exactly 4 players. Real players and bots can share a table, so a game can always start even if you do not have enough people.
Can I play Pepper against the computer?
Yes. Pick easy, medium or hard bots and start straight away. Bots only use what a player in their seat could see, so they cannot peek at your cards.
Can I play Pepper online with friends?
Yes. Create a private room and share its code, or join a quick match. If someone drops out mid-game, a bot takes over their seat.
Games like Pepper
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Partnership trick-taking with a 24-card deck, bowers and a turned-up trump.
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A popular partnership trick-taking game played with 48 cards (two 24-card Euchre decks). Bid 1 to 12 tricks, lead bowers, and first card played beats duplicates.
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