Big Fish Little Fish

A trick-taking game for traditional playing cards. Features 'boasting' - a push-your-luck mechanic.

Each round, an auction is held for the right to be 'big fish', who will have a better hand and should win more tricks than any little fish. Unlike other card games, you bid points of your score - being a big fish carries a greater element of risk, since you need to regain at least the points you just lost in the auction.

A game lasts around 4-6 rounds, decided in advance. For 2 players, 4 rounds are recommended.

summary of a round:

• DEAL 6 cards to each player. Deal out a face-up 'dummy hand' of 6 cards.

• Have an AUCTION for the right to be big fish. The winning bid is deducted from the big fish's score.

• BIG FISH declares the trump suit, then exchanges any number of cards from their hand with cards from the extra hand.

• Each player BOASTS how many tricks they will win.

• Starting with Big Fish, PLAY out the 6 tricks. There is no need to follow suit and the first-played suit has no special significance.

• Players who took fewer tricks than their boast win nothing. Players who win at least as many as their boast SCORE points equal to their boast squared.