Is 25 only played by Fenians?

[maddog]

They are mad for 25 in the local, seems to be a west of ireland thing, or maybe thats because most of the exiles are west of ireland anyway. Havent a clue how to play it, tried learning but the bastards would ate ye for making a mistake. Noticed when they are playing in pairs the amount of ear pulling, eye and nose twitching that goes on.
They have 2 big all day tournaments per year, one of them is a grand to the winner, last year it went onto about 0500 with school the next day. Ouch

[the Deel Rover]

My grandmother reared us playing 25 - great game, but I completely forget how to play it now.

Ah its a great game especially if your playing partners with a few auld fellas , a man could be killed for letting a trick out, Its highest in Red and Lowest in Black puck everyone is dealt 5 cards  3 first and then 2 or vice versa and a card is then tuned over, the best card you can get is the 5 of trumps followed by jack, ace of hearts, king and queen and so on. You get 5 for every trick you win so the objest is to win 5 tricks, gets interesting trying to keep the count especially if you have a few pints on board sorry for the poor explanation of the game but the next time your in mayo i'll show you properely money of course

[Puckoon]

But isnt the black king a bad card, whereas the black 2 is better. In red it is in reverse?

[gerry]

play it each christmas at an anniversary mass with a load of old boys who take their cards very serious.  we play pairs which makes the game harder again, you have to try to win the game but without killing you partner.

they also play it in my local some nights, the craic deadly when the the pints are flowing

[gawa316]

Is that the game where the 5 of trumph is the best card, followed by the naive and then the ace of hearts?

That's it.

Well then it's not only 'fenians' who play it. But it was a fenian who taught me!

[AZOffaly]

In it's most basic format (25) the cards are ranked

5 of trumps
Jack (knave) of trumps
Ace of Hearts
Ace of Trumps.
King of Trumps
Queen of Trumps

Then if suit is black the lower non-picture card wins, e.g. the 5 of clubs beats the 7 of clubs.
if the suit is red, the higher card wins. e.g. the 7 of hearts beats the 5 of hearts.

Best trump wins a trick.
If no trumps played by anyone, the best card in the suit first laid wins the trick.

A trick is worth 5 points.

Every player gets 5 cards in each deal. If you have the ace of trumps (trumps is determined by the turning of the next card in the pack after the cards are all dealt) you must rob the trump that was turned up, by laying your worst card face down and picking up the trump turned up by the dealer.

(if the turned card is your worst card, there is nothing stopping you taking it up, and laying it straight back down again face down).

If at the end of the hand there is no one with 25 points (5 tricks) the deal moves on to the left, and scores carry over to the next hand.

[Loughers]

gawa316, produce a deck after the next game in Windsor.

[Puckoon]

If the dealer turns up the ace of trumps, or the 5 of trumps, do they get to rob it? I seem to remember something about that. This is a great cobweb clearing exercise here.

Tess must be spinning in the grave.

[Loughers]

AZ, try explaining renaging!!

[Puckoon]

I believe that is holding back on a trump card so you can keep it to win a big trick. For example if I had the 5 and it was my only trump, and I didnt play it in turn, but held it back in order to beat someones nave, or ace of hearts.?

[AZOffaly]

I was just going to say that Loughers Suffice to say, if you do renege, you will only do it one

Puckoon, if the dealer turns up an Ace as the 'trump' card, he/she must, by law, recite the rhyme, 'Ace to your face is a bloody disgrace', while smugly tucking the ace into their hand and laying down the ace of diamonds or ten of clubs. (Worst card in the pack unless diamonds are trumps).

If the ace turned up is the Ace of Hearts, a small victory jig is also expected.

[gerry]

yea. if you deal a ace its yours, you select your weakness card and put it under the pack,  then everyone knows you have a ace and  are waiting on you to play it and win the hand.

[AZOffaly]

I believe that is holding back on a trump card so you can keep it to win a big trick. For example if I had the 5 and it was my only trump, and I didnt play it in turn, but held it back in order to beat someones nave, or ace of hearts.?

It's even more complicated than that.

The way it is played in Offaly and Kerry is this.

If a trump is played, you MUST lay a trump on it, even if your trump will be beaten. If you do not have a trump, you may lay your worst card on it.
There are, however, exceptions to the rule. You *can* renege the 5 of trumps off any card. You can renege the Jack off any card, except the five. You can renege the Ace of Hearts off anything except the 5 and Jack,

Also......

If a NON_trump is laid, you must either
a) Lay a card from the same suit if you have it OR
b) Lay a trump card if you prefer (to try and win the hand) OR
c) Lay any other card if you have no suited card, and don't want to waste/don't have a trump.

[T O Hare]

still poplular but has been taken over slighty by poker.. great game.. i used to make a fortune at school at it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the post mortem after a hand is always fun!!!!

[AZOffaly]

Spot on Tom.

Jaysus if you had let me go with the 10, we'd have kept him in.

But sure why would I do that, I was rising 20?

Sure look now, your man is 20 for out