What Is the Card Game 25?
Twenty-Five, usually written 25, is a trick-taking card game that is often described as Ireland’s national card game. It is also known by the older name “spoil five.” It is a trump game played without partnerships, so every player is out for themselves. It is related to older European trump games and is considered a relative of the Canadian game Forty-Fives.
The idea is simple: win at least three of the five tricks in each hand, or stop anyone else from doing so. What makes 25 unusual is the card ranking, which does not follow the normal order. Once you learn the ranking, the rest of the game is easy.
The name comes from the target score. In the points version of the game, each trick is worth 5 points and the first player to reach 25 wins.
What You Need
- Players: Usually 2 to 6, though 4 to 6 is typical. Everyone plays individually.
- Deck: A standard 52-card deck, no jokers.
- Scoring: Either pencil and paper (points to 25) or chips or coins for a pool. Different groups use different scoring, so agree on it first.
Card Ranking
This is the part to learn first. In a plain suit, cards rank as follows:
- Hearts and diamonds (red suits): King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace. The Ace is lowest, and a higher number beats a lower one.
- Spades and clubs (black suits): King, Queen, Jack, Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Here the Ace is below the Jack, and the numbers run in reverse, so the 10 is the weakest and the 2 is the strongest of the numbered cards.
A common memory rule is that in red suits the high number is strong, and in black suits the low number is strong.
The trump ranking
When a suit is trump, the order changes. The top trump cards are:
- 5 of trumps (“five fingers”), the best card in the game
- Jack of trumps (“the knave”)
- Ace of hearts, which sits third even if hearts are not trump
- Ace of trumps, if trumps are not hearts
- The rest of the trump suit in its usual order for that color: King, Queen, then the remaining cards
So if clubs are trump, the order from high to low is 5 of clubs, Jack of clubs, Ace of hearts, Ace of clubs, King of clubs, Queen of clubs, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 of clubs. If hearts are trump, the Ace of hearts is the third card and there is no separate “ace of trumps.”
Some sites print the full order for each suit as a table. It is a good idea to keep one at the table until you have played a few hands.
Setup and Dealing
- Pick a dealer by drawing cards or any method your group likes. The deal rotates to the left after each hand.
- If you are playing for a pool, each player puts in an agreed stake first.
- The dealer gives each player five cards, usually in a group of three and a group of two.
- The next card from the deck is turned face up. Its suit is the trump suit for that hand. The rest of the deck sits to the side.
Robbing the Trump
If the turned-up card is an Ace, the dealer may take it into their hand and discard one card. This is sometimes called “robbing.”
A player who holds the Ace of the trump suit may also swap a card from their hand for the turned-up card before play begins. Different groups have slightly different rules about the timing and who may rob first, so confirm the house rules. The usual idea is that holding the Ace of trump gives you a chance to improve your hand.
Playing the Tricks
- In many groups the player to the dealer’s left leads the first trick. Other groups have the dealer lead. Either is fine as long as everyone agrees.
- Each player plays one card in turn. The usual requirement is to follow suit.
- The exceptions are explained below: you may always play a trump card, even when you could follow the suit that was led.
- The highest trump wins the trick. If no trump was played, the highest card of the suit that was led wins.
- The winner of a trick leads the next one.
Reneging (not following suit)
In 25 you are not forced to follow suit if you hold a trump card. You may play a trump instead. You cannot play a non-trump card of a different suit if you are able to follow the led suit.
There is also an unusual rule about the top trumps. When a lower trump is led, a player holding the 5, the Jack or the Ace of hearts is generally allowed to hold them back (to “renege”) rather than being forced to play them. The details vary, so settle on the version your group uses.
Scoring
There are two common ways to score.
Points to 25
- Win a trick: 5 points.
- Win three tricks: 15 points.
- Win all five tricks: usually 25 points and the game.
The first player to reach 25 wins. Some groups use a shortcut where winning three tricks gives 5 points for the hand and winning all five gives 10, with the winner being the first to 25. Because this version differs by group, check how your table keeps score.
Pool play
In the traditional version, each player puts a stake in a pool at the start of each hand. A player who wins at least three tricks takes the pool. A player who wins all five tricks can also collect an additional stake from each opponent. If nobody wins three tricks, the pool is carried over and increased for the next hand. This is where the name “spoil five” comes from, since the aim is to win the pool or to spoil another player’s chances.
A related feature is the “jink.” A player who has won the first three tricks can lead to the fourth trick, saying they will try to win all five. If they fail to win all five, they lose the stake they would have earned. Treat this as an optional rule, since not every group uses it.
Basic Strategy
- Count the trump cards. There are only 13 trumps in a suit plus the Ace of hearts, and the top three (the 5, the Jack and the Ace of hearts) are very strong. Knowing which are out helps you decide whether a lower trump can win.
- Lead strong trump early if you hold several. This pulls out the opponents’ trump before they can use it against your plain-suit cards.
- Do not be greedy. Securing three tricks is usually the first goal, because that is enough to win the pool or the points for the hand.
- If an opponent leads a high trump, consider whether you want to spend a good trump to beat it or save it.
- Remember that low trump can beat the highest card of another suit. A 2 of trumps beats a King of a non-trump suit.
- Keep an eye on the score. When an opponent is close to 25, you may need to deny them the extra trick rather than chase your own.
Common Beginner Questions
What are the basic rules?
Each player gets five cards. The top card of the pile is turned up to name trump. Players take turns playing cards to win tricks. The player with the most tricks scores, and the first to 25 points (or the one who wins the pool, depending on how you play) wins.
What is the difference between 25 and “25 words or less”?
Despite the similar name, the party game “25 words or less” is a different type of game with a word-guessing format, not a card game.
How many cards are used?
All 52 cards are used and five are dealt to each player. The remaining cards form a draw pile from which the turned-up trump card is taken.
Is 25 the same as Forty-Fives?
The two are related, and Forty-Fives is generally described as a descendant of 25, but the scoring and some rules are different.
Tips for Learning
- Print or write out the trump ranking for one suit and keep it by the table.
- Play a few hands face up so everyone can see how the 5 and Jack beat the Ace.
- Start with a simple points-to-25 game instead of pool play.
- If you enjoy learning a game with an unusual ranking, you may also like Euchre, which has its own special trump order with bowers.