Corellian Rules Pitch Rules
- The game begins with the standard Pitch rules. (10 points, partners with the person across from you, minimum bid of 4, no dirty Pitch) and continues until the randomizer declares a stop and a rule change. The only exception is the scoring. Each player keeps a score for themselves, not with a partner. A misdeal occurs if any player is dealt a hand with no cards higher than ten (ie. No aces, kings, queens, jacks, or jokers). In the event of a misdeal, the hand is re-dealt. The game ends at a predetermined time or at the time the radomizer choses. In the event the randomizer ends the game the person with the highest score is declared the winner.
- The randomizer will, at random time intervals, change the version of Pitch that is being played. This can happen at any time. Changes in the rules takes place IMMEDIATELY, not at the end of a hand or trick. The exception to this rule is the case of delay of game (see rule 7), or in the case of a partner change to call your partner. In the later case, partners change with the called card at the beginning of the next trick.
- The randomizer will occasionally change the partner orientation. The partner it declares refers to the bidder’s new partner. The other team is made up of the remaining two players. If, in the middle of a hand, partners change to “call your partner,” the bidder calls the card he/she would like played and the person having that card is then their partner. If no one has that card, or if the bidder has the card, the bidder is partner with himself until the end of the hand, or the next rule change. The following hand will be played as normal “call your partner” hands.
- In the event of a change in points available, the bid remains the same if the number of possible points goes up and the bid is “scaled” if the number of possible points goes down. If the scaling results in a value that is not a whole number, the bid is rounded up to the nearest whole number.
- During play, each player keeps the tricks that he/she takes. In the event of a partner change, the points are transferred to the new partner with the player. The bidder gains rights to the points at the end of the hand. If the bid is made, points are given to the bidder and his/her partner at the end of the hand. If the bid is not made, a number of points equivalent to the bid are subtracted from the scores of the bidder and his/her partner at the end of the hand.
- The term “dirty” refers to the two in the suit called. When playing “dirty” Pitch, the two must be “carried.” It is not automatically given to the person who holds it. The same is true of the “off” two in versions where the “off” two is used. The term “reverse hierarchy” refers to the ranking of the cards. When playing “reverse hierarchy” pitch, the ranking of cards is exactly opposite that of normal pitch. When playing “dirty reverse hierarchy” pitch, the ace (the lowest card) must be carried, otherwise it is kept by the player who plays it. When playing “reverse hierarchy” pitch, the “off” cards still rank BELOW the “on” cards.
- Delay of Game may be called if a player takes an unreasonable amount of time to play his card. (more than 15 seconds – approximately). If Delay of Game is called, the three players not accused must vote unanimously that Delay of Game has been committed. If a player is found guilty of Delay of Game, that person will lose 10 points on their score. In the event of a rule change after a Delay of Game has been called, the new rules do not go into effect until the end of the hand.
- There is no “shoot the moon” in Corellian Pitch. One may bid as high as the total number of points available. However, if that bid is not reached (they are set) they lose twice the number of points that they bid.
- All cards are used in every version of Pitch (including Jokers). The Jokers will rank below the Jacks and above the Tens with the first Joker on the table as the higher card. In the event they are not counted as points, they maintain their rank as the Kings and Queens do.