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How to Play Forty-Five

Ireland's national card game, where the 5 of trumps, the Jack of trumps, and the Ace of Hearts are always the three supreme cards. Sides race to 45 points through quick five-card hands.

Players
2–10
Difficulty
Medium
Length
Medium
Deck
52
Read the rules

How to Play Forty-Five

Ireland's national card game, where the 5 of trumps, the Jack of trumps, and the Ace of Hearts are always the three supreme cards. Sides race to 45 points through quick five-card hands.

2 players 3-4 players 5+ players ​​Medium ​​Medium

How to Play

Ireland's national card game, where the 5 of trumps, the Jack of trumps, and the Ace of Hearts are always the three supreme cards. Sides race to 45 points through quick five-card hands.

Forty-Five is the national card game of Ireland, a trick-taking partnership game with one of the most unusual card rankings in the card-game world. The 5 of trumps is the supreme card, the Jack of trumps ranks second, and the Ace of Hearts is always the third-highest trump no matter what suit is trump. Six tricks are played each deal and the first side to reach 45 points wins. A single extra bonus trick awarded to the highest trump played each deal creates a cat-and-mouse tension around when to commit your best cards.

Download rules (PDF)

Quick Reference

Goal
Reach 45 points by winning tricks worth 5 each, plus a 5-point bonus for the highest trump of the deal.
Setup
  1. 2-10 players, often in partnerships of 2 or 3. Standard 52-card deck.
  2. Deal 5 cards each in a 3+2 pattern.
  3. Turn the next card face-up to name the trump suit.
  4. Holder of the Ace of trumps may rob the upcard before play.
On Your Turn
  1. Eldest hand leads first; trick winner leads the next trick.
  2. Follow suit if possible, but top trumps (5, J, A♥) may renege on lower trump leads.
  3. Black non-trump suits invert: 2 high, 10 low.
  4. Highest card by rank wins; trumps beat any non-trump.
Scoring
  • Each trick = 5 points; highest trump of the deal = 5-point bonus.
  • First side to 45 points wins the match.
  • Optional Jink: announce and win all 5 tricks for double score.
Tip: The 5 of trumps is unbeatable and usually earns the Game bonus. Save it for a decisive trick.

Players

Forty-Five is for 2 to 10 players. It is most commonly played by four in two partnerships of two (partners sit opposite), by six in two partnerships of three, or by five individuals playing for themselves. Two-player head-to-head is also popular.

Card Deck

Use a standard 52-card French-suited deck. No Jokers. Card values only matter after the trump is named: the trump suit, the Ace of Hearts, and the two non-trump colours each have their own ranking (see Gameplay). Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, and pip cards are otherwise identical.

Objective

Win tricks to score 5 points each, plus a 5-point bonus for the highest trump played in the deal. The first side to accumulate 45 points across multiple deals wins the game. Partnerships share a single running score.

Setup and Deal

  1. Choose a dealer by any method (often the player cutting the highest card).
  2. The dealer shuffles and the player to the dealer's right cuts. Deal clockwise starting with the player on the dealer's left.
  3. Deal 5 cards to each player in two rounds: 3 cards to each player first, then 2 cards each (or 2 then 3). Use the same pattern every deal.
  4. Turn the next card face-up on top of the remaining stock. Its suit is trump for this deal.
  5. Robbing the pack: If the upcard is the Ace of trumps, the dealer may exchange any card in hand for it before play begins. If any other player holds the Ace of trumps, they may exchange a card for the upcard before their first play.
  6. After any robbing, the upcard stays on top of the undealt stock, which is set aside until the next deal.

Gameplay

  1. The eldest hand (the player to the dealer's left) leads the first trick. Each later trick is led by whoever won the previous one.
  2. Play proceeds clockwise, one card per player per trick. Six tricks are played in total each deal.
  3. Following suit: If a non-trump suit is led, you must follow that suit if you can. If trumps are led, you must play a trump if possible, with one important exception below.
  4. Reneging privilege: The three top trumps; the 5 of trumps, the Jack of trumps, and the Ace of Hearts; may legally refuse to follow when a lower trump is led. A higher top trump can still refuse a lower one (for example, the 5 of trumps can always hold back unless forced by an equal or higher trump, of which there are none).
  5. Trump ranking (top to bottom): 5 of trumps, Jack of trumps, Ace of Hearts, Ace of trumps (unless trump is Hearts), then the remaining trumps by colour rules below.
  6. Red trump order (Hearts or Diamonds): K, Q, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2 (high to low below the three top trumps and the Ace).
  7. Black trump order (Clubs or Spades): K, Q, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (high to low below the three top trumps and the Ace).
  8. Non-trump red suits: K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (Ace of Hearts is always a trump; off-suit Aces of Diamonds rank below the Jack).
  9. Non-trump black suits: K, Q, J, A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. In non-trump black suits the Ace ranks below the Jack, and the 2 is the highest pip.
  10. The highest card played to a trick according to these rankings wins the trick. A trump beats any non-trump.

Scoring

  • Each trick won scores 5 points for the winning side. Six tricks totals 30 points.
  • A 5-point bonus is added for whoever played the highest trump during the deal (often the 5 of trumps if it appeared). This is sometimes called the Game or Jink bonus.
  • Running totals carry across deals. Game is the first side to 45 points or more.
  • Jink (optional): If a side announces it will take all five tricks before the deal and then does so, they score double. If they announce and fail, the opposing side scores the win.

Winning

Play as many deals as needed. The first partnership, team, or solo player to reach 45 points at the end of a deal wins. If both sides would cross 45 in the same deal, the side whose points were counted first wins (the non-dealer's side is usually counted first).

Common Variations

  • Auction Forty-Fives (120s): Before play, players bid for the right to name trumps. Play is to 120 points across multiple deals. Extremely popular in Irish pub leagues.
  • Spoil Five: If no player wins 3 of 5 tricks in a deal, the round is spoiled and redealt with a new trump.
  • 25 and 110: Shorter (25 points) or longer (110 points) target scores for quick games or marathon matches.
  • Joker variant: Some modern pub games add a Joker that ranks just below the Ace of Hearts as a fourth top trump.

Tips and Strategy

  • Never waste the 5 of trumps on a trick someone else can win cheaply. It is unbeatable and also earns the 5-point Game bonus when played as the highest trump.
  • The Ace of Hearts is a trump even when Hearts is not trump. Count on it as your third-best trump in any deal.
  • Reneging is your ace in the hole: if you hold a top trump and a lower trump is led, you can legally keep the top trump for a better moment.
  • When a non-trump is led you do not have to follow suit, so use that freedom to throw away weak cards.
  • Pay attention to the black-suit pip inversion: the 2 of Clubs beats the 10 of Clubs when Clubs is trump, which catches new players out.
  • In partnership play, lead your partner's known strong suit when you have no top trump to deploy yourself.

Glossary

  • Trick: One card played by each active player in clockwise order. The highest card (by ranking) wins the trick.
  • Trump: The suit that beats all other suits for the current deal, determined by the upcard.
  • Top trumps: The 5 of trumps, Jack of trumps, and Ace of Hearts; unbeatable except by each other.
  • Following suit: Playing a card of the same suit as the card that was led.
  • Reneging: The privilege of the top three trumps to refuse to follow when a lower trump is led.
  • Robbing the pack: Exchanging a card in hand for the trump Ace when it is the upcard.
  • Jink: An announcement to win all five tricks in a deal for a doubled score.
  • Eldest hand: The player to the dealer's left; leads the first trick.

Tips & Strategy

Master the three top trumps and the black-suit pip inversion. The 5 of trumps is unbeatable and almost always earns the Game bonus, so do not waste it on a low trick.

Count trumps played and remember who has reneged. The reneging rule means a missing top trump is not gone: it is being held for a better opportunity, often the trick that decides the deal.

Trivia & Fun Facts

Rural Irish parishes hold '45 drives' in pubs and halls, where dozens of tables rotate partners throughout the night. The game is also a fixture in Newfoundland and parts of eastern Canada where Irish immigrants settled.

  1. 01Which three cards are always the top three trumps in Forty-Five, regardless of which suit is named trump?
    Answer The 5 of trumps (highest), the Jack of trumps, and the Ace of Hearts.

History & Culture

Forty-Five has been popular in Ireland since at least the 18th century and is considered the national card game. Its odd ranking system and the Ace of Hearts trump rule descended from older Irish games in the Maw family that once entertained Tudor courts.

Forty-Five is a cornerstone of Irish social culture. It is taught from childhood in many rural households and is the basis of parish league nights across Ireland, Newfoundland, and the Irish diaspora.

Variations & House Rules

Auction Forty-Fives (120s) adds a bidding phase and plays to 120. Spoil Five voids a hand if no one wins three tricks. 25 and 110 adjust the target score for shorter or longer games. A Joker is sometimes added as a fourth top trump.

Set the target score at 25 for a pub-speed game or at 120 for a tournament-style marathon. In casual play you can drop the Jink rule and the Ace-robbing rule to flatten the learning curve.