Variations of Setback


Created and not really Maintained by Umesh Shankar

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A large part of the appeal of Setback is its ability to be modified. Here you will find the most popular variations (many of which can be combined), which you can play or from which you can derive your own. If you come up with a good one, let us know.

The most basic variation is to use a number of cards greater than six. You shouldn't use fewer if you expect the game to be any fun. The exception is if you are playing in a moving car-and you're driving. This variation is often left to the dealer's discretion, as are the other variations. So the dealer might say something like "seven-card draw" as he deals, indicating the game will be played with seven cards per person and (assuming that there are enough cards) the draw variation will be used.

The following variations are described in this document:

Numbers of Players Other Than Four

Draw

Modified

Bids Other Than 2, 3, 4


Numbers of Players Other Than Four

In the Official Rules of Setback, the rules for four-player setback are given. But you might not always have four players, so here are general guidelines for playing with different numbers of players. These are only suggestions, based on what we found works best. Again, feel free to experiment. Generally, though, more than six players is not feasible.

Number of Players
Number of Cards to Use
Modifications to Gameplay
2
8-10
Generally, you want to play draw with two players to increase the excitement. Otherwise this game can get old fast.
3
8
Having more cards makes it easier for the bidder to make it.
There are no partners; it's each person separately. You want to bid more conservatively because you have more opponents. Draw makes this game pretty hard.
5
6
Individual play is too difficult so you have to set up a dynamic partnership. The way it works is as follows: whoever gets the bid is partners with the person two places to his right. Scoring is individual, but for each game, the partners get the same score (or setback) and the other three people likewise get the same score added to their individual totals.
6
6 (difficult)

8 (easier)
You can play with 2 teams of 3 people (rare) or 3 teams of 2 people (more common). Play is the same as with four players, and with 8 cards almost all of them are in play and someone generally has a biddable hand.

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Draw

This is a very popular variation, and one which greatly increases the entropy of the game. It also makes it more difficult for the bidder to make the bid. The way it works is this: the bidding is the same as in standard setback, but after the bidding is over, the person who won the bid announces the trump suit. All players then must discard all their cards not of the trump suit. The dealer then gives each player as many new cards as necessary to raise the total to the original number. In this manner, every player knows at least how many trump every other player has, and each player has the chance to get more trump. Players may not hold back non-trump cards, even if they are aces. Play then proceeds as normal. For example, if the bidder announces spades to be trump, and you hold only the 5 and 6 of spades out of your seven cards, you would keep those two, return the other five, and receive five more from the deck.

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Modified

Modified is a hybrid between Draw and standard setback. It involves a modification to the bidding. Instead of bidding only a number, as in standard and Draw, each player must bid a number and a style, e.g. "2 Draw" or "3 straight." Whichever bid wins determines the style of play. To resolve conflicts at the same number, Draw bids take precedence over straight/standard bids. So the lowest bid is "2 straight" and the next highest is "2 Draw" then "3 straight" etc. Play then proceeds as given by the style chosen.

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Bids Other Than 2, 3, 4

After playing several billion games, some setback players decided that bids other than 2, 3, and 4 were needed. Some, such as 5, are more widely accepted, while others, like 19, are not. The following table gives the requirements for each bid:

Number
Requirements
5
In addition to all four standard points, you must win all the tricks to make a bid of five.
18
This bid requires the four standard points, and the five and nine of trump. 4+5+9=18, get it?
19
There are two ways to make 19:
1) The standard four, and the six and nine of trump
2) The standard four, the five and nine of trump, and all the tricks
69
Credit for this most outlandish bid goes to Chris Hyson, scribe of the Bible According to Hyson. It has to do with his obsession with the number 69. To win a bid of 69, you must win high, low, ja ck, game, and all the sixes and all the nines. Go figure.

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