Complete Rules for the Card Game Pit

Pit (Classic Commodity Trading Game)

Players: 3–8 (best 4–7) | Deck: 74 cards (8 suits × 9 cards + Bull + Bear) | Goal: First to 500 points by cornering markets.

Setup

1. Choose suits equal to player count (3 players = 3 suits = 27 cards + Bull + Bear = 29 cards). Return rest to box.
2. Shuffle; deal 9 cards each.
3. Players sort hands; declare "Ready."

Gameplay (Simultaneous, Real-Time)

1. Trade: Any player shouts a number (1–4) = number of cards offered. Cards must be same suit (hidden). Trade face-down, simultaneous.
2. Complete a Set: Collect all 9 cards of one suit.
3. Call "Corner!": Slam hand on table; show set. Score = suit value (Flax 40, Corn 50, Barley 60, Rye 70, Oats 80, Wheat 100, etc.).
4. Bull/Bear: Wild cards. Bull = +1 suit card (helps corner). Bear = -20 pts if held at corner; can be traded as "any 1 card" but penalizes holder.

Scoring & Winning

• First to 500 wins (or set target).
• Bear penalty: -20 if caught with it; -20 if used in corner (some rules).

Variants

• Silent Pit: No speaking; trade by holding up fingers.
• Partnership Pit: 4 or 6 players in teams; combine scores.
• Deluxe Pit: Includes silver/gold cards for higher scores.

Key Skill: Fast pattern recognition, bluffing trade counts, tracking which suits are "live."