Card Game in "Of Mice and Men": George & Lennie Play "Pitch"

In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie play Pitch (also called Setback or High-Low-Jack).

📖 Textual Evidence

"George cut the cards again and put them down. He dealt four cards to each of them... 'Pitch,' he said."

They play multiple hands while camping by the Salinas River (Chapter 1) and later in the bunkhouse. It's their ritual—passing time, bonding, dreaming of the farm.

♠️ What Is Pitch?

• Trick-taking game for 2–4 players (partnerships or cutthroat)
• Deck: Standard 52-card. 6 cards dealt each (in 3s)
• Bidding: Players bid 2, 3, 4, or "Smudge" (5) — points they'll try to win
• Key Points (per hand): High (Ace of trump), Low (2 of trump — *held* by winner), Jack (of trump), Game (10s + face cards captured)
• Trump: Suit named by highest bidder. "Pitch" = lead first card = establishes trump
• Scoring: First to 11/21/31 points wins

🎭 Why Pitch Fits the Novel

• Simple enough for Lennie to follow (George guides him)
• Portable: Just a deck. Played on a riverbank, in a bunkhouse
• Gambling-adjacent: Often played for small stakes (candy, cigarettes, money) — fits migrant worker culture
• American Frontier Staple: Popular in West/Midwest 1930s. Known as "Camp Pitch"

Steinbeck uses it to show their intimacy: George *teaches*, Lennie *trusts*, they *dream* between tricks. The game is a microcosm of their relationship.