HOW TO DEAL Start with a fifty-two-card deck, and deal nine cards to each player, in batches of three. Card ranking is standard, with aces always high.Pedro evolved from the older Italian game of Briscola. While you could argue that Pedro is merely a simplified version of Briscola, that’s not giving Pedro its due. The game is fast-paced, competitive without being ruthless, and makes an excellent introduction into partnership trick-taking games.
HOW TO DEAL Start with a fifty-two-card deck, and deal nine cards to each player, in batches of three. Card ranking is standard, with aces always high.
The 5 of trump is called pedro; the low pedro is the 5 of the suit of matching color (e.g., when clubs are trump, 5 of clubs is pedro, 5 of spades is low pedro). The low pedro acts as a trump, ranking below the pedro but above the 4 of trump. When hearts are trump, for example, cards rank (high to low): A of hearts-K of hearts-Q of hearts-J of hearts-10 of hearts-9 of hearts-8 of hearts-7 of hearts-6 of hearts-5 of hearts (Pedro)-5 of diamonds (Low Pedro)-4 of hearts-3 of hearts-2 of hearts.
SCORING The goal is to score 62 points. In each hand a total of 14 possible points are awarded to the team who captures:
| CARDS | POINTS |
| Pedro | 5 |
| Low Pedro | 5 |
| Ace of trump | 1 |
| Jack of trump | 1 |
| 10 of trump | 1 |
| 2 of trump | 1 |
The opponents of the bidding team add any points won to their score. The bidding team does the same if their bid is achieved; otherwise, the bid amount is deducted from their score. It is called bidder goes out when both teams each have 55 or more points. On the next hand, the bidding team wins if they achieve their bid. Otherwise, the hand is scored as normal.
HOW TO PLAY Each player has one opportunity to bid or pass, starting from the left of the dealer. Bids are from 7 to 14 points, and the highest bid between partners wins out. The dealer is forced to play a bid of 7 if all other players pass.
The bid winner names a trump suit (she may not consult her partner). Once trump is settled, all players discard all non-trump cards from their hands. Each player states how many cards he needs to create a six-card hand (players holding six or more trumps keep them all), and receives the appropriate number of replacements from the deck. The dealer always goes last and is allowed to “rob” the deck—to look at the deck and take all remaining trump (in some cases, the dealer may end up with more than six cards in his hand). If the deck is short of trump, the dealer may take any other cards as replacements.
The bid winner leads the first trick. Players must follow suit (if possible) or play trump. If you can do neither, only then it is OK to play cards from another suit. Tricks are won by the highest trump or, if none, by the highest card in the leading suit. The trick winner leads the next trick.
If any player starts the round holding more than six cards, she dumps all excess cards on the first trick. This way, at the start of the second trick, all players are holding five cards. When dumping excess cards, it’s customary to place them in a stack with the card on top played face up to the trick, and the excess cards hidden from view. You are not allowed to dump any point-earning trumps as excess.
Remember that low pedro counts as a trump when leading tricks. So, when hearts are trump, a player leading 5 of diamonds (low pedro) is leading a heart, and hearts must follow. Scores are tallied once all cards have been played. Deal rotates to the left.
VARIATION 1: KING PEDRO
This could easily be called “Pedro Gone Wild.” The main difference between the games is points, which are bigger and badder in King Pedro. The king of trump is worth 30 points, which increases the possible points per round from 14 to 44. The 2 of trump is won by the team that plays it, whereas the other trumps are won as usual by the team capturing them in tricks.
Deal twelve cards to each player, and deal four cards face down to the kitty. The highest bidder names trump and takes the kitty. All players reduce their hands to six cards and dump any excess trump in the first trick-taking round. When trumps are led, players must follow suit. When non-trumps are led, players may play any card (including trump). When a player has no more trumps left, he must declare “I’m up!” and throw down his hand. He’s out of the game until the next hand is dealt.
The object is to score 200 points, and to do this on a bid you’ve just won. You cannot win the game unless your team is the bid winner, even if your score is above 200 points.
VARIATION 2: CINCH
Cinch retains many of Pedro’s basic features, and varies mainly in the method of scoring. Follow the standard Pedro rules, with the following exceptions. The 5 of trump is called right pedro; the 5 of the suit of matching color is the left pedro.
The goal is to score 51 total points. A team that achieves its bid scores the bid amount minus the opposing team’s score. For example, a bid of 8 scores 2 points (8 − 6 = 2), a bid of 10 scores 6 points (10 − 4 = 6). It’s possible for a successful bid to result in points for the opposing team. For example, a bid of 6 scores 2 points for the opposing team (6 − 8 = − 2 points, scored as +2 to the opposing team). If a team fails to make their bid, the opposing team scores the points they won plus the amount of the bid.
In Cinch, bids are from 1 to 14 points, and the bid is won when three players in a row pass. If all players have passed, the dealer names a trump suit but is not required to play for a specific bid target.
Once trump is settled, all players discard non-trump cards as usual. In the rare case when a player is initially dealt more than seven trumps, he must dump trump in order to create a six-card hand. If the deck has more trump than the dealer can use to make a six-card hand, the dealer leaves the unused trump on the table, face up, for all players to see.