Pope Joan is a classic Victorian-era card game, similar to Newmarket or Fan Tan. It is a gambling-style game played with a standard deck of cards and a special board or designated sections for different pools of money. The game is typically played with 3 to 8 players. Here are the rules:

Objective

The goal of the game is to win the most money by playing cards in sequence and capturing special pools of money from the layout.

Setup

  1. Deck: A standard 52-card deck is used, but the 8 of Diamonds is removed, leaving 51 cards.

  2. Board or Layout: A special board with labeled pools (or just designated spaces on the table) is used. The pools typically include:

    • Ace of Hearts

    • King of Hearts

    • Queen of Hearts

    • Jack of Hearts

    • Pope Joan (Nine of Diamonds)

    • Matrimony (Queen & King of Diamonds)

    • Intrigue (Queen & Jack of Diamonds)

  3. Ante: Each player puts a small amount of money into each pool before play starts.

Dealing

  • The dealer shuffles and deals out all the cards as evenly as possible to the players. Some players may receive one more card than others.

  • The last card is placed face-up; its suit is the trump suit for the round.

Gameplay

  1. First Lead:

    • The player to the left of the dealer begins by playing their lowest card of any suit.

    • Play proceeds clockwise, with each player playing the next card in sequence of the same suit.

    • If a player cannot play the next card, the sequence stops, and the next player starts a new suit.

  2. Collecting Pools:

    • The first player to play the Ace of Hearts wins that pool.

    • The first player to play the King of Hearts wins that pool, and so on.

    • If a player plays the Nine of Diamonds (Pope Joan), they win the Pope Joan pool.

    • If a player plays both the King and Queen of Diamonds, they win the Matrimony pool.

    • If a player plays both the Queen and Jack of Diamonds, they win the Intrigue pool.

  3. Winning the Game:

    • Play continues until all possible sequences have been completed.

    • Any unclaimed pools carry over to the next round.

    • The game is usually played for a set number of rounds or until an agreed-upon time.

Strategy & Tips

  • Holding onto key cards like the Nine of Diamonds (Pope Joan) or the King and Queen of Diamonds can be beneficial for claiming pools.

  • Paying attention to which cards have already been played can help you anticipate your moves.

  • Because it is a gambling game, managing your bets and knowing when to risk or hold back can influence success.