What Is Tripoly?

Tripoley is a card game that features three games in one. Players combine strategy and chance into three rounds of hearts, poker and rummy--all with the chance of earning chips spread around the table. Decades after its creation, the game continues to be an entertaining choice for friends and families alike.

History

Tripoley was first introduced by Stanley Hopkins in the early 1930s. By the end of the decade, Hopkins had sold the rights to the Cadaco Toy Company of Chicago who has marketed the game ever since. In the interim, many versions of the game--from playing mats to molded boards to deluxe editions--have been popularized.

Setup

The game is designed for anywhere from two to nine players. Each player takes a spot around the board and places a chip on each of the nine spaces on the Tripoley board (ace, king, queen, jack, 10, K-Q, 8-9-10, kitty and pot). The dealer will shuffle a regulation deck of 52 cards and deal them all out one at a time to each player, plus an extra or "dead" hand. Some players may have extra cards though as the deal goes around the table, the extra card will also work its way around.

Hearts Round

In the basic game of Tripoley, the 10 through ace cards in the suit of Hearts are considered "pay cards" or "money cards". At the start of each game, the players holding those money cards can collect the chips found in the corresponding sections on the board. The only section that is not suit specific is the 8-9-10 space. In the event that two or more players can claim that section, the chips must be split evenly amongst the winners. Any player that fails to claim their winnings before the poker round starts forfeits those chips and they will remain in the space until the next hand starts.

Poker Round

The players then attempt to make their best five card hand (the remaining cards are placed to the side but not discarded). The dealer begins play by either betting or checking, based on the perceived strength of his or her hand. Play continues to the left with players betting or folding until the last player finally calls the bet. All bets are placed in the pot with the winner (based on the basic rules of poker) earning all of the chips.

Michigan Rummy Round

The dealer starts the round by playing the lowest card in his hand. The other players must play the next card in sequence in the same suit until either the ace of that suit is reached or no more cards can be played because of the necessary play being in the dead hand. At this point, the next player continues by playing their lowest card in a different suit. The player who is the first to play all of their cards is the winner and claims the chips in the kitty. The other players must pay the winner one chip for each of the remaining cards in their hand.

End of the Game

The game ends either at a prearranged stopping point or when one player has accumulated all of the other players' chips. For any chips remaining on the board, the dealer will pass out five cards apiece for a final hand of poker. The winner of the hand earns the remainder of the chips.

Variations

In one variation, the dealer may look at his or her hand before deciding whether to exchange it for the dead hand. The trade must be for the complete hand (no mixing and matching), must be done without first inspecting the dead hand and may not be rescinded.
In another variation, players may collect on their pay cards during play of the rummy round. This adds mystery to the round by not forcing players to reveal right away what they may have in their hands.
Finally, players may decide to bid on or rotate the suit of the pay cards before each hand. Usually, this adds to the money in the kitty and increases the excitement for each hand.