How to Play the Card Game Sheep in the Pen
Sheep in the Pen is a card game for four, played by partners. As points are accumulated, bonus cards, called sheep, add on extra points. But watch out for the little lambs!
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Instructions
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How to Play the Card Game “Sheep in the Pen”
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1
Prepare a small instruction card for new players. It should list the following scoring information: Jack = 1 point Queen = 2 points King = 3 points Ace = 4 points Twos = negative 5 points Five = 5 points Ten = 10 points 100 points wins the game.
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2
Deal the cards, giving 10 cards to each of the players and making a pile, face down, in the center of the table. These are the sheep in the pen. Players pick up their cards and conceal their hands.
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3
The player to the dealer’s left plays one card, setting it face up on the table. Each of the other players then sets out a card, also face up. These cards must be of the same suit as the first card that was played, unless the player has no cards in that suit. The object of each play is to win the four cards by playing a card worth the most points according to the scoring sheet above.
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4
The player with the winning card picks up the four cards and puts them, face down, in a pile in front of him.
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5
The player who takes the first four cards also must take a sheep from the pen. He may look at it, but cannot show it to anyone else. He then places it, face down, in the pile of cards he has won. That player then starts the next round by playing a card.
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6
Play continues in this way, with the winning player always taking a sheep from the pen and adding it to his cards, until all of the cards are taken.
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7
Each side adds up the points it has won. However, for any twos, called “little lambs,” five points must be deducted from the score.
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