Forty-Fives is a fast, sociable trick-taking game that travelled from Ireland to Atlantic Canada and never really left either place. It is best known under its short name, “45s”, and you will still find it being played in kitchens across Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and parts of New England. The rules look straightforward at first glance, then reveal a surprising amount of bluffing, partnership signalling, and rank trickery once you sit down to play a few hands.
This guide covers the standard partnership game played to 45 points, the unusual “highest in red, lowest in black” card ranking, the three special trump cards, the reneging rule that catches every new player off guard, and the auction variant that took over in Cape Breton and beyond.
What You Need to Play
Forty-Fives uses a single standard 52-card deck. You can play with two to ten people, but the game is at its best with four players in two partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other. Three players (every player for themselves) is the next most common setup. Beyond six players, you switch to two decks shuffled together.
You also need a way to keep score. A pen and paper is enough, but in older Irish pubs you will see two pegs and a cribbage-style 45-hole board used for the same purpose.
The Goal
The first player or partnership to reach 45 points across multiple hands wins the game. Each trick taken is worth five points, and there are five tricks per hand, so a clean sweep is worth 25.
Card Ranking in Forty-Fives
This is the part newcomers stumble over, because Forty-Fives does not rank cards the way most games do. There are three layers to remember: the trump suit ranking, the off-suit ranking, and the three “honour” cards that always sit at the top of the trump pile.
The Three Top Trumps
Whatever the trump suit is, these three cards are always the most powerful, in this order:
- The 5 of trump (the “Five Fingers”)
- The Jack of trump
- The Ace of Hearts – always counts as a trump, even when hearts is not the trump suit
So if spades is trump, the order from highest down begins: 5♠, J♠, A♥, A♠, K♠, Q♠, and so on. If hearts is trump, the natural Ace of Hearts simply slots into its usual third spot.
The Rest of the Trump Suit
After the three top cards, the trump suit follows a “highest in red, lowest in black” pattern that comes from the game’s older ancestors:
- Red trump (hearts or diamonds): A, K, Q, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2
- Black trump (spades or clubs): A, K, Q, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Yes – in a black trump suit, the 2 outranks the 10. It feels wrong for one or two hands and then becomes second nature.
Off-Suit (Non-Trump) Ranking
Off-suit cards follow the same red/black quirk, but the King, Queen, and Jack always sit at the top:
- Red off-suit: K, Q, J, A, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
- Black off-suit: K, Q, J, A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Remember, the Ace of Hearts is never an off-suit card – it is always trump.
Dealing and Choosing Trump
The first dealer is chosen by cutting; highest card deals. The deal then rotates clockwise after every hand. The dealer shuffles, the player to the right cuts, and five cards are dealt to each player – usually in two rounds of three then two, or two then three. The next card is turned face up on top of the remaining stock to propose the trump suit.
Robbing the Ace
If the upturned trump card is an Ace, the dealer may take it into their hand and discard any unwanted card face down in its place. If a player holds the Ace of the upturned trump suit, they may “rob” by exchanging one of their cards for the upturned card before the first trick is led. This little ritual is one of the small joys of the game.
The Play of the Hand
The player to the dealer’s left leads to the first trick. Other players follow in clockwise order. The trick is won by the highest trump played, or by the highest card of the suit led if no trump appears. The winner of each trick leads the next.
Following Suit (and the Renege)
You must follow the suit that was led if you can. The major exception is reneging: if a low trump is led and the only trump cards you hold are the 5 of trump, the Jack of trump, or the Ace of Hearts, you are allowed to refuse to play them. You can throw any off-suit card instead and keep your honour for a later trick.
Reneging is restricted, though. The Ace of Hearts can only be reneged against a trump lower than itself, the Jack of trump only against a trump lower than itself, and the 5 of trump can be reneged against any other trump. If a higher trump is led, you must play your honour card.
Scoring
Each trick is worth 5 points and there are 5 tricks, so a hand is worth 25 points to the player or side that wins all the tricks. Most home games stop there: first to 45 across multiple hands wins. Some pub variants add a 5-point bonus for the highest trump played in the hand, raising the maximum per hand to 30. Agree on this before the cards come out.
You cannot exceed 45. If a player or side has 40 points and only takes one trick (worth 5) they hit exactly 45 and win. If they take more than that in the hand and would go past 45, the excess is normally ignored – you simply land on 45 and the game is over.
Auction Forty-Fives
The most popular modern form, especially in Atlantic Canada, is Auction Forty-Fives, which plays to 120 points. After the deal, players bid in turn for the right to choose trump. Bids are in multiples of five, with a minimum opening bid of 15. The highest bidder names trump and must score at least their bid in the hand or be “set” – their bid is subtracted from their score.
Bidding Tips for Auction 45s
- Open at 20 with one of the top three trumps and reasonable support; open at 25 with two of the top three or a long, strong trump suit.
- A bid of 30 should mean you can almost certainly take all five tricks, since being set 30 is a heavy swing.
- Listen to the bids your opponents skip – a partner who passes early often holds nothing useful.
Strategy Tips for Standard 45s
Forty-Fives rewards memory, communication, and patience more than raw card power. A few habits separate casual players from the regulars who rarely lose at the kitchen table.
Lead Strategy
- Lead a low trump early to “drag out” the high trumps held by your opponents, especially when you suspect your partner holds one of the three honours.
- Keep the lead when you have winners, since the leader controls which suit gets played.
- Do not waste the Ace of Hearts on the first trick unless you are stripping out trumps for a partner with stronger trump length.
Partnership Play
- Last-man-high: if you are the last to play to a trick that your partner is winning, throw your highest off-suit card on it – your partner already has the trick, so unload your weak high cards.
- Save your renegable cards for the final two tricks, where they are most likely to swing the score.
- Signal trump length through your bids in Auction 45s; passing then supporting late is a common way to tell partner you have one strong card and little else.
A Brief History
Forty-Fives evolved from the older Irish game of Maw, which was a favourite of King James I of England in the early 1600s. It is part of a small family that includes Spoil Five and the simpler Twenty-Five (often called the national card game of Ireland). Irish emigration carried the game across the Atlantic in the 19th century, where it took root in Cape Breton, the Annapolis Valley, parts of Newfoundland, and the working towns of New England. In Atlantic Canada the auction version became dominant and is still played in organised tournaments and weekly card clubs today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you play Forty-Fives with three players?
Yes. With three players the game is each-for-themselves rather than partnerships. Dealing, ranking, and scoring are unchanged, but bidding strategy in the auction version becomes more conservative because there is no partner to back you up.
What does “reneging” mean in 45s?
Reneging is the right to hold back one of the three top trumps (5 of trump, Jack of trump, Ace of Hearts) instead of following a trump lead, provided the lead is a trump lower than the card you are saving. It is the main way that beginners get caught out, because it looks like a rules violation when it is actually allowed.
Why does the Ace of Hearts always count as trump?
It is a leftover from the older game of Maw, where the Ace of Hearts had a special honoured status. The rule survived into Spoil Five, Twenty-Five, and Forty-Fives, and it is part of what gives the game its distinctive character.
Why is the 2 sometimes higher than the 10?
In black suits (spades and clubs), small pip cards outrank large pip cards – this “highest in red, lowest in black” rule comes from the same older Irish family of games and applies both to trump and to off-suit cards (after the K, Q, J, A in off-suit). It is unusual but consistent across all versions of Forty-Fives.
Is Forty-Fives the same as 120s?
Not quite. 120s is the Irish nickname for the auction version of Forty-Fives, played to 120 points with bidding. The mechanics of the play of the hand are identical to standard 45s; the difference is the bidding round and the longer scoring target.