Interactive Pitch Coach

Learn To Play Pitch

A guided way to learn a classic American trick-taking card game

How It Works

4 players, 2 teams. You and your partner (North) vs. West and East. Each hand, players bid on how many points they think their team can win. The highest bidder picks trump by leading the first card — its suit becomes the power suit for that hand.

Win tricks by playing the highest trump or the highest card of the suit led. First team to 11 points wins.

The 4 Scoring Points

HighHighest trump card played (e.g. A♠). Point goes to whoever was dealt it.
LowLowest trump card played (e.g. 3♠). Point goes to whoever wins the trick containing it.
JackJack of trump (J♠). Point goes to whoever wins the trick containing it.
GameTeam that captures the most pip value in tricks (A=4, K=3, Q=2, J=1, 10=10).

Bidding & Set-Back

Bid 2–4 based on how many points you think your team can win. If everyone else passes, the dealer is forced to bid at least 2. If you win the bid but don't earn enough points, your team loses the bid amount instead — that's called being set back.

A seat at the table

Learn the Pitch card game, one hand at a time

Pitch is a trick-taking card game built around bidding, trump, and four scoring points: High, Low, Jack, and Game. You may also know it as Setback or High-Low-Jack. This free online trainer lets you practice four-point partnership Pitch against computer players, with hints when you need them.

How to play four-point Pitch

  1. Deal six cards each. Four players sit in two partnerships. In the trainer, you play South and your computer partner sits North.
  2. Bid for your team. Bid 2, 3, or 4 points, or pass. The highest bidder becomes the pitcher. If everyone else passes, the dealer must bid at least 2.
  3. Choose trump by leading. The suit of the pitcher’s first card becomes trump. Trump cards beat cards from other suits.
  4. Play six tricks. Each player plays one card per trick. The highest trump wins; if no trump is played, the highest card of the suit led wins. The winner leads next.
  5. Count the points. If the pitching team makes its bid, it earns its scoring points. If it falls short, subtract the bid instead. The other team keeps its earned points. First team to 11 wins; if both reach 11 on the same hand, the pitching team wins.

When a plain suit is led, you may follow suit or play trump. You can discard another plain suit only if you have none of the suit led. When trump is led, follow trump if you can.

High, Low, Jack, and Game scoring

High
The team originally dealt the highest trump played earns one point.
Low
The team winning the trick containing the lowest trump played earns one point.
Jack
The team capturing the jack of trump earns one point. If the jack was not dealt, this point is unavailable.
Game
The team with the most card value in captured tricks earns one point: 10 = 10, ace = 4, king = 3, queen = 2, jack = 1. Other cards count zero. A tie awards no Game point.

House rules vary. This trainer awards Low to the team that captures it; some tables award it to the team originally dealt it. Agree on your rules before playing with friends.

Practice bidding and card play with help

Use the bid advisor to weigh your hand before committing to a bid. During play, glowing cards show your legal choices, and strategy hints explain a recommended move. Choose Easy, Normal, or Hard opponents and adjust their speed in the game menu. After a hand, review the scoring breakdown and hand history to see where the points went.

A useful first habit: count the points your strongest suit could earn before you bid. An ace can secure High, but a bid of three needs more than one strong card. Think about which points your partner might help you capture.

Keep learning: Pitch rules and strategy

Read all Pitch guides →

Common questions about playing Pitch online

Is the Pitch trainer free?

Yes. Play in your browser without creating an account or downloading an app.

Can I play with other people?

This trainer is for solo practice. Your partner and both opponents are computer players; there is no online multiplayer.

Does it teach ten-point Pitch?

The game uses four-point partnership Pitch. The blog also explains other variants, including ten-point Pitch, so you can compare the rules.

Made by learntoplaypitch.com