How to Play Nine-Card Don

The complete rules of Welsh Don, a traditional trick-taking card game from Wales

Overview

Nine-Card Don (also known as Welsh Don) is a trick-taking card game traditionally played in Wales. Four players sit in two partnerships and compete across a series of hands to be the first team to peg 121 points. Each hand consists of nine tricks, with points scored for winning tricks containing trump cards and fives.

Don is related to the broader family of Pitch and All Fours card games but has its own distinctive Welsh character, particularly in the nine-card deal, the high value of the trump 9 and 5, and the game bonus counted at the end of each hand.

Players & Teams

Don is a game for exactly four players in fixed partnerships. Partners sit opposite each other at the table. There are two teams, and each team works together to win tricks and accumulate points.

In our online version, the teams are shown with the players' names (e.g. "Neil & Gill vs Owen & Rhys") rather than compass positions. You cannot see your partner's hand — only your own nine cards.

The Deal

A standard 52-card deck is used. Each player is dealt 9 cards, dealt in three rounds of three. This leaves 16 cards undealt and unseen — you never know exactly what's out there.

The player who pitches (leads the first card) acts as the dealer for that hand. After each hand, the pitcher role passes clockwise to the next player.

Cut for Pitch

Before the very first hand of a game, the two teams cut for pitch. Each team draws a card from the deck — the team with the higher card wins the cut.

The winning team then chooses which of their two players will pitch first. This is a small but real advantage: the pitcher gets to choose the trump suit and leads the first trick.

Pitching & Trump

The pitcher leads the first trick by playing any card from their hand. The suit of that first card becomes trump for the entire hand.

Choosing which suit to pitch is one of the most important decisions in the game. You want a suit where you hold strong scoring cards (the Ace, 9, 5, King, and other high trumps).

Playing Tricks

Each hand has nine tricks. On each trick:

1. The lead player plays any card from their hand.
2. Each subsequent player must follow the suit led if they hold any cards of that suit.
3. If you cannot follow suit, you may play any card (including a trump to win the trick).

Who wins the trick?

• If any trumps were played, the highest trump wins.
• If no trumps were played, the highest card of the suit led wins.
• Cards of a different non-trump suit have no power — they cannot win the trick.

The winner of each trick leads the next one.

Scoring

Points are pegged live — scored immediately when a trick is won, not tallied at the end. Only certain cards in the winning team's tricks score points.

Trump card points

When a trick is won, any trump cards in that trick score for the winning team:

Non-trump fives

The 5 of any non-trump suit is also worth 5 points to the team that wins the trick containing it. Fives are always valuable, regardless of suit.

The Game Bonus

At the end of each hand (after all nine tricks), the "game" bonus is calculated. This is a bonus of 8 points awarded to the team whose won tricks contain the higher total game count.

Game count values

Every card won in tricks (all suits, trump or not) is counted:

Each team totals the game values of every card they won across all nine tricks. The team with the higher total wins 8 points. If the counts are tied, neither team scores the game bonus.

Winning the Game

The first team to reach 121 points wins the game. Because points are pegged live during tricks, a team can win mid-hand — the game ends the moment a team reaches 121, even if tricks remain to be played.

If a team reaches 121 during trick scoring, the game bonus is not counted. Only points pegged during play matter.

Strategy Tips

• Pitch your strongest suit. Look for a suit where you hold the 5, 9, Ace, or multiple high trumps.
• Protect your fives. The 5 of trump is worth 10 points. If you can't win a trick with it, try to play it when your partner is winning.
• Count the trumps. There are 13 cards in each suit but only 36 are dealt. Track which trumps have been played.
• Win tricks with Tens. Even off-suit Tens count toward the game bonus. An 8-point swing can change everything.
• Lead strong when pitching. As pitcher, you choose trump and lead first. Start with your Ace or King to establish dominance.
• Sacrifice wisely. Sometimes it's better to throw a non-scoring card on a lost trick than waste a trump.