Pit Card Game Overview:
A party game dating back to 1919, PIT isn’t for the timid. You are a commodity trader trying to corner the market on a commodity by making a series of blind trades. When the market is cornered on a commodity, trading stops and points are tallied. Players play simultaneously, encouraging a frenzied atmosphere like the Wheat Pit the game represents. You’ll need to get loud and even a little pushy if you’ve any hope of thriving in the PIT.

Pit Card Game Rules:
The size of the deck will vary depending on the number of players in the game. Pit supports three to seven players, and the deck will consist of one complete suit (9 cards) per player. So if you have a three player game, you will use 27 cards–three full 9 card suits.

Once you have determined your deck size, shuffle the deck and deal the entire deck out to the players. The dealer begins the game after allowing for a thirty second sorting period. If your version of Pit has a bell, simply ring the bell to begin trading, or yell, “The pit is open!”

When trading begins, players may trade one to four cards to any player willing to accept the trade. Players do not take turns. Everyone trades simultaneously by yelling things like, “I’ve got two,” or “Four! Four!”

Trades do have a few rules, though. Mainly, all of the cards in the trade you are offering must be of the same commodity. You can’t mix sets in your offering. This goes for both the giving and the receiving player. Secondly, trades must be for an equal number of cards. That is, one for one, two for two, three for three, or four for four. Lastly, trades are blind. You cannot reveal what you are giving or receiving.

Play continues in this manner until someone corners the market by obtaining all nine cards in a commodity set. When a player corners the market, they announce it by identifying which commodity they have cornered and revealing their cards. The player who cornered the market receives the number of points stated on the commodity (the single value, not the sum) they have cornered. After points are recorded, move the deal clockwise and repeat.

The first player to reach 500 points is the winner.

Pit Commodity Values:

Wheat:100
Barley: 85
Corn: 75
Rye: 70
Oats: 60
Hay: 50
Flax 40

Losing Points:
Any player who either a) begins trading before the Pit is open, or b) announces a corner without actually having one loses 20 points.

Pit Alternate Rules Bull and Bear Edition:

If your version of Pit includes a Bull card and a Bear card, you can play a slightly different version of pit for three to six players. Play proceeds as normal, with one suit being used for each player in the game. Additionally, include the Bull and the Bear card in the deck. This will result in two players having 10 cards instead of 9 when the cards are dealt.

Deal and play as normal with a few small exceptions. You may trade combinations that include either the Bull or the Bear when trading. For example, if you wanted to trade two wheat and a Bull, you would try to imitate a three-card trade. You still cannot mix commodities in trades.

The Bull card can be used in two ways–It can be wild and used to complete a 9 card set (8 of one commodity plus the bull) for the normal number of points allocated for that set. Additionally, it can be used to make a 10 card set (9 of one commodity plus the Bull), which is worth twice as many points as normally allocated.

The Bear card is a penalty card. Whoever is stuck with it when a Corner is called loses 20 points. Additionally, if the Bull card is in a players hand when another player Corners a commodity, the player holding the Bull also loses 20 points.

Play is otherwise unchanged, and you should consider familiarizing yourself with the regular version before including the Bull and Bear cards.

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