1997 BGG rank #3658

David & Goliath

3–6 players 60 min Ages 8+ 1.6/5 complexity 5.9/10 rating

About this game

This game adds a very interesting twist to the standard trick-taking genre. There are five suits and players must follow suit, if they can. However, the winner of the trick is the highest card played, regardless of suit. The winner gets all the cards from the trick, minus the card he won it with. That card is given to the player that played the lowest card. After all tricks have been played, the scoring begins. Players score the face-value of the cards in the suits that they only collected one or two of, and one point per card for suits with more than two. The player with the most points after a number of hands wins the game.

What it feels like

Trick-taking Animals Children's Game Card Game Religious

Game intelligence

Learn the game

100% knowledge coverage

Setup

1. Determine the number of players and remove cards accordingly: - 3 players: keep only cards valued 1–9 (45 cards total). - 4 players: keep only cards valued 1–12 (60 cards total). - 5 players: keep only cards valued 1–15 (75 cards total). - 6 players: use all cards. 2. Set aside any removed cards — they are not used this deal. 3. Shuffle the remaining cards and deal them evenly among all players. Each player receives 15 cards. 4. Players take their 15 cards into their hand. 5. Determine a starting player for the first round of tricks.

Turn flow

A game consists of as many full deals (rounds) as there are players. Each deal plays out 15 tricks. On each trick: the starting player plays any card face-up in front of themselves. All other players, in clockwise order, must each play one card face-up in front of themselves, following the lead color if possible. If a player has no card of the lead color, they may play any card. Once all players have played, the highest card is identified (highest number, with ties broken by last played), then the lowest card is identified (lowest number, with ties broken by last played). The player with the lowest card takes the highest card as their profit. The player with the highest card takes all remaining played cards as their profit, sorted by color beside them. The player who played the highest card leads the next trick. After all 15 tricks, scoring is performed. A new deal begins until the total number of deals equals the number of players. The player with the most cumulative points wins.

Scoring and victory

Highest cumulative score across all deals wins. Each deal is scored independently: for each color, score face values if you hold 1–2 cards of that color, or 1 point per card if you hold 3 or more. Sum all colors for a deal total. Accumulate totals over all deals (one per player count). Scoring sources: Face value of cards when holding exactly 1 or 2 cards of a color, 1 point per card when holding 3 or more cards of the same color

Source: Rulebook

Rules to know

The most useful rules for getting a first game right.

Setup

Remove cards based on player count before shuffling and dealing.

Before each deal, cards are filtered by player count. With 3 players, only cards valued 1–9 are used (45 cards). With 4 players, only cards valued 1–12 are used (60 cards). With 5 players, only cards valued 1–15 are used (75 cards). With 6 players, all cards are used. Cards not required are set aside and play no part in the deal.

Setup

Shuffle remaining cards and deal 15 to each player.

After removing the appropriate cards for the player count, the remaining deck is shuffled and dealt evenly to all players. Every player receives exactly 15 cards, which they hold in their hand.

General

The full game consists of as many deals as there are players.

After each complete deal of 15 tricks, scores are recorded and a new deal begins. The total number of deals played equals the number of players participating. After all deals are complete, the player with the highest cumulative score wins.

Turn structure

The starting player may play any card to lead a trick.

The player leading a trick chooses any card from their hand and plays it face-up in front of themselves on the table. The color of that card establishes the lead color that all other players must follow if they can.

Turn structure

Players must follow the lead color if they are able to.

After the lead card is played, each other player in clockwise order must play a card of the same color as the lead card if they have one. A player who cannot follow the lead color may play any card from their hand. There is no requirement to play any particular color when unable to follow suit.

Turn structure

The highest card is the one with the numerically highest value, regardless of color; ties go to the last played.

After all players have played a card, the highest card is identified. The highest card is always the card with the numerically highest value, completely independent of color. If two or more players have played cards with the same highest number, the one that was played last (i.e., latest in clockwise order) is considered the highest.

Turn structure

The lowest card is the one with the numerically lowest value, regardless of color; ties go to the last played.

After all players have played a card, the lowest card is identified. The lowest card is always the card with the numerically lowest value, completely independent of color. If two or more players have played cards with the same lowest number, the one that was played last (i.e., latest in clockwise order) is considered the lowest.

Special

The player with the lowest card wins the single highest card as profit.

The player whose card is determined to be the lowest receives only the highest card played in that trick as their profit. They place this single card face-up beside them on the table. This is the 'David' mechanic — the weakest play captures the most powerful card.

Strategy briefing

Avoiding the 3+ Card Penalty

Winning more than 2 cards of any color collapses that color's value to 1 point per card. Deliberately play low cards (to win the highest card via the lowest-card reward) or high cards (to win many cards) with awareness of which colors you already hold. Avoid acquiring a third card of a color you've already won twice at high face values.

Using Low Cards Strategically (The 'David' Play)

Playing the lowest card in a trick earns you specifically the highest card played — often a very high-value card. This is most powerful when you can afford to 'waste' a low card and the highest card played is a color of which you hold 0 or 1 copies, keeping you in the lucrative 1–2 card scoring range.

Managing the Lead

The player who plays the highest card leads the next trick, giving them control over the lead color. Leading a color that opponents have many cards of can force them to follow suit and risk crossing the 3-card threshold in that color.

Off-Color Cards as Tools

When you cannot follow the lead color, you can play a card of any color. A very low off-color card can steal the highest card from the trick regardless of color. A very high off-color card can force you to take all remaining cards. Use off-color plays deliberately to target specific profits.

Tie-Breaking Awareness

If you play the same number as another player for the highest or lowest, the last-played card wins. Playing your card later in turn order can be decisive in tie situations — be aware of player order relative to your hand.

Planning Across Multiple Deals

The game spans as many deals as there are players. A poor deal can be offset by strong deals later. Track opponents' running totals and adjust risk-taking accordingly — sometimes it is worth gambling on a high face-value pair of cards even if it risks a color collapse.

Common questions and edge cases

Two or more players play the same highest number. Who wins the remaining cards?

When multiple players tie for the highest card, the one played last in clockwise order is considered the highest. That player wins all remaining cards as profit.

Two or more players play the same lowest number. Who wins the highest card?

When multiple players tie for the lowest card, the one played last in clockwise order is considered the lowest. That player wins the single highest card as profit.

Can the same player hold both the highest and the lowest card in a trick (e.g., in a 2-player variant or a trick where all cards are the same value)?

The rules determine the highest and lowest cards independently. In a trick, the highest card winner and the lowest card winner are typically different players. However, if tie-breaking causes the same card to be both the highest and lowest (only possible if all players play the same number and last-played resolves to one card being both), the rules do not explicitly address this. In normal play with 3+ players this situation is extremely unlikely. Players should agree on a resolution before the game, such as: the single player's card counts as the highest, and no one receives it as the lowest-card reward.

A player plays an off-color card (cannot follow suit) with the highest or lowest value. Can it win?

Yes. The highest and lowest cards are determined purely by numerical value, regardless of color. An off-color card can be the highest or lowest card in the trick and its player receives the corresponding profit.

A player has exactly 2 cards of a color worth high values vs. 3 cards of a color. How does this affect strategy?

With exactly 1 or 2 cards of a color, the player scores full face value (potentially very high). With 3 or more cards of the same color, each card is worth only 1 point. Winning a third card of a color can drastically reduce a player's score in that color — this is the central tension of the game.

The player with the highest card wins all remaining cards — does this include their own card?

No. The highest card is given to the player with the lowest card as profit. The highest-card player receives all other cards played in the trick except the highest card itself. The highest-card player does NOT keep their own card.