Playing Rook Online

Rook is currently available to be played online in one main place. Here at rook game, we do not actually participate in this online community for one main reason. This online rook game does not play the style of rook we like. The main difference is they play with rook being the highest trump. Also, they play without 1s, 2s, and 3s making for a very different game.

Rook online has gone through some different phases in their lifetime. For a while they were a pay to play gaming community, but lost so many participants that they had to switch back to playing for free. I am not sure of how they make money or stay alive, but for those that are just looking for some quick games of rook online, then they are worth checking out.

For us, we are all about playing cards in person. There is nothing better than getting together with a group of friends and just laughing and playing, even if the games get competitive. If you are looking for some rook players in you area, I suggest making a request to your facebook friends. You never know which one of your friends are looking for players to play with as well.

17 thoughts on “Playing Rook Online

  1. Tbelles

    Is there a site where you can play against the computer. ITunes has an app called blackbird. I am looking for something like that.
    Any ideas?

    Reply
  2. Don'tWasteTrumps

    Interesting. I’ve played Rook all of my life (67) and the Rook has always played as the highest trump card. Never heard of or seen it played any other way. Likewise, most of the people that I’ve played with do not use the 1-4 cards, so you have 10 cards (5-14) in every suit, plus the Rook in the trump suit for a total of 41 cards. That works out to 9 cards each on the deal with 5 in the “kitty” (4 down, 1 up). Points total 120 (5’s, 10’s, 14’s, and the Rook). I have heard of people using the 1-4 cards, but as there are no point cards in them, using them only prolongs the hand, but doesn’t change the potential points available in the hand. I can see where a few more cards in your hand might change your strategy on any given hand; but whether you have 9 cards or 13 cards, you still have to play strategically.

    Reply
    1. admin Post author

      For us, we use the 1s as high in the hand and are 15 pts. Sort of like the ace. Therefore, it adds 60 extra points right there. We also make the last trick of the game 20 points. This totals 200 each round.

      You are correct there is strategy in both styles of Rook. I personally like more cards per hand and more possible points just because the 5 cards that come in the kitty are a smaller percentage of your total hand to trade in and out.

      Reply
      1. Richard

        Played in tournaments for about 40 years now. 1s in deck. 180 a hand. Play to 500. Double elimination. Places are using them for fund raising here in NW NC ans SW VA. Played in one last night. 31 teams.

        Reply
    2. Matt

      The really fun Rook game I learned from a friend (he called it “Tournament Rook”) featured the Rook card as the LOWEST trump, but with the highest point value (20 points). With 15 for 1s, 10 for 14s and 10s, and 5 for 5s, a round is 200 points (20 for most tricks). A hand in which one takes every trick is worth double, for 400 points. A very enjoyable game!

      Reply
      1. Cathy

        This is the way I was taught by my husband’s grandparents. We always played with all cards dealt except 5 for the kitty. Rook card is lowest trump worth 20. I have never played where the points were double if you took all tricks. Interesting…

        Reply
  3. Peter Bowers

    I just put together a very simple interface to play Rook online. My son went off to university and suddenly I and my other 2 sons were missing our fourth – this solves our problem.

    It is currently limited to Rook as high and set partners, but if there’s interest I may develop a slightly smart dummy, options to put Rook low or 10.5, and call partners…

    Anyway, check it out: http://www.qdk.org/rook

    Reply
    1. admin Post author

      I know the driving force of Rook and doing things with your kids! I’m happy to include the link here and I will give it a run sometime soon. There are certainly many people asking for a place to play Rook online.

      Reply
  4. Patrick Foley

    My home town adopted its own rules. We play the rook as the lowest trump and is worth 50. Ones (aces are high) are 15, 10 & 14 are 10 pts, 5’s are 5 points and all other cards are one point each for a total of 250 per hand. All 57 cards are used and we have a 5-card “nest” (since a rook is a bird.) The rook being the lowest trump makes for interesting strategies. Last trick takes the nest.

    Reply
  5. Richard

    I’ve been playing in Rook tournaments for about 40 years in NW North Carolina and SW Virginia. They had dwindled away the past few years but seem to be making a comeback here. Several schools are using them for fund raisers. Just played in one last night and it had 31 teams. Double elimination. 1s are used giving 180 per hand and Rook is high trump. Play to 500 with a 40 minute time limit each game. If time expires before a team reaches 500, the hand being played is finished and the team ahead at that time is the winner. I have played without the 1s before but around here with the 1s is what is always played in tournaments. Just adding my thoughts. Thanks.

    Reply
  6. Crystal

    I grew up with the adults playing Rook at any small or large family gathering. I, and some of my cousins, would often take a look at all 4 hands to try to understand. The kids did not always have a poker face, and did know the Rook was important. ” I know who’s got the birdie” was a story told many many times.

    We played with set partners, all the cards, Rook was the top card. The kitty could not have point cards in it. Our scoring was Rook – 20; 1’s – 15; 14’s – 15; 10’s – 10; 5’s – 5. So each hand was 200 points. If you took all the tricks you gained an extra 50 points, making it a “Two fitty” hand. And we played to 500 points. Bidding on the kitty started at 100, and once you pass you could not bid again for that hand. Bidding could increase at intervals of 5.

    We played it by candle light when there was a power outage. Both my parents knew how to play, but my mother would often bow out unless there was no 4th player. I had an aunt and two cousins that also played that were available every night for a while, then one cousin. But an uncle came by fairly often too. My mother would partner with my father when she played, and I did as well, until my dad got angry when as his partner I did not know he had a particular card. Since you could not specifically let on what you had in your hand, until something was played to make it known, it was not so easy to read someone’s mind. So, I vowed to never play as his partner again and instead played against him, a lot and I did well.

    I was very confused when a friend bought a set of Rook cards and I learned the official rules are very different than how we played. But I really miss playing, both the game and the family time.

    Reply
    1. Anonymous

      This is so much like my room story t. Grew up with it in family. Played with husband some but like you said , if I missed a card and maybe played wrong( to suit him) then I would hear it so was better off playing on opposite team and beating him (when I could lol). We still get together with our sons and families but not as often . Times has changed .

      Reply

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