How to Play Auction Forty Fives

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Updated: March 16, 2018

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Auction Forty-fives is a trick taking game in which the object is to make it to at least 120 points before all other opponents. Each trick is worth five points, and the trick with the highest value card in it for that hand is worth ten points.


  1. 1
    Shuffle the deck and deal three cards to each person. Then take two cards and set them aside. Then deal two more cards to each person, and set an additional two cards aside with the previous two. Those four cards are referred to as the kitty.
  2. 2
    The bidding begins. People bid depending on how many points they believe they will make. Valid bids include five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, thirty, thirty-for-sixty (in which, if a person takes every trick, they gain 60 points, but if they fail to take even one trick, they lose 30 points) and sixty-for-one-twenty (in which, if a person takes every trick, they gain 120 points, but if they fail to take even one trick, they lose 60 points.)
  3. 3
    In bidding, a person determines how much their hand is roughly worth. Since the person who holds the bid chooses the trump suit, they would look for several good cards of the same suit. The values of the cards are as follows: Five of trump, jack of trump, ace of hearts, ace of trump, king of trump, queen of trump. Afterwards, the value of the cards is dependent on the colour of the trump suit. If the trump suit is red, then the highest remaining cards are worth the highest. For black trumps, the reverse is true.
  4. 4
    The dealer is not permitted to bid. Instead, the dealer must hold a bid if he wishes to match it. By holding, he bids the same amount as the last bid entered. Someone must bid at least five points more in order to surpass the dealers bid. Bidding is also optional. If a person wishes not to bid, they say "Pass." They are not permitted to bid again for that hand.
  5. 5
    After bidding ceases, the person who holds the highest bid typically chooses a suit to be the trump suit. This is usually the suit that they believe will allow them to take the most tricks. Optionally, a person can choose to go on the kitty. By doing this, they discard their entire hand and decide which suit is the trump based on the cards in the kitty.
  6. 6
    After a trump suit is chosen, the players discard all cards that do not match the trump suit. The only exception to this rule is the ace of hearts. (See above.) The person who chose the trump suit then picks up the kitty (if this hasn't already been done) and takes all of the trump suit cards out of it. They discard what is left. If more than five cards remain, then the person who chose the trump suit must discard the lowest card(s) until their hand has no more than five cards in it.
  7. 7
    The play goes in a clockwise direction with the person to the left of the bidder leading. Whoever plays the highest card gets the trick and then leads for the next trick. All players must follow the suit of the originally played card when possible. Trump cards may be played at any time regardless of which suit lead.
  8. 8
    After everyone has used up all their cards, the players count the number of tricks they have. Each trick is worth five points. If a person has the highest card played during that hand in their tricks, they receive an additional five points.
  9. 9
    If the person who bid fails to match or exceed the bid they made, then the amount they bid is deducted from their score. Negative scores are allowed in the game.
  10. 10
    If a person is at or exceeds 100 points but has not won the game, they are not allowed to add points to their score unless they chose the trump suit and made their bid.
  11. 11
    The above is repeated, with the person to the right of the previous dealer dealing the new hand.

Community Q&A

Add New Question
  • Question
    In railway auction, if two players both exceed 120, does the bidder or the person with the highest score win?
    David Scrimshaw
    Community Answer
    We play that if the bidder goes out, they take the partner out even if the partner would have been below 120.
  • Question
    If I am the partner of the person who took the bid, how should I play my cards?
    Community Answer
    Come out with your best trump card, so your partner knows where the best cards are.
  • Question
    How should a partner play if they got the bid?
    Community Answer
    It depends on how many trumps they have. Few trumps, and they may be cautious and trust their partner for a trick. A lot of high trumps, and they may keep the lead and try to get all the tricks.
  • Question
    Is a Jack in trump card higher than the King in trump?
    Community Answer
    Yes. When it is part of the trump hand, the Jack ranks higher than the King. The order starting at the highest is 5, Jack, Ace of Hearts (irrespective of trump), Ace, King, Queen.
  • Question
    What is the value of a non-trump ace?
    Community Answer
    Normally, the ace is high (above the king), but in some variations the ace is low (below the 2) and is counted as a 1.
  • Question
    Can I keep the ace of hearts if it's in my hand and I go on the kitty?
    Community Answer
    No. The player that takes the bid and goes on the kitty must discard their original hand of five cards.
  • Question
    What happens if there is no bid in three player forty fives?
    Community Answer
    The dealer bids 5 and names it or the dealer holds the nothing bid and names the suit, and the players get whatever points they take.
Unanswered Questions
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    • When an even number of four or more people play the game, the game can be played with partners of two in each partnership. Alternatively, the game can be played with players working independently.
    • There is one exception, that the 5 of trump can not be asked for in railroad.
    • If possible, do not lead with a trump card, as the dealer will likely play a trump card to take it, thus preventing you from taking a future trick with that card.
    • If you lead, discard a non-trump card. This will often force the bidder to discard a trump card to take the trick.
    • Trump cards are always worth more than non-trump cards. If the other players have all played non-trump cards (particularly if you're the last one left) then play a trump card to take the trick.
    • A variant of this game known as railroad forty-fives exist in which the person who chose the trump suit calls out the highest card of the trump suit that they don't have and is not higher than the highest trump they hold when the play begins. If someone else holds that card, they must play it. That person is their partner for the remainder of the hand. The value of the tricks they take is added up and then added to both their scores (unless they failed to make the bid, in which they both go down that many points.) The rest of the rules are the same.

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