Catch the ten

Catch the ten, also known as Scots whist or Scotch whist, is an eighteenth century point trick ace-ten card game recorded as having been played specifically in Scotland, although some evidence points toward a possible earlier German origin for its mechanics. It departs from standard whist by using a stripped pack of only thirty six cards, with the five and every card below it removed before play. Within the trump suit the jack becomes the highest ranking card, ahead of even the ace, which is the feature that gives the game its name since capturing the ten of trumps with a strategically played jack is a central scoring tactic. The game supports between two and eight players using a French-suited deck, is played in a clockwise rotation, and a typical hand takes about fifteen minutes to complete. Its closest documented relative among trick-taking card games is solo whist, with which it shares its point-trick ace-ten family lineage.