Play Pedro Card Game

Discover the exciting world of Pedro – A quick guide to playing the classic card game

If you’ve ever heard friends shout “Pedro!” during a card night, you’re probably curious about the game behind the chant. Pedro is a trick‑taking card game that blends strategy, memory, and a dash of luck. This article walks you through the essentials so you can jump straight into a round and start enjoying the fast‑paced fun.

How To Play Pedro: The Basics

Pedro, sometimes called “Pedro 2” or “Pedro 2‑0,” is typically played with a standard 52‑card deck. The game works best with four players split into two teams, but variations exist for two or three players. The objective is simple: be the first team to reach a predetermined point total, usually 31 or 61.

Setup and dealing

Remove all jokers from the deck.
Shuffle thoroughly and deal five cards to each player, clockwise.
The next card is turned face up to determine the trump suit. The remaining deck is placed face down as the stock.

Understanding the cards

Pedro uses a unique ranking system. In the trump suit, the cards rank from highest to lowest as follows:

5 of trump (the “Pedro”) – worth 5 points.
Jack of trump – worth 1 point.
9 of trump – worth 1 point.
All other trump cards – no point value.
Non‑trump cards – no point value.

Only the 5, Jack, and 9 of the trump suit contribute to scoring; the rest of the cards are used solely to win tricks.

Step‑by‑Step Gameplay

1. The bidding phase

After the trump is revealed, players bid on how many points they think their team can capture. Bids start at 30 points and increase in increments of 1. The highest bidder declares the trump suit (if the up‑card’s suit is not chosen) and commits their team to meet the bid.