Partnership Pishti, Eşli Pişti in Turkish, is Pishti for four. The capturing rules do not change, but the table does. You and the player opposite you (shown as Partner) collect into one shared pile, Right and Left collect into the other, and the score bar reads “Us” against “Them”. The three other seats are all computer players. What makes the four-handed game feel different is the seating: every card you throw lands in front of an opponent first, and the player who drops onto an empty table after your partner’s capture is always an opponent, which hands you the chance to pishti.
How to play
The deal. A full 52-card deck. Four cards go to the centre, three face down with a fourth face up on top, and every player is dealt four. When all four hands are empty, the dealer gives out four more each. With four players the deck lasts three deals per hand, so each player sees only twelve cards a hand (in the two-player game it is twenty-four).
Order of play. Turns run counterclockwise: you, Right, your Partner at the top, then Left. The player to the dealer’s right plays first, and the deal moves one seat after each hand.
Your turn. Tap one card from your hand to put it on the centre pile. It takes the whole pile if:
- it has the same rank as the top card, or
- it is a jack, which takes any pile.
Otherwise the card simply stays on top. Captured cards go to your team’s stack on the table, whichever partner took them, so you can see roughly how the majority is going. When the last deal runs out, any cards still on the table go to the team that made the last capture.
Pishti. Capturing a pile that holds exactly one card, by matching its rank, is a pishti: 10 points. Taking a lone jack with another jack scores 20. Two cases do not count: a jack taking a single non-jack card (it captures, but no bonus), and taking the starting pile of four, even if only its top card is visible.
Scoring
After every hand a table splits each team’s points into rows: cards taken, card points, most cards, pishti, hand total and match total.
| What your team captured | Points |
|---|---|
| Each ace | 1 |
| Each jack | 1 |
| Two of clubs | 2 |
| Ten of diamonds | 3 |
| More cards than the other team (27+) | 3 |
| Pishti | 10 each (20 for jack on jack) |
Leaving pishtis aside, a hand holds 16 points: 13 in scoring cards and 3 for the bigger pile. A 26-26 split gives nobody the majority bonus. The match goes to 101 points by default, or 151 if you choose that under Play to. When a team passes the target, the higher score wins; if the two teams are level at that point, another hand is dealt.
Strategy
Use your seat after the left opponent. When your partner captures, the table is empty and Left must put down a single card. You play next, so if you hold that rank you score a pishti. The same trap works against you: after you capture, Right drops a card and your partner gets the chance. A capture by either of you sets up the other.
Be careful what you leave for Right. Right plays immediately after you. A card you drop on an empty table is a pishti chance for them, so lead with a rank whose other copies you have already seen played, or with a card you hold a pair of (if they do not match it, you might next round).
Count by rank, not by suit. Only ranks matter for captures. With twelve cards per player per hand, it is easy to track how many sevens or queens are still out. A rank with three copies gone is a safe throw on an empty table.
Spend jacks on value. There are only four jacks. Using one to grab two worthless cards is wasteful. Save it for a pile holding the ten of diamonds, the two of clubs or aces, or for the last deal when the remaining table goes to whoever captured last.
Watch the last deal. In the final four cards, whichever team takes the last capture also sweeps the leftovers. Holding a jack for your final card is often worth the wait.
Play for the majority bonus together. The 3 points for most cards go to the team, so big piles taken by your partner count as much as yours. Do not compete with your partner for a pile; let whoever can take it more cheaply do it.
If you enjoy Partnership Pishti, try Pis Yedili or Pishti next.
