How to play
Pishti (Turkish Pişti) is a fast fishing game for two, played with a standard 52-card deck. At the start of each hand, four cards go to the middle of the table, three face down and the top one face up. Each player gets four cards.
- Play one card onto the pile in the middle, taking turns.
- Take the pile by playing a card of the same rank as the top card. A jack takes the pile whatever the top card is.
- If your card doesn’t match, it simply stays on top of the pile.
- When both hands are empty, each player gets four more cards from the deck, until the deck runs out. Then the cards left on the table go to whoever took a pile last.
Pishti! Taking a pile of just one card with the same rank is a pishti, worth 10 points. Taking a single jack with another jack is worth 20. Playing a jack on a single non-jack card takes it, but it isn’t a pishti. Taking the four cards dealt at the start isn’t a pishti either.
Scoring
At the end of each hand, you score for the cards you took:
| Cards | Points |
|---|---|
| Each ace | 1 |
| Each jack | 1 |
| 2♣ | 2 |
| 10♦ | 3 |
| Most cards (27 or more) | 3 |
| Each pishti | 10 (jack pishti 20) |
A hand has 16 points in cards, plus pishtis. The first player to reach 101 (or 151, if you choose it at the top) wins; if both pass it at the same time, the higher score wins, and a tie means one more hand. The deal alternates between hands, and the player who doesn’t deal plays first.
Strategy
- Count the cards. Remember which ranks have been played. A card whose other three copies are already gone is safe to throw on an empty table: it can’t be matched for a pishti.
- Never leave an easy pishti. Throwing a card on an empty table is risky when its rank is still out there. Prefer ranks that have been seen two or three times.
- Save your jacks. A jack takes any pile, so it’s most valuable when the pile is big or holds the 10♦, 2♣ or aces. Using it on one or two plain cards wastes it.
- Watch the pile’s value. When the table holds the 10♦ or several aces, your opponent will fight for it. Don’t add a card they are likely to match.
- Last cards matter. Whoever takes the last pile gets everything left on the table, so keep a jack or a likely match for the final round.
If you enjoy Pishti, try Poker Squares or President next.
