Last updated March 19, 2020
The most popular game played at 30 Bly Street was Sixty-Six. Everybody played it at one time or another. Grandma, Dad, Mom, Bob, Joe, Bill, Rich, Linda, Terri, Jimmy,Ozzie, Mary, Marge, Judi Joanne, Tom and Charlotte. The game had been a tradition in the Hartmann and Pint families for as anyone could remember. Grandpa Pint (Pup) taught his kids to play. It is assumed that Grandpa Hartmann did the same.
The games were played for almost any occasion, or no occasion. Someone would clear off the kitchen, or later, dining room table and bring out the cards. Partners were chosen. If husband and wife, or boyfrien
d and girlfriend were present, they would be a team. The games were always team against team. If there were extra people available they would take the losing team’s place for the next game. A fifth person might be swapped in at the beginning of a new game or even in the middle. The adults, except Grandma and Mom, often had adult beverages, thus livening the game. The games were played for a small amount of money, but that was not the purpose. The games were sometimes raucous, but never subdued.
During the game you might here phrases such as “No talking overboard”, “That’s not the way Pup taught us how to play”. “I got 4 9’s, redeal”.
Sixty-six at the Hartmann house was played just a little differently from the official rules found on Bicyclecards.com. The A, 10, K, Q, J, 9 from a half deck of Pinochle cards was used. This was probably a holdout from the frugality of the families in the early 20th century. The ranking of the cards was: A (high), 10, K, Q, J, 9, Six cards are dealt clockwise to each player, beginning with the player on the dealer’s left.
The goal is to score 66 points as follows:
Each ace (taken in on tricks) 11
Each ten (taken in on tricks) 10
Each king (taken in on tricks) 4
Each queen (taken in on tricks) 3
Each jack (taken in on tricks) 2
The player on the dealer’s left leads which declares is declared trump. Each succeeding player in turn not only must follow suit but must win the trick if possible. If the player cannot follow suit, he must trump or top the previous trump if he can. Occasionally someone would be dealt four nines. This resulted in a misdeal.