 Ace of Hearts (Irish language deck), always a trump in forty-fives | |
| Origin | Ireland |
|---|---|
| Alternative names | Forty-five, forte fives, auction forty-fives, 45 à bitter, auction 120s, 120, growl, spoil five, maw, strong fives |
| Type | trick-taking |
| Family | Trick-taking |
| Players | 2–6 |
| Skills | Strategy |
| Age range | 7+ |
| Cards | 52 |
| Deck | French |
| Rank (high→low) | See below |
| Play | Clockwise |
| Playing time | 20 min. |
| Chance | Medium |
| Related games | |
| Spoil Five, Maw | |
Forty-fives (also known as auction forty-fives, auction 120s, 120, and growl) is a trick-taking card game that originated in Ireland. The game is popular in many communities throughout Atlantic Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island) as well as the Gaspé Coast in Québec. Forty-fives is also played in parts of Massachusetts[a] and southern New Hampshire in New England, United States, as well as in the South Island of New Zealand.
There are several regional variations. Traditional Forty Fives goes to a score of 45 points, hence the name of the game. In the Auction Forty Fives variant the score goes to 120 points and requires bidding. In many areas outside of Canada, Auction Forty Fives is simply referred to as Forty Fives. Although the number 45 has no relevance to Auction Forty Fives, the name persisted. Auction Forty Fives is closely related to the game One-hundred and ten.
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