Setback vs Pitch Card Game vs Smear: What’s the Difference?

Call it Pitch, Setback, Smear, or High-Low-Jack — it depends where you grew up. These are all regional names for the same family of trick-taking card games, and they share a common DNA: players bid for the right to name trump, then compete to capture point cards through tricks. But once you sit down at a table in Iowa versus one in Connecticut, you’ll find the rules can look surprisingly different.

This guide breaks down the major variants, where they come from, and what sets them apart so you can figure out which version you’ve been playing — and which ones you might want to try next.

Same Game, Different Names

The Pitch family has been played in the United States for well over a century, and like most card games with deep roots, it picked up different names as it traveled. Here’s where you’ll hear each one:

• Pitch — The most widely used name today, especially across the Midwest. Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri are all strongholds. The name comes from the act of “pitching” (leading) the first trump card.
• Setback — The preferred name throughout New England, particularly in Connecticut. “Setback” refers to being “set back” — penalized by losing points when you fail to make your bid.
• Smear — Common in Minnesota and the Dakotas. The name comes from “smearing” point cards into tricks your partner is winning, a key strategic move.
• High-Low-Jack — The original historical name for the game, referencing the four scoring categories in the earliest version: High (ace of trump), Low (deuce of trump), Jack (jack of trump), and Game (most pip value). You’ll still hear this name occasionally, but it’s less common in everyday use.

Despite the different names, all of these games descend from the same ancestor. The differences that matter are not in what people call the game but in which variant they play. There are three major versions, each adding layers of complexity and strategy.

What Is 4-Point Pitch?

Four-point Pitch is the simplest and oldest version of the game. It uses a standard 52-card deck with no Jokers, and there are exactly four points up for grabs each hand:

1. High — Awarded to the team that played the highest trump card (the ace).
2. Low — Awarded to the team that played the lowest trump card (the deuce).
3. Jack — Awarded to the team that captures the jack of trump in a trick.
4. Game — Awarded to the team whose captured cards have the highest total pip value (aces = 4, kings = 3, queens = 2, jacks = 1, tens = 10).

Bidding starts at 2 and goes up to 4. The winning bidder names trump and leads the first trick. If you fail your bid, you’re “set back” by the bid amount — hence the Setback name.

Four-point Pitch is quick to learn and plays fast. It’s a great introduction to the family and remains popular in casual settings, especially in New England and parts of the South. Games are typically played to 7, 11, or 21 points.

What Is 10-Point Pitch?

Ten-point Pitch expands the game significantly. The deck grows to 54 cards by adding two Jokers (High Joker and Low Joker), and the number of point cards jumps from four to eight unique scoring opportunities totaling 10 points:

• Ace of trump (1 point)
• Jack of trump (1 point)
• Off-Jack — the jack of the same-color suit as trump (1 point)
• High Joker (1 point)
• Low Joker (1 point)
• 10 of trump (1 point)
• 2 of trump (1 point)
• 3 of trump (3 points — the single most valuable card)

That last one is the game-changer. The 3 of trump is worth three points but has very low trick-taking power. It sits near the bottom of the trump ranking, meaning any card ranked 4 or higher can capture it. This creates a fascinating tension: the most valuable card in the game is also one of the most vulnerable.

The Off-Jack is another distinctive feature. When hearts are trump, for example, the jack of diamonds becomes a trump card and leaves its original suit entirely. It slots in between the jack of trump (Right Jack) and the High Joker in the trump ranking.

Ten-point Pitch is played across the Midwest and Plains states. Bidding typically starts at 4 and can go as high as 10. The winning score varies by house rules.

What Is 31-Point Partnership Pitch?

Thirty-one-point Partnership Pitch is the most complex and strategic version of the game. Sometimes called the “Cadillac” version, it takes the 10-point structure and wraps it in a partnership format with several additional mechanics.

The basics: Four players form two fixed partnerships (players sitting across from each other). Each player is dealt 9 cards, and the remaining 18 cards form a widow (also called the kitty). After bidding and naming trump, the widow is distributed in a specific order — non-bid-winners first, bid winner last — and everyone trims their hand down to exactly 6 cards for play.

What makes it different:

• Partnership play — You and your partner share a score. Smearing points into your partner’s winning tricks is a core skill.
• Widow distribution — The 18-card widow adds a layer of hidden information and strategy. Non-bid-winners discard their non-trump cards, then draw from the widow to fill their hand to 6. The bid winner receives all remaining widow cards and picks the best 6 to keep. This means the bid winner might end up seeing 27 or more of the 54 cards in the deck.
• Protected 2 of trump — The 2 of trump always returns to the player who played it, regardless of who wins the trick. That one point cannot be captured by the opposing team. It’s a guaranteed safe point.
• Shoot the Moon — A special bid where a team commits to capturing all 10 points. Success earns +20 points; failure costs -20. Only available to teams with a positive score.
• Stick the dealer — If everyone passes, the dealer must bid at least 4. No throwing the hand away.

Games are played to 31 points, and scores can go negative. If both teams cross 31 in the same hand, the bidding team wins.

This variant is most strongly associated with Iowa and Nebraska, where it has deep roots in family and community card-playing traditions. The combination of partnership communication, widow management, and the risk-reward of high bids makes it the most strategically rich version of Pitch.

Pitch31 plays the full 31-point partnership variant with every rule correct — Off-Jacks, Jokers, protected 2, and the widow. Try it free.

Key Differences at a Glance

Feature	4-Point Pitch	10-Point Pitch	31-Point Partnership
Deck	52 cards	54 (with Jokers)	54 (with Jokers)
Players	2-4	2-4	4 (2 teams)
Points per hand	4	10	10
Winning score	Varies (7-21)	Varies	31
Jokers	No	Yes	Yes
Off-Jack	No	Yes	Yes
Widow	No	Sometimes	Yes
3 of trump = 3 pts	No	Yes	Yes
Protected 2 of trump	No	No	Yes
Shoot the Moon	No	Sometimes	Yes
Partnership required	No	No	Yes

Which Version Should You Play?

There is no wrong answer here. Each variant has its own appeal:

• New to trick-taking games? Start with 4-point Pitch. It teaches you the fundamentals — bidding, naming trump, leading tricks, capturing points — without overwhelming you with special cards. You can learn it in five minutes and play a full game in fifteen.

• Want more depth without full complexity? 10-point Pitch is the sweet spot for many players. The Jokers, Off-Jack, and 3-of-trump scoring add meaningful decisions to every hand without requiring a partner or managing a widow.

• Ready for the full experience? 31-point Partnership Pitch rewards long-term thinking, partnership communication, and risk management. The widow distribution phase alone adds a strategic dimension that the other variants lack entirely. If you grew up playing 4-point and wonder what you’ve been missing, this is where the game opens up.

• Playing with a group that can’t agree on teams? Cutthroat Pitch (every player for themselves) works with 10-point rules and is a solid option for 3 or 5 players.

Many experienced players who try 31-point Partnership Pitch don’t go back. The partnership dynamics, the hidden information in the widow, and the swing potential of Shoot the Moon bids create a game with genuine strategic depth — the kind where you’re still thinking about a hand the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Pitch and Setback the same game?

Yes and no. “Pitch” and “Setback” are regional names for the same family of games. A game of Setback in Connecticut and a game of Pitch in Iowa share the same core mechanics — bid, name trump, play tricks, score points — but they may follow different variant rules (4-point vs. 10-point vs. 31-point). The name alone doesn’t tell you which variant someone plays.

Why is the 3 of trump worth 3 points?

In 10-point and 31-point variants, the 3 of trump is worth 3 out of the 10 available points per hand. This creates the game’s central strategic tension: the most valuable card has almost no trick-taking power. Protecting your 3 or capturing your opponent’s 3 is one of the most important skills in the game. Read our complete 31-point rules guide for more detail on this dynamic.

What is the Off-Jack in Pitch?

The Off-Jack is the jack of the same color as the trump suit. If hearts are trump, the jack of diamonds is the Off-Jack. It leaves its original suit and becomes a trump card, ranking just below the Right Jack (jack of trump) and just above the High Joker. It is worth 1 point. Learn more about what the Off-Jack is and how it works.

What does “Shoot the Moon” mean in Pitch?

In 31-point Partnership Pitch, Shoot the Moon is a special bid where a team commits to winning all 10 points in a hand. If they succeed, they earn +20 points. If they fail, they lose 20 points. Only teams with a positive score are eligible to bid it. It’s a high-risk, high-reward play that can swing the entire game.

How is scoring different across variants?

In 4-point Pitch, you score up to 4 points per hand across fixed categories (High, Low, Jack, Game). In 10-point and 31-point variants, you score by capturing specific point cards in tricks, with the 3 of trump alone worth 3 points. The 31-point variant adds the protected 2 of trump and Shoot the Moon bonus scoring. For a full breakdown, see our guide on scoring in Pitch.

Can I play Pitch online?

Yes. No matter what you call it, if you love trick-taking card games, 31-point Pitch is worth learning. Download Pitch31 to play the full 31-point partnership variant on iOS with accurate rules, AI opponents, and partnership play.