What is GOPS?
GOPS, or Game of Pure Strategy, is a fantastically simple bidding game that can be played in minutes.
Learn how to play this game in just a few simple steps.
| Number of players | 2 to 3 |
| Game length | 10 minutes |
| Game difficulty | Easy |
| What you need to play | A standard deck of playing cards |
If you enjoy GOPS, check out this list of the top games to play with a deck of cards.
Object of the game
The objective of the game is to win the diamond cards by bidding using your own cards. In each round, the player who bids the highest-value card wins the diamond. The game consists of 13 rounds. At the end of the last round, players add up the values of all the diamonds they’ve won. The player with the highest total wins the game.
Setting up the game
- Remove the jokers from the deck and separate the cards into the four suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades.
- Shuffle the diamond cards and place them in a single face-down pile in the middle of the table.
- Give each player the cards from one of the other suits. If there are only two players, one suit will be left out of the game.
Playing the game
Step 1 – At the beginning of each round, the top card from the face-down pile of diamonds is revealed.
Step 2 – All players bid for the card by choosing one of their cards and placing it face-down on the table so no one else can see it. Simultaneously, all played cards are revealed.
Step 3 – The player who played the card with the highest value wins the diamond card. All played cards are then removed from the game.
Step 4 – If all players bid the same value card (e.g., all bid a 5), the winner of the next diamond card will also receive the tied card. If it’s the last card being bid for, nobody wins it.
Step 5 – In a three-player game, if two players bid the same value card, the third player wins the diamond.
Winning the game
- After 13 rounds (when all diamond cards have been bid on), each player adds up the values of the diamonds they have won. The player with the highest total value of diamonds is the winner of the game (Aces are worth 1 point, Jacks, are worth 11 points, Queens are worth 12 points and Kings are worth 13 points. All other diamonds are worth their face value).