How to Play Setback Online

Play a complete game on your phone, tablet, or computer. The site deals, enforces turns and legal cards, and calculates High, Low, Jack, and Game.

Play Against Computers

1
Open Play Online and choose a game format.
2
Choose enough computer players to fill the other positions—for example, three computers for a four-player game—then choose the computer speed and player turn timer. Every computer uses the Pro strategy.
3
Create the table, select Deal Cards and Start, then bid and play your highlighted cards. Computer turns happen automatically.

Play With Real People

1
Choose zero computer players for an all-human game, or add fewer computers for a mixed game.
2
Send the invitation link by text, Facebook, or your phone's Share button. You can also tell players the six-character room code.
3
Arrange positions and partners before dealing. If the game has already started, a new real player may use the room code to take over a computer position without resetting the cards or score.

Available Formats

Four-player partners: two teams of two.
High Low Jack: four-player partners with the nine-card throw-away and refill deal.
Cutthroat: three or four players, each keeping an individual score.
Six players: three teams of two or two teams of three.
Eight players: four teams of two or two teams of four.

Players carrying the same team number are partners. The host may move or swap positions before dealing.

How a Hand Works

  1. Traditional Setback gives everyone six cards. High Low Jack deals nine cards in three-card packets, then discards and refills to six after trump is named.
  2. Bidding begins left of the dealer.
  3. The winning bidder chooses trump and must lead a trump card first.
  4. Choose only highlighted cards; the server prevents illegal plays.
  5. After six tricks, the site awards High, Low, Jack, and Game, shows each team's captured cards, reconciles the hand, and applies any setback.
  6. Bid to Win requires the bidding team to make its bid and reach the target score. Float Out lets any team reaching the target score win, including the defending team.
  7. Every computer uses Pro strategy. The host chooses Slow, Normal, or Fast play.
  8. The optional 15-, 30-, or 60-second timer keeps a table moving. When a real player's time expires, the server makes one legal decision for that turn.
  9. Claim All appears only when the server can prove that the claimant holds every remaining trump and nobody else holds trump.
  10. Show Last Hand opens the latest captured cards, point awards, bid result, and score reconciliation.
  11. Table sounds are original SetbackCT cues generated by the browser for cards, bids, trump, tricks, scoring, chat, and your turn. Every player controls their own volume or can turn sounds off.
  12. Table Chat includes quick messages and free text. Players can mute another player locally, and the table host can remove inappropriate messages.
  13. Personalize My Table lets each player choose their own table color, card face, card back, and card-play sound. Preferences stay on that player's device and never change another player's screen.
  14. The host deals the next hand until someone reaches the winning score.

High Low Jack · Nine-Card Throw-Away

  1. The dealer gives each player three cards at a time until everyone has nine.
  2. Bidding begins left of the dealer. The dealer bids last and may take a matching bid when that option is selected.
  3. The bid winner names trump. The site discards every non-trump from the original hands.
  4. Starting left of the dealer and ending with the dealer, the site deals each player enough cards to hold six. Known non-trump junk cards fill any dealer shortage.
  5. A player with more than six original trumps keeps six, protecting Ace, Low, and Jack first.
  6. The bidder leads first and must lead trump. The remaining play and High, Low, Jack, Game scoring are handled automatically.

Five-Game Tournament

Select Five-game tournament while creating the table. Each game starts at zero and plays to the chosen winning score—15 by default.

The table records every game winner and plays all five games. The champion is determined by game wins, with total points used if game wins are tied.

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