About the Sweep Card Game (Sweep Rules and Cards)

Sweep, also known as Seep, or Sip, is a classic Indian card game that is popular in India, Pakistan, and other Asian countries. The goal of the game is to collect point-valued cards from a table arrangement and discard all your cards while achieving the lowest possible score after several rounds.

Sweep Cards and Components

The game of Sweep is played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards. The total value of the cards in seep is 100 points in northern India, but in Punjab, a variant is played where the total card value is 30 points.

In Sweep, the cards are ranked from high to low: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2, in which every card counts against a player, except for Aces, which are worth one point. The Jacks and Queens also count against a player. The ten card is a wild card that can be played as any other card but counts as 10 points if it’s in a player’s hand at the end of a round.

Sweep Card Game Rules (Sweep Rules & Instructions)

The game is played between 2–4 players, and players are divided into two-player partnerships. The game concludes when one team possesses a lead of at least 100 points over the opposing team, referred to as a baazi in Hindi-Urdu. However, before the start of the game, players have the option to select the number of baazis they wish to participate in.

How to Play Sweep Card Game

To play a sweep card game, before beginning the game, players must decide how many baazis they want to continue within the game. To start Sweep, the dealer mixes up the cards, and the player makes the right cuts to start the game. 

The dealer gives four cards face down to each player in an anti-clockwise direction and places four cards face down on the table, and the player to their right picks up their cards.

Starting the Play

The game begins with the opening player laying down one card on the table in front of them, and the other players follow the order of cards in an anti-clockwise direction. In Sweep, a player has the ability to swipe to capture or pick up cards, throw a loose card on the table, or place one of their cards on the table with a card from their hand.

Bidding

The starting player can bid for a house by choosing a number from 9 to 13 if they have a card worth nine or more points. However, if the player cannot bid, they will show their cards and throw them away, and the dealer will reshuffle and again deal the cards until a bid is possible.

Taking Turns

Players take turns in an anti-clockwise direction. On their turn, a player can add to or create a new house, capture or pick up houses or cards, throw a loose card on the table, or place one of their cards on the table with a card from their hand.

Matching Cards

To capture cards, a player must match the rank of the card they play with the cards on the table. For example, a player can capture a 5 and a 6 with a 6. A player can also capture cards by putting up one or more cards from the same group with a capture value equal to the card in their hand.

Capturing

To capture cards, a player can play a card from their hand, put up one or more cards from the same group with a capture value equal to the card in their hand, or create piles or houses out of the cards while capturing them.

Scoring

The game of Sweep is scored by adding up the points for each card captured by each team. The team that captures the most cards and has the lowest score wins the round. The goal is to have the lowest score after multiple rounds have been played.

In Sweep, every card counts against a player, except for Aces, which are worth one point. Jacks and Queens also count against a player. A ten card is a wild card that can be played as any other card, but counts as 10 points if it’s in a player’s hand at the end of a round. Players earn points for capturing the last card (1 point) and making a sweep (7 points).

Round Ending and Winning

The Sweep Card Game ends when one team has a 100-point lead over the other, and the team with the lowest score at the end of the game wins. Within a game, players earn points for capturing specific cards and various combinations. For example, a player earns one point for capturing the last card and seven points for capturing all the cards in one sweep.