Pub Derby
A tactical team card game of attacking waves, dirty tackles, and nerve-wracking penalty shootouts.
Pub Derby is a trick-taking card game with a football twist. Each deck features AI-generated oil paintings of legendary players, but you can also play with a standard 52-card deck — all you need are the rules.
Split into two teams, sit alternating around the table, and battle it out over two halves. Win consecutive tricks to build attacking waves and score goals. But watch out for the Jacks — they represent foul play and can lead to yellow cards and penalty shootouts!
Works with 4, 6, or 8 players. Grab a deck, a few drinks, and competitive friends.
📋 Setup
- Deck: A standard 52-card deck (no jokers).
- Teams: Played in two teams (Team A and Team B).
- Seating: Players must sit alternating around the table (A, B, A, B...). You cannot sit next to your teammate.
🔢 Choose your format
Option 1: "The Pub Match" (6 players / 3 vs 3)
- Deal 8 cards to each player.
- The 4 remaining cards ("The Bench") are not used in play, but reveal the top card to determine the Trump suit (the strongest suit of the match).
- To Score: Win 2 consecutive tricks.
Option 2: "The Classic" (4 players / 2 vs 2)
- Deal all 13 cards to each player (the full deck).
- Draw one card randomly before starting (and shuffle it back in) to determine the Trump suit.
- To Score: Win 3 consecutive tricks.
Option 3: "The Big Squad" (8 players / 4 vs 4)
- Deal 6 cards to each player.
- The 4 remaining cards are not used in play, but reveal the top card to determine the Trump suit.
- To Score: Win 2 consecutive tricks.
Tip: With 8 players, the game becomes more chaotic and the halves are much faster!
🎮 How to play (the match)
- Kick-off: The player holding the 2 of Clubs starts the match by leading it. (If the 2 of Clubs is on the bench, the turn passes to the 2 of Diamonds, then Spades, then Hearts).
- Gameplay: Play proceeds clockwise around the table.
- Follow Suit: You must play a card of the same suit as the led card if you are able to.
- Tackle (Trumping): If you cannot follow suit, you may play a Trump card. Trump cards beat all regular suits.
- Discard (Sluffing): If you cannot follow suit and cannot/do not want to trump, play any other card (you lose the trick).
- Winning the Trick: The highest Trump wins. If no Trump is played, the highest card of the led suit wins (Aces are high, 2s are low). The winner collects the cards and leads the next trick.
🥅 Scoring (the attacking wave)
In football, possession isn't enough; you have to build an attack!
- Build-up: Your team wins a trick (You have the ball).
- GOAL!: If your team wins the required amount of tricks in a row, you score a GOAL! (2 in a row for 3v3/4v4, 3 in a row for 2v2).
- Interception: If the opposing team wins a trick during your attacking wave, the attack is broken, the count resets, and they are now on the attack.
- After a Goal: Add 1 point to your score. The count resets for both teams. The player to the left of the goalscorer takes the kick-off by leading any card.
🟨 Foul play & penalties (the Jacks)
Jacks are powerful cards, but they represent dirty play, shirt-pulling, and late tackles.
- Yellow Card: If a team wins a trick containing one or more Jacks, the winning team receives a Yellow Card. Keep the Jack face up in front of you as a marker.
- Penalty Kick: If a team receives their second Yellow Card (at any point during the match), the referee points to the spot!
⚔️ The Penalty Shootout
- The game is temporarily paused.
- Take the cards from the trick where the penalty was caused and shuffle them face down on the table.
- The Striker (from the team that was fouled) draws one card.
- The Goalkeeper (from the penalized team) draws one card. Reveal them both at the same time!
- Does the Striker have the higher value? GOAL!
- Does the Goalkeeper have the higher value? SAVE!
Trumps do not apply during penalties, strictly card value. In case of a tie, draw new cards. After the penalty, the Jacks/Yellow Cards are discarded (reset), and play resumes.
⏱ Match time
A match consists of 2 halves. When all cards in hand have been played, it is halftime. Reshuffle the entire deck and deal again (Yellow cards carry over to the second half). Play until the cards are gone again. The team with the most goals at full-time wins!
The first Pub Derby deck is The Manchester Edition — a limited prototype edition of just 16 decks. A journey through Manchester's red and blue football history, told through AI-generated oil paintings across four eras.
♥The Treble Years (90s)
Cantona, Beckham and that night in Barcelona. When United were kings.
♣The Rise (City's awakening)
From the last years at Maine Road to the billions at the Etihad. An era where the motifs sometimes float between old and new.
♦Theatre of Nightmares (2010-2025)
The end of the Fergie era and the modern decline. A tribute to what was and what (never) came to be.
♠The Pep Roulette (City Modern)
Total football, tiki-taka and the eternal FPL-manager question: Who actually starts?
🃏 Joker / Wildcard
Carlos Tevez — the man who played for both sides.
The Challenge
Since the oil paintings are interpreted by AI, some motifs are spot-on, others more... "artistic". Look through the deck and try to guess which players they depict!