Seep Card Game Rules: How to Play Sweep
Reviewed by Kishan Modi, App Safety Researcher
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Seep (also written Sweep or Sip) is a four-player partnership fishing game from Punjab. Cards are captured from the floor by matching their value: Ace 1, number cards face value, Jack 11, Queen 12, King 13. You can also build houses, piles worth 9 to 13 that can only be taken whole. Only 17 cards score: every spade at its value, the other three Aces at 1 each, and the 10 of diamonds at 6, for 100 points in total. Clearing the whole floor in one capture is a seep, worth 50. The team that builds a 100-point lead wins the baazi.
Seep Rules at a Glance
| Rule | |
|---|---|
| Players | 4, two teams, partners opposite |
| Deck | 52 cards, no jokers |
| Capture values | A = 1, 2-10 face value, J = 11, Q = 12, K = 13 |
| Houses | Piles worth 9 to 13, captured only as a whole |
| Scoring cards | Spades at their value, other Aces 1 each, 10♦ = 6. Total 100 |
| Seep | Clearing the floor in one capture: 50 points |
| Winning | First team to lead by 100 points wins the baazi |
The Deal and the Bid
- Play goes counter-clockwise. The dealer gives four cards to the player on their right, and puts four cards face down on the floor.
- That player looks at their four cards and bids a house value from 9 to 13, which must match a card they hold. If they have nothing higher than 8, they show the cards and the hand is redealt.
- The four floor cards are turned face up. The bidder must now use a card of the bid value: build a house of that value, capture with it, or throw it on the floor as a loose card.
- The dealer deals the rest of the cards in fours. The bidder ends up with 11 cards, everyone else 12, and each player gets 12 turns in all.
What You Can Do on Your Turn
Every turn you play one card, and it does one of three things.
- Capture: take floor cards that match your card's value. A 9 takes a loose 9, or a 5 and a 4 together, or a house worth 9. If your card can capture several separate things, you take all of them; you can't leave a match behind.
- Build a house: combine your card with floor cards into a pile worth 9 to 13. You must hold another card of that value, and you have to keep it until the house is captured.
- Throw: if your card captures nothing and builds nothing, it stays on the floor as a loose card.
Houses: Ordinary and Cemented
An ordinary house is a pile whose cards add up to its value, such as 6 + 5 for an 11 house. An opponent can break it by adding a card from their hand to raise its value, for example adding a 2 to make it 13, but only if they hold a 13 to capture it with later. You can't break your own house.
A cemented (pakka) house holds the value more than once, such as 6 + 5 plus a separate Jack in an 11 house. Cemented houses can't be broken, only added to or captured. There can only be one house of each value on the floor, and a loose card can't sit next to a house of the same value; they merge.
Seeps and Scoring
A seep is when one capture clears every card from the floor. It's worth 50 points, with two exceptions: a seep by the bidder on the very first turn is worth 25, and a seep made with the dealer's last card of the hand is worth nothing. Any cards still on the floor at the end go to the team that made the last capture.
| Team A | Team B | |
|---|---|---|
| Spades captured | K♠ Q♠ 10♠ 7♠ 3♠ = 45 | J♠ 9♠ 8♠ 6♠ 5♠ 4♠ 2♠ A♠ = 46 |
| Other Aces | A♥ = 1 | A♦ A♣ = 2 |
| 10♦ | 6 | 0 |
| Seeps | 1 × 50 | 0 |
| Total | 102 | 48 |
Team A leads this hand by 54, and that goes onto the running total. When one team's lead reaches 100, it wins the baazi and the totals reset. A team that scores under 9 points in a hand loses the baazi straight away.
Seep: FAQ
How many points are in Seep?
100: all thirteen spades at their capture value (91), the other three Aces at 1 each, and the 10 of diamonds at 6.
What is a seep in the Seep card game?
Capturing every card on the floor in one go. It's worth 50 points, or 25 if the bidder does it on the first turn, and nothing with the dealer's last card.
What values can a house have in Seep?
From 9 to 13. You need to hold a card of that value to build it.
What is a pakka (cemented) house?
A house that contains its value more than once. It can't be broken, only added to or captured.
How do you win a game of Seep?
The first team to build a lead of 100 points over the other wins the baazi. Players agree how many baazis to play.