Play Lockup for free
Lockup is a trick-taking card game for four players where you try to win as many tricks as you can, without getting caught with Clubs. Here on Kitchen Table Cards you can play it free in your browser against three computer players, with big cards, a Hint button and no time pressure. There is nothing to download and you do not need an account.
How to play · Getting locked up · Scoring · Tips · Questions
How to play Lockup
Lockup is played with a standard 52-card deck. Each player is dealt 13 cards. Aces are high, and there is no trump suit. A round lasts until everyone's cards are used up.
- Starting: a player chosen at random leads the first trick. In each new round, the player to the left of the last starter begins.
- Leading: you can lead any suit except Clubs. You may only lead a Club when you have nothing else left.
- Following suit: each player in turn plays one card of the suit that was led, if they have one. If not, they can play any card.
- The picture-card exception: if a Jack, Queen or King is already in the trick and you hold the Club of the same rank, you may play that Club even though you could follow suit.
- Winning a trick: the highest card of the suit that was led wins the trick, and that player leads the next one.
Getting locked up
Clubs are the danger in Lockup. If you win a trick that has Clubs in it, you are locked up for one trick for each Club. Take a trick with three Clubs, and you are locked up for the next three tricks.
While you are locked up, you sit out. You don't play a card. Instead, a random card from your hand is thrown away, and the others play the trick with three cards. If you would have led, the player to your left leads instead. When your lockup is over, you join in again as normal.
Scoring in Lockup
Every trick you win is worth 1 point. Scores are added up at the end of each round. The first player to reach 20 points wins. If two or more players reach 20 with the same score, the game carries on until one of them is ahead, so there is always one winner.
How to play on this site
| Play a card | Click or tap it when it's your turn, or drag it up onto the table. Cards you can't play are shown darker. |
|---|---|
| Locked up | A locked-up player's name turns grey and shows how many tricks they must sit out. The card they throw away is shown greyed out on the table. |
| Hint | Suggests a good card to play. |
| Pause | Stops the other players until you are ready to carry on. |
| Scores | Shows how many tricks everyone has won in each round. |
| Settings | Choose a shorter game, how fast the other players play, and the table colour. |
Tips for winning at Lockup
- Win the clean tricks. A trick without Clubs is a free point, so play your high cards when nobody can spoil it.
- Duck when Clubs appear. If someone has thrown a Club onto the trick, play a low card and let another player take it.
- Save your Clubs as weapons. When you can't follow suit, throw a Club onto a trick someone else is winning.
- Watch for picture cards. A Jack, Queen or King in the trick lets you slip in the matching Club, even when you could follow suit.
- Remember the high cards. Once the Ace of a suit has gone, your King of that suit may win the next trick.
Lockup questions and answers
Is this Lockup card game free?
Yes. Lockup on Kitchen Table Cards is completely free to play in your browser. There is no download, no sign-up and nothing to buy.
Who am I playing against?
You play against three friendly computer players, Rosa, Walter and June. You do not need to find other people or wait for anyone to join.
What does it mean to be locked up?
If you win a trick that has Clubs in it, you are locked up for one trick for each Club. While you are locked up you sit out: you do not play a card, and a random card from your hand is thrown away instead. The other players play those tricks with three cards.
When can I lead a Club?
Only when you have nothing but Clubs left in your hand. Otherwise you must lead a Diamond, Spade or Heart.
Can I ever play a Club when I could follow suit?
Yes, there is one exception. If a Jack, Queen or King is already in the trick and you have the Club of the same rank, you may play that Club instead of following suit. It is a good way to give a Club to the player who is winning the trick.
How do you win Lockup?
Every trick you win is worth 1 point. The first player to reach 20 points wins (or 10 points if you choose a shorter game in Settings). If two players reach it with the same score, the game goes on until one of them is ahead.
Can I play Lockup on a tablet or phone?
Yes. Tap a card to play it, or drag it up onto the table. Cards you are not allowed to play are shown darker, and the game tells you why if you tap one.
Does the game save my progress?
Yes. The game is saved on your device after every card, so you can close the page and carry on later.
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