What is Black Bitch?
1.
1. A card game - variation of the game of hearts (also known as "black witch"). This game is more cutthroat.
All the cards are dealt. Dealer rotates. Three cards are passed to another player in rotation starting with the player to the left. Player on the dealers left plays first by selecting a card and laying it down. Play procedes clockwise, players must follow suit or discard. Highest in the suit wins. Some cards have a point value and are retained face up.
Hearts have their spot value (face cards 10, ace 20) and the Queen of spades is worth 31 (the black bitch).
Points are totaled after each hand - play stops when a predetermined score is reached (usually 500)... *lowest* score wins. However - should all the point cards be won in one hand, everyone *elses* score increases by 31.
In some variations, the jack of diamonds is worth -31, thus canceling the black bitch or reducing a players overall score.
When played with a tarot deck, wands plays the role of hearts, swords the role of spades, and the major arcana are trumps (win any hand where it is the highest trump card played).
2. The queen of spades (see above)
3. (More obscure) A sudden, single, stroke of extremely bad luck.
I was just cruising past all the other competitors when life hit me with the black bitch: my engine blew up!
"OK - hit me with the black bitch..." (when a friend is reluctant to deliver bad news or to do some harmful action).
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