Side game · 3–4 players
How to play Aces & Deuces
Also called: Acey Deucey · aces and deuces golf
Low score on the hole is the Ace and collects from everyone. High score is the Deuce and pays everyone half. Ties wash.
The rules
- On every hole the lowest score is the Ace and the highest is the Deuce.
- The Ace collects one unit from every other player.
- The Deuce pays half a unit to every other player.
- A tie for low means no Ace that hole. A tie for high means no Deuce. Both can happen on the same hole.
- The two awards are independent — one hole can have an Ace and no Deuce, or neither.
A worked example
Setup. $2 a unit, four players, par 4.
- Scores: A = 4, B = 5, C = 6, D = 5.
- A is alone at the low, so A is the Ace. C is alone at the high, so C is the Deuce.
Result. A collects $2 from each of the other three, +$6. C pays $1 to each of the other three, −$3. B and D net +$1 each.
This is exactly how Bagpipe Golf settles it: hole by hole, zero-sum, no arguing at the 19th.
Variations and house rules
- Some groups play the Deuce at a full unit rather than a half. The app pays the half, which is the common version.
- Played gross in most groups. Net works and is the app default; switch it in the game settings.
How it works in the app
- Add Aces & Deuces at setup with three or four players and a unit value.
- Enter scores as normal — nothing extra to tap, both awards come off the scores.
- Settlement lists each hole and who was Ace or Deuce, then nets it.
Aces & Deuces FAQ
- What if two players tie for low?
- No Ace that hole. The award has to be outright, which is what keeps the game honest on a crowded leaderboard.
- Can one player be both Ace and Deuce?
- Only in a twosome, where the same hole makes one player low and the other high. With three or more it cannot happen.