According to Charles Cotton, the game originated in Kent,[1] but spread to the whole of England and eventually abroad.

Nowadays the original game is especially popular in Trinidad and Tobago, but regional variants have also survived in England.

The game's "great mark of distinction" is that it gave the name 'jack' to the card previously known as the knave.

Its first known description was in Charles Cotton's Compleat Gamester of 1674, where the game was reported as popular in Kent.

It is probably of Dutch ancestry, and is the game that gave the name jack to the card that was originally known only as the knave.

Modern descendants include don and phat, developed in Britain and Ireland.

[3] The earliest known rules for all fours appear in the 1674 edition of The Compleat Gamester by Charles Cotton.

[8] Cotton tells us that "All-Fours is a Game very much play'd in Kent, and very well it may since from thence it drew its first original; and although the game may be lookt upon as trivial and inconsiderable, yet I have known Kentish Gentlemen and others of very considerable note, who have play'd great sums of money at it..." His rules, which are not complete, are as follows.

However, in the rest of the game the cards rank in their natural order (aces high).

[1][b] The scoring card values for game are ace 4, king 3, queen 2, jack 1, and ten 10.

Play is not described in detail, except that it seems players had to follow suit, but could renege on doing so if they had a trump.

[1] The following rules for classic all fours are based on Arnold (2010), supplemented where stated by Parlett (2008):[9] The aim is to be the first player to 7, points being awarded for gift, high, low, jack and game.

A standard, 52-card, English pattern pack is used with cards ranking in their natural order (aces high).

After examining their hands, elder may accept the trump suit by saying "I stand" or reject it by saying "I beg".

If the dealer agrees, he says "take one" and concedes 1 point for Gift to elder hand and play begins.

If it is the same suit again, the new turn-up and extra downcards are discard without being viewed and the cards are run again.

In addition to any points scored during the deal for gift or turning the jack, players score one point for each of the following: high: winning the highest trump in play; low: winning the lowest trump in play; jack: winning the trump jack if in play; and game for scoring the most card points in tricks.

Otherwise, players score at the end of the deal in the order: high, low, jack and game.

After dealing the dealer turns the next card on the stock face up to determine the trump suit.

Instead of immediately leading to the first trick, eldest hand has the option of begging, to which the dealer responds either by granting each opposing party 1 point, or by running the cards.

[g] In a game with two parties, a maximum of 6 points can accrue in one deal if the dealer turns up a jack and runs the cards.

Players receive six cards in three rounds of variable number as the dealer chooses.

A player with no trumps or counting cards left and who is losing the current trick, may throw in his hand, face up, leaving his partner to continue alone.

At the end of the deal, teams score for High, Low, jack and Game as usual.

The Lancashire variant differs from its Yorkshire counterpart as follows:[3] Cards are cut for first pitch.

All fours has spawned a whole family of games, several of which have been highly successful, especially in America, Ireland and Wales.

One variant, pidro, has even been found in Finland, although games of the all fours genre have otherwise hardly penetrated Europe.

The game is won by the party that first reaches the previously specified target score over several deals.

Around the middle of the 19th century among American players an innovation spread, allowing the eldest hand to "sell the trump", i.e. auction the privilege to pitch.

Starting with eldest hand each player bids for the privilege of pitching or passes exactly once.