Napoleon or Nap is a straightforward trick-taking game in which players receive five cards each and whoever bids the highest number of tricks chooses trumps and tries to win at least that number of tricks.

It is often described as a simplified version of Euchre, although David Parlett believes it is more like "an elaboration of Rams".

The game has been popular in England for many years, and has given the language a slang expression, "to go nap",[2] meaning to take five of anything.

Despite its title and allusions, it is not recorded before the last third of the nineteenth century, and may have been first named after Napoleon III.

[1] Rules for Napoleon, "a very spirited and interesting game", were first published in England in 1876.

[4] Another, shorter, rule set appeared in 1882 when it was described as "comparatively new" but "exceedingly interesting" and a "lively and stirring round game".

[5] However, an 1884 treatise claims that while Napoleon is "neither new nor unknown", its "popularity stands unrivalled" being played by "tens of thousands and yet remaining unchronicled".

[11] For a long time Nap was Britain's national five-card game[12] and, although it has declined in popularity, it is still played in parts of southern England and in Strathclyde, Scotland.

[13] The old game of Napoleon consists simply of five cards dealt out singly with the various players bidding in their turn how many tricks they think they can make.

Whoever bids highest plays alone against the rest and leads to the first trick, the card led determining the trump for that hand.

[8] At some tables, trumps are recognized, determined in the usual way by the initial lead.

However, this feature has doubtless been imported by players unacquainted with the original Misère and the method of playing it.

The bidder must lead with his lowest value trump card when bidding Wellington and the game is worth double.

It was introduced into the game by "card-sharpers", who, working in collusion, used it to systematically overcall "Mr. Jugging's" Naps, and the unconscious "Mr. Jugging", attracted by the pleasing novelty, introduced this modality among his friends.

Sir Garnet consists of a hand in excess of five cards, dealt in the usual way and left on the table.

[8] In Peep Nap, an extra card is dealt face downwards on the table, and each player, on his turn to bid, may at his option have a private peep at the card by paying one penny, or higher stake, to the pool.